One More Blast.

Mother Nature has given us one more blast of winter to remind us that it’s not quite spring yet. Yesterday was just a teaser, with temperatures in the mid 50s and the sun shining down. Today it’s 18 degrees and we’re under a winter storm warning.

After yesterday’s respite afternoon, I don’t feel all down in the dumps about this weather. I find the public too amusing. People are bundling up like it’s the 1st of January. Shoppers are grabbing the bread and milk at the grocery store and who cares if the cupboard is fully stocked! They can squeeze that one extra loaf of bread to take us through this calamity.

As usual, all rules of the road are null and void. Green lights mean “sissy”, yellow lights mean “move it” and red lights mean “fsck you, I’m coming through.” Parking lot lines that denote where you are to park have become invisible. Either that or they are dancing under the snow, rearranging the format of the parking lot at whim. Parking four deep is a wonderful strategy at the mall. Why we don’t do it in nicer weather is beyond me.

I often complain about the hysteria that grips this area when it comes to a snow storm. You’d think after 15 years here I’d be over it, but I’m amazed at how much difference being 60 miles southeast of where I grew up can make. I mean, I don’t remember this “sky is falling” attitude that seems to overtake here back when I was a kid. It’s a few flakes of snow! Deal with it, people.

Like everyone, I’m ready for spring. And despite the temperatures and the wind and the snow and the slush and the hysteria, you can still feel spring in the air. It’s a little colder than usual. The skies are gray instead of blue. But the wind carries the unmistakeable, indescribeable feeling of “spring”. Let’s just keep it together until it gets here.