I Pity the Fool Who Wasted this Day

I did a lot more walking when Hershey was still around.

No matter what the weather, twice a day, at least, I was strolling with the mutt. On the weekends, up at the lake, I was motivated to hike around one of the lakes at least one day of the weekend. Then came the winter of 2013-14. And yes we all agree it sucks. Makes no difference what part of the country you are in, with very few exceptions, all we have done for the past 2 1/2 months is complain about the weather.

And why the hell not? It's been brutal. Last year I think I missed one weekend of walking at the lake, this year I think I walked once. But today was different. Today is a blue sky, breezy, temperature in the high 40s kind of day, and after the past month, it felt good to soak in the sun for an hour.

There's a lot of snow up here. A lot. even with the wide open spaces, you still run out of places to put it. Driveways, our included, are half the width they are normally. Homes with garages have front stairs covered with snow, as people take the easy route of entering their homes through the garage instead of front door. No one has the energy to clean it all, there's just too much.

The community is usually filled with wildlife. On the walk, I saw one herd of deer, all huddled together, a few squirrels and that was it. There is no food for these creatures, and it will be a long time before there is. It's a hard winter for them too.

The plan was to walk around the smaller lake being it's been a while, but I got caught up in the day and blew right past the street where I should have turned. Taking my time, the trek around the big lake wasn't too bad. A light breeze, sun on my face, and music in my ears.

I ended up the walk with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes singing "I Played The Fool." Maybe Johnny, but not me though. The walk was joyous. Can't wait for spring to do it more often.

Walking and Free Falling

There's something to be said for a 50+ degree day in January...in the Poconos. And this is what I will say... freakin' great.

As some of you already know, this was not exactly a fun-filled week for me. A business meeting with a dinner after turned into a smashed car and not having a real meal for almost twenty-four hours. Throw in the dog having a tumor removed the next morning and you find me ten at night lining up a rental car and trying to decompress.

Special thanks for my friends and co-workers who called AAA, the body shop and took pictures as I tried not to pass out from stress, hunger and the cold. Things pretty much worked out with the car, the dog is finally adjusting to the cone on her head, and the week ended with taking my mother to the oncologist. Almost four years since her diagnosis, everything is still looking good.

Not as happy about the damage to the car. Before they even start it's over $6000 in damage and will probably be another three weeks with me driving a mini-van. And here I was looking forward to driving an all-wheel drive car during the winter.

So after this I-have-no-idea-what-my-blood-pressure-reading-might be kind of week, it was a nice change to be able to clear my head during a three-mile walk. While the snow is still beautiful, it's no longer the pristine blanket it was two weeks ago. The melting snow has the small streams making small talk and the deer, while still in their winter herds, are no longer walking in file.

Plugged in the iPhone, hit shuffle and turned my face to the sun. A couple of songs in, I realized the lake was really quiet. Most weekenders aren't up during the winter, and the full-timers seemed to be having a lazy day. I started singing along with Tom Petty's "Free Falling," though not quite as exuberantly as Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, but enough to make me glad it was winter and I was alone with nature.

It's been a while since the weather and time has cooperated to give me my 45 minute therapy session, this was the perfect week to be so lucky.

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Too Hot Too Quick Today

It used to be, summers were hot and winters were cold. It was what it was and you planned accordingly. Now the game has changed.

The fall began with a Halloween snowstorm dropping  2 feet of white stuff on the ground, and that was it. Oh, there was a dusting or two, but nothing as far as accumulation. And the temperatures, a bit of real cold here and there, but it sure as hell was not a Northeast winter.

Today, we are not even a month into Spring and the projected temperature is in the 86-90 degree range. Now my house has virtually no closet space, so like a lot of other people, every spring and fall you do the clothes changeover. Well, I did it at the weekend house, but here..no. So as I look at my winter coat hanging up along with gloves and hats, I'm thinking there will be an additional chore on my to-do-pretty-damn-quick list.


Or, I can just leave them there. The way things are going, it should be getting cold by what...July?

Just waiting on the seasons. And the ice cream truck.

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No Snow? Who Really Gives A $#@&

And there you go.  Everyone has been bitchin' that there hasn't been any snow this winter...not counting the Halloween surprise.  Personally, I've come to enjoy not freezing my butt off in January...not to mention no shoveling of snow.  But here it is, Friday the 13th and it's snowing.

Sure I understand the economy as fragile as it is, needs cold weather states to be inundated with snow.  Me?  Not so much.  I quite enjoyed walking yesterday without my winter coat...now I gotta think about boots, a hat, a scraper and whether my car defroster is gonna work.

Just need to keep my eye on the big picture.  Yankees P's and C's report to spring training February 20th.

To hell with winter...baseball baby.