Snowmageddon

There's one really big reason I don't live in Minnesota...cold weather.  What have we had for the past month?  Cold weather.   For anyone watching the news these past few weeks, you'll see that Richmond and the entire east coast have been getting slammed with snow.  Just before Christmas we were hit with over a foot, last weekend we got about 1.5 feet, and this weekend we have somewhere between 10 and 12 inches, depending on where you are (much more if you're further north).  The thing is, I don't mind the snow and cold here.  Why?  Because it doesn't last all year.

I'll never forget my first year in Minnesota.  It started snowing in October, just after my birthday.  I'd certainly never seen it, and I got quite excited.  The first time we had a major snow (maybe 1-2 feet) I swore up and down we'd be out of classes the next day.  Yeah, not so much.  I went out and played in the snow and had a blast.  By the end of March, when I was just starting to see grass again, I was pretty sick of snow.  I wanted sunlight and warmth the ability to go outside.

Here in VA, however, I'm much more excited.  When the flurries start coming I laugh hysterically at the people rushing to the grocery store for milk and bread and then I curse myself for having to go there for the exact same things.  (What can I say?  I love milk and go through a gallon a week minimum.)  Then, as the road become a little worse, I'll bitch a bit with all the other Virginians who either wish it weren't snowing at all or who wish the plow trucks could work a little faster.  However, when I return home, I breathe a sigh of relief at the break I'm about to be given.  It is perfectly acceptable to take time off when the roads are too terrible to drive.  I'll curl up in my pajamas and robe, sip a piping hot cup of hot chocolate, and read a book.  It's a great time for Hans and me to snuggle up and enjoy the weather.


The best part?  We're not completely trapped by the snow.  Sure, the roads are really great enough to drive, but I have no problem playing outside...especially with Cody.  While I always found it too cold to play in MN, I love to frolic with Cody, trick him with snowballs, and watch him turn into a giant snow beast.  Then, after a little while, I'll decide that I'm cold and head back in for more movies and hot chocolate.  Really, when it snows here, the world gets quiet for a day.  People stay inside and enjoy their families.  Even the birds get quiet.  How relaxing!

Now then, for people thinking I'm bashing MN, I'm not.  I'll admit that I wasn't the happiest person there, but that was due to multiple reasons (cold included).  I have no idea how I might have enjoyed MN if I'd had a dog who enjoyed the cold weather as much as Cody does.  Nor do I know how I might have handled living there in my own place doing something I love rather than on a college campus.  Besides, there are lots of things I miss about MN (mmm, Culver's), but it's so much easier for me to be here.  Kudos to all you brave Minnesotans who can handle the cold.  I'm not one of you, but I love each of you all the same.

Now, for your viewing enjoyment:



*By the way, I hope you like the pictures.