Forget your troubles, c'mon get happy! It's gonna pour today! Like for real. Or so they say. Yesterday's flaccid drizzle was nothing compared to what you'll see this afternoon and evening, so get out those galoshes and scrap any plans you had of doing any grocery shopping that involves paper bags.

Have you gotten in a winter mood yet? You should consider candles, putting on a little early Paul Simon or Bon Iver — for those looking for less white-guy music might we suggest Cleo Laine, Neko Case, or a touch of Donny Hathaway — and making some stew. Biscuits, also, are quite easy to make, but we understand if you're trying to lay off the carbs. It's awful, though, isn't it, that the time of year when you most need comfort food is also the time of year when you most need to watch your weight? Such is the bitch of living.