25 February 2010

The End of Winter...

The culmination of this dark, dreary, mushy season is upon us. I, for one, am thrilled. Nate tells me to stop complaining. I suppose I should. The temps rarely dip under 30 degrees here in Denver and whatever snow we get generally melts within a week. But for some reason, this winter has been harder to handle than any other in my 32 years.

It's not difficult to understand why. The darkness is more all-consuming this year than ever. For the past seven years, I've had a very flexible schedule. I could take a walk or run during the day and was often able to spend a couple of hours in the daylight. Working full-time, however, does not give me that luxury. I drive to work in the dark and I drive home in the dark. I'm stuck in cubeland all day, so any opportunity to go outside is usually tied to a Starbucks run. And sometimes I make a Starbucks run with the sole purpose of soaking in some rays.

Benny is another factor. He's two. He's active. He doesn't like to be pent up in the house for hours on end. I can't say that I blame him. Sometimes I wonder if part of the terrible twos he's experiencing have something to do with boredome. I've found myself thinking of creative ways to engage his mind. Whether it's having him help "make" dinner, playing with play-dough, reading, jumping on the bed, running around the house, or starting laundry, it's difficult to keep his little mind occupied in positive ways (i.e. not throwing tantrums).

But, the good news is that spring is right around the corner. The sun is coming up when I enter my building at half past six in the morning and it stays up for at least an hour after I get home. It's not getting warmer, yet. But it will. And then winter will be a distant memory, forgotten with evening runs, yard work, fresh garden vegetables, and other outside activities. I can't wait!

1 comment:

Katy said...

Oh, I am right there with you! This winter has been a cold one with lots of snow. Just thinking about wearing sandles, riding my bike and laying on the grass makes me so excited.