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Shoveling Snow, Day After Day

I have swept and shoveled snow every day since Wednesday. Today is Sunday. That's five days of snow removal. I'm sick of the snow — I want some sunshine and warmer weather. When we first moved from California to Minnesota, I looked forward to the White Christmas. Now, it wouldn't bother me to never see snow again.

Western PA is nothing like Minneapolis. The snow storms here have less snow and the temperature is warmer. I can remove the snow in about 30 minutes, without getting frostbite. Minneapolis was brutally cold. Here, it is the lack of sunshine that gets depressing.

We did leave the house today, because I was getting stir-crazy. We had lunch (Chinese buffet) and walked a mile at the local mall. But the distance from the car to the mall was sufficient to turn my cheeks pink and my hands white. The slightest breeze cuts through you when it is snowing.

As readers know, I hate gloves and hats when it is cold. That's a bit odd, I realize, since I like fine suits and nice fedoras. However, cold-weather clothing is annoying. The thick insulated gloves are not like fine leather gloves. The hat I have to wear while removing snow is hot and itchy — but it keeps my ears warm.

I cannot wait for next week. Normal temperatures should return, which means the end of below-freezing highs. Of course, rain will replace the snow, and the clouds will still block the sunlight.

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