OK, everyone. Mark this day down in your diaries, because I'm about to say something I don't believe I've ever said: Winter has officially outstayed its welcome.
Many of you might have been saying this for weeks now, so I'm a little late to the game. But I'm with you now as we form a united front against this cold.
For those who know me well, you probably fell out of your seat when you read that. The truth is, I absolutely love the winter. Far more than most, I do believe. For those who don't know, I was born in Colorado -- in February, no less -- and then lived in Illinois before my family headed South when I was a young'un. Snow and wind and ice and everything that makes winter so amazing runs through my veins. It's the thing I look most forward to all year. While living in Arkansas during the winter can be very disappointing to someone like myself, I remain hopeful every year.
But the older I get, the more I'm ready for winter to just come and go. Don't jump to conclusions here -- I am absolutely not looking forward to the eight months of summer that typically follow our in-name-only winters. While I'm frequently aggravated at having to run my air conditioning on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm also a little peeved when the weather man calls for an inch-and-a-half of snow and all the milk, bread and eggs disappear from store shelves.
My wife, who is now 35 weeks pregnant and is already loaded down with more than she usually is (the baby), has always enjoyed the winter as much as I have, but now swears if she has to wear one more layer of clothes she's going to need to be rolled to work.
So as this year's cold weather seems to be lingering on a bit too long, I'm joining the rest of you in winter-time grumpiness by making plans for what I'll be doing when the weather finally gets its act together.
One of my big plans is to spend some time at the driving range. Now, I don't know how to actually play golf, and I have no desire to learn, but I went to the range for the first time a few weeks ago, and I now understand why some men spend every waking moment trying to sneak out to the course to hit a few balls.
I do wish I had discovered the joys of pretending to be Tiger Woods sooner, because I have a feeling if I can manage to find a few spare moments this summer they will be spent catching up on sleep.
I won't be going on vacation this year because of the baby being so new (which is an odd way to put it), so I've been looking for some relatively local day trips we could take. The thing that stands out the most is a trip to the zoo. Caroline will be far too young to actually remember anything from the trip, but the pictures will be there for her as she gets older. Some of my favorite photos of me as a kid are of a trip my family took to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. I'd love to give my daughter some early experiences like that to look back on.
I also recently bought a barbecue grill, which I realize is probably a staple for most homes in Arkansas, so again, I'm a little late to the game. I used to grill all the time when we first bought our house, and I was quite good at it. When, in an effort to save time, I switched from grilling to hitting up a barbecue stand (usually Ray Gills, which is THE best in town) I realized what I missed was the experience. Taking a Saturday to relax and watch a baseball game while the ribs are on the grill and Ashley is making pasta salad is something I hope to integrate back into my life this summer. It has little to do with the food and more to do with the atmosphere.
Since Batman writer Scott Snyder will be penning a story this summer that I have no interest in reading, I'm looking forward to spending a little more time outside, even if it is only my front yard. Someone please remind me of this statement when after two weeks of nice weather it hits 100 degrees and I'm back here complaining about the bugs and how I'm "tired of this stupid heat."
Most of all this summer, I'm looking forward to honing my dad skills. Feeding, burping and diapering over and over should keep me so busy that I don't care that I missed another trip to the range or that it so hot.
For more visit www.thejedidad.wordpress.com or follow me on Twitter at @TheJediDad. May the force be with you.
cpinkard@blythevillecourier.com