Winter Weather Warriors

Let it be known that Lucy Bark of Poteidaia is no weather wimp. She's just waiting for some beer to go with her pretzels. Weather wimps would be happy with a soda.

Our dogs love cold weather; in fact, Freckles acts five years younger when it's 40 degrees or below. They don't mind snow, as long as we don't make them wear their parkas. They aren't weather wimps. They say, "Bring it on, Mama Nature!" They are true winter weather warriors. They plow through snow piles over their heads. They pee outside and never complain that the wind chill seems to require an official advisory. They poop with one or two paws in the air because they've got ice in their paw pads and yet they keep on pooping with nary a whine.

I am joining the puppies: I am going to embrace winter. I am going to be a Winter Weather Warrior!

Too much information has made us weather wimps. (Myself included. Don't think I'm only judging you, prisoner of weather channel forecasting!)

As a winter weather warrior, I am going to enjoy the newly fallen snow. I am going to look at shoveling as a great exercise. I am going to see the sub-zero temps as a good reason to wear my new jeans. I am going to dig out those snow shoes and go shoeing with the wife. I feel warm already! I'm going to recall my childhood days of playing outside in the snow because it was fun.

In the olden days (0h boy, here we go), we knew it was winter and it was probably gonna snow and that was it. No weather advisory, no winter warnings, no wind chill alerts, no "ten day out" forecasts. We looked out the window, thought "oh, it's snowing," put on a friggin' coat & boots and went on with business. We went to work even though it was snowing. GASP! That's right--snowing. We commuted and got to work. We got up and shoveled the driveway--we didn't stand in front of the TV to see what was closed or canceled....because nothing was closed or canceled unless it was crazy bad outside.

We loved snow. It meant fun and playing and building snowmen and celebrating the colder months. It meant ugly parkas, giving yourself extra time to drive somewhere, having a reason to drink hot chocolate (not that anyone should EVER need a reason to drink hot chocolate). Oh sure, we thought about snow days but they were so few and far between that we really didn't ever expect to get any. We were like the post office: school no matter sleet or rain or snow or drought or locusts.

In celebration of my developing winter weather warriorness, I have ordered some new tires for my car. Ending up in a ditch does motivate one to spend money. Many a discussion was held about snow tires vs. all season tires. I educated myself, then educated the wife. I showed her videos on YouTube, I shared the data, I read the reviews. My vote was for snow tires, but the wife's arguments won: changing snow tires out in the spring and fall suck, so she says--it does sound rather like a pain in the ass--and thus I chose all-season tires that got great reviews. My bank account won't think they are so great, but what price do you put on safety and on building winter weather warriorness? (I hear they look good, too--a bonus in the Addiverse. If you are gonna be in a ditch, one should look hot.)

I admit, it has snowed a LOT recently and that I've teetered on being a winter weather wimp. I admit that I am rather sick of snow and it's only January, so it's a little early to be getting sick of the white stuff. I admit snow is probably more fun when you are 10 years old as opposed to 40 something years old. I admit I am not a fan of below zero weather.....

.....I admit to watching the Local on the 8's over and over and over and letting myself get sucked in to the weather frenzy: "OH MY GOD IT'S GOING TO SNOW! OH NO IT'S GOING TO SNOW UP TO TWO INCHES! WE BETTER STAY HOME!" I admit I worry about isobars, wind chills, Alberta clippers. I love weather but it can take me prisoner without me even knowing it and then I go from warrior to wimp. I must stop the madness!

I admit I know it's snowing right now and that we've received 5 inches of the white stuff in 24 hours and about three more inches are anticipated. I know that bone-chilling temps will descend upon our domain, wind chills threatening our very being.....and knowing all this makes me feel a wee bit wimpy inside.

BUT I SHALL EMBRACE THIS WINTER WEATHER LIKE A TRUE WARRIOR!

Remember the first time I published this photo? No? I do! It's a classic. You have to read and re-read this beauty--link below. I had to put the photo in the blog again. This is what I look like when using the snow blower to rip the neighbors' holiday decorations off their garage. Vrro-o-o-o-o-m! A nude winter weather warrior is even BETTER than just a plan old winter weather warrior.
http://addiwp.blogspot.com/2006/12/friendly-neighbor-with-snow-blower.html

And so, I will shovel, I will snow shoe, I will drive my new tires with reckless abandon. I will grab Ol' Man Winter by the snow balls. I will make snow angels and bound through the piles like I'm one of the dogs. I will not be wimpy--I will be a warrior!

Unless I end up in another ditch. Then, all bets are off......