Sunday, March 2, 2008

Am I the Only One?

Almost EVERYONE I know in Central Illinois is trying to claw their way threw their windows because they have cabin fever. As a 10 year resident of Northeast Wisconsin, I say p-shaw (remember when Ray Raynor did the p-shaw thing...all you WGN Chicago kids?) to your cabin fever, you light weights. See, in my parts, Spring doesn't happen till Mother's Day. And even that's iffy.

I, once again, feel like a freak. I actually LIKE winter. I LIKE curling up under a blanket and reading a book. As the days grow shorter, my family draws near and we spend our days watching movies secure in our winter den. Me 'n Mr. Rix have the most awesome down-alternative (I gots a bad allergy sniffer) duvet that we lurv! I hate putting it away for the summer. I LOVE the way it feels when you've been outside and the nose hairs get all freezy.

I love snowmen, sledding, snowballs, snow angels...the whole 9 yards. We keep our house at about 67 degrees in the winter. I love the feeling of blankets piled up on top of me...and the feeling of sticking my foot out from under them to cool off. I love it when the dogs and the cat all pile up on our queen sized bed and keep us warm. I love mittens, hats, scarves, wool pea coats...

There's a line in Steel Magnolias that says something along the lines of Shelby loving bad weather days...something about since God didn't make much of the day, He can't expect us to make much of it either. I've searched and searched for the exact quote and can't find it. But that's the gist of it.

I'm a bookworm, internet surfer geek, t.v. show/movie gal, board game player...these are not activities that go well with long, bright, hot summer days.

Don't get me wrong...I've also always had a garden and flower beds. I love to fish, water ski and do the whole nature thing. Just not when it's 100 bazillion degrees outside. The boys and I have had Splashdown passes since we moved here. I'm more than happy to get my fat white ass out in the sun...I'd just rather have an excuse not to.

Winter gives me lots of reasons not to get my lily white behind (and fore hind) out and all sweaty. I'm just not one of those folks who suffers through winter simply because it leads to spring.

#2 came in the house today (he's out in the woods 24/7/365) and said "Hey Mom, I think it smells like spring today". I asked him what he meant and he said "I dunno, the air just smells squishy". I knew what he meant. I love that smell, too.

My family enjoys winter very much. We just can't get a handle on these insanely hot and humid summers.

So, for us, the end of winter means the blah-I-can't-breath-it's-so-hot-summer is on it's way.

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