Monthly Archives: February 2012

I don’t know about you all, but I am glad this little bugger is foreseeing more winter for us. I am a Phoenix native. I grew up in Florida on the Redneck Riviera. I have only experienced two real winters in my entire life. My first winter was the blizzard of 94 in Philadelphia, PA. It started the night I was driving to my first permanent duty station in the U.S. Navy to serve aboard the USS John F. Kennedy. I walked to the ship in my dress blues with snow halfway up my shin. Just a few days prior to this, I slipped on ice and bit through my bottom lip and cracked a tooth.

I hate winter.

I really, really, really hate winter.

So why do I want more? Because I live in Phoenix. Because it has been mid-70s for the past month in the day and only mid-40s at night. This is nice, I know. And in all actuality, if it was like this all the time I wouldn’t complain. But I miss those few really good days of biting cold in the 30s at night and 50s during the day. It makes me ready for the summer—when nights are at a low in the 90s and it’s 110 or higher in the day. I need those few cold days to mentally prepare for the heat, and the inevitable day that my AC will go out and I’m sitting in front of a fan wearing a wet t-shirt to stay cool while I wait for the repairman and my family is having ice cream at the mall… smiling and laughing about me being miserable at home.

All that just to say a simple thank you to Punxsutawney Phil. You’re my favorite rodent.