Mid-Winter Reprieve

I’m trying not to get too excited about the 50+ degree weather we’ve had the past couple days because I know that winter is just waiting to return with a vengeance. It’s simply the way it is around here in mid-winter in Ohio. We get a few days of nearly balmy weather and people start running around in shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops.

Come on, people! Fifty degrees is NOT flip-flop weather.

Yesterday I even saw a bunch of guys on motorcycles roaring past me on the highway and all I could think was, Yeah, yeah, it’s 59 degrees out, but, dudes – admit it – you HAVE TO BE freezing!

Not that the dudes responded, of course, since I was just thinking that in my head. If they had responded, I’d have been a little freaked. Or maybe a LOT freaked. Because then I’d have to acknowledge that I was hearing voices in my head…

Now I have to admit at least they aren’t as crazy as those crazy people who belong to crazy Polar Bear clubs and plunge into ice-covered waters in the middle of zero degree temperatures. Who is crazy enough to do this? And, okay, so some of those organizations raise money for charity, but still. I’ll stay bundled up at home and will send a check, okay?

At any rate, the guys on the motorcycles weren’t the only ones behaving as if they’d never experienced warmer weather. Even Vince was not immune to the hints of springtime to come. We drove the mile or so to our destination last night with the windows open! Since the sun had nearly set and the temps were dropping, he raised the window on the driver’s side. But he still left the window behind me open. That is, until I shot him a dirty look and said, “Do I look hot over here or something”?

Fortunately, Vince is getting really good at understanding the difference between my asking him questions that necessitate answers and questions that are purely rhetorical where it’s probably not a good idea to respond.

So he didn’t say a word – he merely closed the window.

Thank. You.

Now I won’t say that I haven’t appreciated the warmer weather myself. I’m happy to see that all the soot-encrusted black snow has melted – for two reasons. 1) it’s ugly. And 2), it has freed up room for the next round of winter snow and ice to accumulate.

I have also been able to ditch my bulky winter coat for a day or two. Yesterday I wore my lightweight spring raincoat and was surprised at how much less confining it felt – especially in the car where I usually feel like I’m being strangled between my bulky layers of clothing, winter coat, knit scarf and the seatbelt. Somewhere around the mid-point between home and work I start clawing at the scarf to loosen it so I can breathe a little easier.

And today I didn’t even wear an outer coat! Instead, I wore a suede jacket. Now, true enough, I am wearing a turtleneck sweater underneath the suede jacket, so I’m not exactly dressed for summer. But it’s a start.

Of course, you know what this means, don’t you? People will start coming down with sore throats and colds and all manner of nasty bugs.

Why is that, exactly? I’ve never been able to figure out why people start getting sick when we have a couple days of warmer weather in mid-winter.

Maybe there is no actual scientific correlation between warmer weather and illness, but I’m not taking any chances. I think we’ll up our daily intake of Vitamin C, Echinacea, and Airborne. I’ll be using antibacterial hand gel like I have stock in the company.

And if all that doesn’t work and I feel a scratchy throat and a congested schnoz coming on, I might even go so far as to make an appointment with a witch doctor – maybe he’ll have some magical potions for kicking the common cold.

In the meantime, I’m heading outside. Anyone have some sunscreen handy?