Winter. The very word...

Winter. The very word stirs feelings of dread to the depths of my soul. I warned everybody several months ago this post would be coming... Here 'tis!

It snowed yesterday. Only about a quarter inch, but it snowed. The temperature dropped well below freezing. We've been fairly lucky until now. December days in the 50's and even a few in the 60's made things tolerable. But that's all over now. I have nothing but disdain for everything winter. I don't like snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain or the ever popular wintry mix. I don't like the cold. Period. The older I get, the stronger my feelings against winter. As a young man, I never understood people who felt the need to go south in the winter. Being a snow bird seemed silly to me then. Now, in my mid 40's, the understanding of those snow birds is abundantly clear. If I could, I'd be headed south... TODAY! You'd see nothing but the rear of my Honda Civic as I headed to Florida. But as you may guess, my job prevents that. At least for 15 more years. My mom and Cliff left for Florida on Monday (just in time to escape this paradise we call winter in the midwest). See you in April, Mom! Have I mentioned I don't care much for winter?

In addition, people in the Tri-State have no earthly idea how to drive in the snow. The aforementioned quarter inch of snow caused a 41 car pile up in Northern Kentucky. Were the roads slick and did they catch people off guard? Sure. But a pile up like that? Gee whiz! I can hardly wait for the real snow to hit. A commute that normally takes 30 minutes can easily turn into 2 hours. The White Death hits the roads and all of a sudden it's Snowmageddon! It's not that tough. Slow down. Allow extra space between yourself and other cars. Lightly apply brakes and know how to steer into a skid if it happens. Driving in winter conditions should cause anyone to be cautious and bit nervous, but there really is no reason to panic. Have I mentioned I don't like winter?

I'm an outdoors kind of guy. Winter is an indoors kind of season. Those two do not go well together. I miss sunshine. I miss warmth. I miss working in my yard. I miss my pool. How many days until spring?