I. Am. So. Sick. Of. Winter. Spring is technically less than a week away, but that means nothing. It snowed two days ago. It snowed just as hard as it could snow. Even threw a little sleet in just to rub it in our faces. Once upon a time, cold winter days did not bother me. The fact that my lips were always chapped and it was dark 90% of the time did not interfere with my normal daily activities. Those days are long gone.
I do enjoy all four seasons. I just wish winter were a shorter season. Winter could start the day after Halloween and last until January 2. The temperatures could stay between 29 and 31 degrees with pretty, fluffy snow all the time. Then, on January 2, the snow would all be completely gone and it would be at least 60 degrees and sunny. I really do not think this is too much to ask. My mood would be SO much better.
The cold does not bother me as much as the dark. There is something fundamentally wrong with getting up and going to work when it is dark outside and then leaving work and driving home when it is getting dark again. The clock may say 5:00 P.M., but my mind says, “Put on your jammies and go to bed. It’s the middle of the night.” I get nothing done! I get home, eat dinner, and anxiously await going to bed. I cannot go back out anywhere. Not only is it freakishly cold, but it is dark, dark. There’s probably black ice and deer all over the roads. The deer are skating on the black ice. There will be no going back out for me. Plus, I was at work for all of the daylight hours. That is exhausting.
Ok, I lied. The cold does bother me as much as the darkness. I have not been truly warm since August. You know how some people say they are “cold natured”? I take that to a whole new level. I have winter sweaters and summer sweaters. I have sweaters in my closet that are too thin for me to consider wearing in the winter. I live in a house with people who are always hot. They wear shorts all year long. I never wear shorts, unless I am guaranteed that I will not be going into an air-conditioned space. If there is AC, I must have a sweater and leg coverings. So winter in my house is a real struggle. I wear many clothes and I sit under a blanket. In my car, I have heated seats and a heated steering wheel. I am very ready to be a little less cold. I’ll still be cold in the spring, but not as cold.
I miss green. I drive a lot. Now when I drive, I see brown. Brown tree trunks and branches and brown grass. Brown dirty mud puddles. Brown, dirty melting snow. Cars covered in brown dirt from the road. I am ready to see bright colors again. I want to see green grass, even if there are weeds in it. I am ready for the trees to bud and flower, even though my eyeballs will itch and swell. I can’t wait for the flowers to bloom, although my nose will run nonstop.
This week’s weather promises better things. I am hopeful. Spring is around the corner. It will be a big season for us. Emily turns 18 and she graduates from high school. I have put off even thinking about that. Now I’m going to have to really think about it. Those things are really going to happen. Maybe it can stay winter after all…
