I'm trying. Really, I am. Trying to not complain about the weather. I've always thought of myself as a "roll with it" kind of person, but honestly, this weather has been testing my limits. I don't want to be one of those people, but it's feeling like there's not going to be an alternative this year. Now, I'm not alone here...far from it. I don't know if the weather just becomes more conversation-worthy as you get older, or if I've been in small talk situations more than usual, or if this is actually a more notable year, but so far in 2011 it seems I've done nothing BUT talk about the weather.
January brought the snow. Oh, the snow! I kind of like snow under normal circumstances. And by normal circumstances, I mean being voluntarily "snowed in". If my interaction with the snow is strictly on my own terms, I'm okay with it. That means not leaving my house if I feel like it, puttering with shoveling (without having to be actually responsible for clearing the whole driveway), maybe playing and making snowmen...all the good stuff. The majority of my interaction this winter was definitely NOT on my own terms. Commuting, parking, learning how to use the snowblower (OK, I admit it...that was kind of cool), even walking to the office from my car, were all the epitome of drudgery this winter. So what did I do? I complained. Sometimes I was just participating in the complaining process, not initiating it, but still...
Then the rains came. Cold rains. It was weeks of feeling all pruny and clammy and...moist (I hate that word AND that feeling.) With extraordinarily frizzed out hair. Not good. Running in the rain all soggy. Not good. Sssllllowwww driving (because we all know that precipitation slows down traffic exponentially, even if it's relentless misting). Not good. Only one cure for all that not good stuff: complaining. I had LOTS of help with that.
Finally, the sun came out...in full force. Suddenly it's hot as hell. Rush to find air conditioning! Even running has instantly become more difficult. And sweatier. And don't even get me started on my hair. I started to complain, but I stopped myself. Wait! I like some of this! Even though it sounds like I'm complaining here, I actually have been finding the silver lining of this weather. You would think finding silver linings without clouds would be difficult, but it's surprisingly easy: No jacket required! Flip flops and toe rings! Iced tea breaks! Yardwork (Yes, I know. That's not a good thing for most people, but I kind of like it)! Vitamin D and bursts of energy! Using the screen porch! Dare I say it?...suntans!
One major upside to all of the weather variations: it's a never-fail conversation starter. Cliche, yes...but it works. I don't know what I'd do if I lived someplace without variability. You can only use "Hot enough for ya?" so many times. How on earth do you REALLY appreciate the good weather if you never have any bad? All that rain led to the greenest grass and most colorful flowers. Yin-yang. Sure, it sounds a little sappy, but that doesn't mean it's not true.
When all is said and done, I do love the fact that I live in New England. I love that there are seasons. I appreciate what each one brings. And I love to complain about them. It's my prerogative as a New Englander...no, it's practically my duty.
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