A Winter's Day....

I have two friends.  I ain't sure if they know one another, but they're both originally from Michigan.  They love winter.


DID YOU HEAR THAT?  They, LOVE, Winter....
Criminy...


Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatooooooooooooooooeeeeeeeyyyyyy!


The ballfield is frozen, the splash park where the kids run thru the sprinklers sits barren, empty.  Long sleeves, long pants, ALL AROUND..


Tan?  The hell is that?  You can't be tanned in November, December, January, yada.
I HATE THE WEATHER MAN THIS TIMEA YEAR!


I gotta go pay some bills, but have you seen the ice buildup on my windshield?  I no gotty remote start - so, if I were to run out, start my car, go back inside to watch the local news for a bit - odds are fitty fitty my car may be two counties away, wrecked and outta gas by the time I go back out.
Winter.  You can have it.


Then again.....


I really do have very fond memories of childhood.... and this timea year..   November/December is all about family.  Yes, some of us turkeys within, and uh huh, even a few hams.. but dadgummit, what better than to be INSIDE, warm, surrounded by those that love you - and more importantly, those that you love.


You can remind me I said this one day soon, but I really do enjoy seeing the freshly fallen snow.  No imprints of mankind.  God's work.  Uh huh, I know it's a different thing admiring from the 70 degree living room window (ok, you caught me, YES, I leave my thermostat at 63, but with my MIZ-ZOU hoody I'm quite comfy, tyvm.).. than sure, being out in it.


Then again....


All the whiffle ball games, kick the can, slip and slides, koolaid stands - don't add up to the fun we had on the hill sledding as a child.  We stuck our tongues on the metal part of the sled long before that damn Ralphie/pole movie came out.  We caught snowflakes in our mouths.  We'd erect a shrine of twigs to designate the longest sled run of the day - then we'd spend 6 hours competing to get a longer one. If we eventually gave up that pursuit, we'd have a snowball fight - or, we'd build a REAL igloo that'd fit 7 of us (and our dog, he enjoyed that too.)  And after -


Presto, mom's hot chocolate.  Gloves, boots, hat, pants, coat, shirt off - placed near the fireplace to warm up, dry out so we could go back at it tomorrow.  Pink hands held as close to the fire as was possible to get the circulation backa goin' again.  Yum.


Victor, you said "Yum."  You hate Winter, remember?


I am old. I HAVE EVERY RIGHT to bitch, gripe, bemoan Winter, higher gas bills, Uncle Sam, arthritis, whereinthehelldidIleavemyreaders, etc.


Then again...


I think I kinda sorta remember, as an adult, hopping in the warm, heated, wonderful waterbed with whatshername.  (Please Victor, no play by play, let's keep this PG rated.)  OK dammit, you win, but, let's just say PG happened, hehe.  VICTOR!  Sorry, kinda.


Winter is my least favorite season.


Then again...


I love it.  I don't miss commuting for work, but I loves me the challenge of being among the first ones on the road, "I'll be damned if this is keeping me at home!".. YOU'RE CRAZY FOR GETTING OUT THERE!  "Ha, hold my hot chocolate and watch this!"


Four belly inches ago, I had the bright idea to attempt to workout 100 days in a row.  Why I didn't start in April, I dunno.. I started in October.  Long about day #56, I even kinda sorta started to like myself in the mirror.  I'd go lift weights for a bit.. hop on the elliptical..stay as long as it took me to beat the damn solitaire thing on the TV screen infronta me..   THEN..  aha.. the sauna.. YES, YES, YES.  Winter, kiss my arse, it's wonderful in here.


Then, YES, YES, YES, a quick, warm shower, THEN, to the Jacuzzi.  (I usedta go straight from the sauna to the jacuzzi, but some lady who no speaky English great stopped me one day and said "you no follow rules, you MUST shower after sauna.." OK, OK).. but yes, the Jacuzzi, Yum!


Victor, you said Yum again.  It's Winter, remember?  And.. what are you getting at here?  Must we suffer through paragraphs of you describing your workouts?  (Ah, go stick your tongue on the basketball pole.)


The ending of that story..  Well, long about day #94... I liked me s'more in the mirror, but dadburnit, I GAINED 8 pounds! I know, I know, muscle weighs more than fat, still....


So Victor?  Yes...  One hunnerd.  Did you make it?


After day #94, when I was looking in the mirror and liked it - I was fully cognizant "this ain't forever", I know me, I will never ever eva, keep up working out this faithfully.


So..... Day #95.  School's cancelled.  Seven inches of freshly fallen snow.  Bitter, bitter, cold.  There was no sane person sleeping in the waterbed with me to announce "You CAN'T get out in this crap!"  So, I said to myself, "hold my hot chocolate and watch this."


I went the backroads of Liberty, avoiding as many hills as I could.  Every business I passed - closed.  Undaunted, "it's day #95, by golly I'M DOING THIS."  I spun on. In fact, I damn near spun into right around lane #7 of the bowling alley as I traversed down that hill.  Whew.  Only blocks to go.  You know the nearer your destination the more you're slip sliding away.


I did me some sideways spinning.  I never did a 360, but.. close.  By now my car was heated up, windshield clear, but the wipers were stilla going as snow continued to fall.  Fast.  FINALLY.  FINALLY, I pulled into the Community Center for day #95.  I proudly glanced at myself in the rear view mirror, and announced, "HA HA WINTER! TAKE THAT!"


Ahm.  Where are all the cars?  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  Don't tell me!  CLOSED? I HATE WINTER!


Then again..  I've added me some 'warmth' around the belly since that day.  I even think, today,  this is the very first front-wheel drive car I've ever had.  I sit here now, at the computer.  Long sleeves.  Long pants.  A super thick shawl over my lower body.  It's 63 degrees, but my fingers are unthawed. And I think back - on all the enjoyment Winter has brought me in my life.  Close your ears - maybe those Michigan friends ain't so bad after all.


Family. Fun.  God's artwork.  Ten pounds of clothing.  Hammer/chisel to the windshield.  Laughter.  Hugs.  Love. Oh, and have you ever tried Baileys in hot chocolate?  Ever eat a pine tree?  jk.


Slip sliding away,


Love, Victurd