Frost on the Pumpkin.

It is fifty degrees Fahrenheit. Br-r-r-r-r-r. Everyone outside is chilly. So is everyone inside this restaurant, which shall remain nameless. Someone is chopping onions and limburger cheese for today’s omelet special and the smell is overwhelming. This is why the door is open.

Some diners mention the pungent odor. Others bring up the fact that it is 50 degrees outside and the door is open. As with everything, there is a 50-50 chance.

When mammals are cold, their muscles contract and relax in quick succession to generate internal heat. These contractions are not as severe as seizures. They are shivers. No one can help it. It is an autonomic reaction to a chill. It is a survival mechanism in cold climates.

The door is open at Toast. I am not the only one chilly and shivering. If I wanted to sit outside, I would have sat in my garden. The good thing is that it is winter in New Orleans.