Winter

Here are my thoughts on winter....

1. It is March 5th...WINTER should be a distant memory at this point!  I should not have a snowflake at the end of a 10 day forecast.
2. I am truly amazed that we got 3 inches of snow on Sunday and then by Monday afternoon my entire driveway was completely dry but it never got above 15 degrees outside.  It really makes me question those news programs who fry an egg on the pavement to show how hot it is...apparently the sun can also melt and dry snow when it was only 15 out, and trust me when I say, it didn't make it feel warm out.
3. Apparently my mood (and waistline) is really affected by constant cold weather.  This is really the first year where I didn't think I could stand it anymore.  Normally by the time I get fed up, it is warmer a week later.  Not this year.
4. Snow is very pretty and I still get a little excited when they predict it...just not in March.  The first snow fall is my favorite and the weekend snowstorms that I can watch out our bay windows are my second favorite.
5. I realized this year how many of my activities with my friends here involve being outside...bike riding, walking, running, taking kids for walks in strollers, etc.  I miss all of it.  
6. 50 is now t-shirt weather to me...so sad.  I remember the summer I lived in NJ and was there in May where it was 50 at night and my family was sitting on the deck with t-shirts on while I had one 2 layers of clothing.  I could now sit out there with them (for a little while).
7. I am not the only one affected by winter...everyone I know that is from here has said this was the worst winter in their lifetime...I sure hope so and I hope it doesn't happen again for another 35 years.
8. My driveway is so steep that my car will not go up it, even with snow tires on it, if we get more than 2 inches of snow...this seems to defeat the purpose of a garage.  I have to park at the top if I want to go anywhere the next day.  If we ever get another house, a sun filled, FLAT driveway will be a big selling point...that or we need to put a heated driveway in at this house.  
9. I am not even sure what I would do if I had a kid...see #8.  I can barely walk up the driveway myself without slipping, how would I carry a kid and all their crap.  Plus, as a friend pointed out...you can't exactly stick a small kid in a car that is -7.  That is a lot of up and down a steep driveway in below freezing weather.
10. Everyone here has remote start for their cars...that is the one feature that our cars don't have but it would really help with #8 and maybe one day #9.
11. We have an outside kitty that has probably spent at least 20-30 nights in our basement this winter because it was too cold for her outside :-(  We have had her for 4 years and this is the first time we had to do that.
12. And finally...I am really proud that there were at least 5 occasions when I went to boot camp at 6am while it was dark and with negative temps (but no snow).  No way I would have done that 5 years ago!

READY FOR SPRING...I would even take consistent 50s at this point!