WINTER

I'm grateful for many things since moving to Texas, my wife, the friendly peoople, but one thing that definitely comes to mind is the weather, especially in the winter.

I grew up on the NorthCoast, and you'd think I would've gotten used to cold, wind-chill, and lake -effect weather; uh-uh. I HATE cold, question the very sanity of those who love playing in snow, and wrestled with Seasonal Affective Disorder for most of my life.

I can still remember when I first realized it. I was seven, down at the foot of the driveway, building a snowman. I'm patting more snow on top of its head when, like a light being turned on, reality blew in.

• I'm standing in cold, wet snow.
• It's still snowing.
• I'm actually HANDLING this cold, wet stuff.
• I'm out of my gourd.

Ever since then, winter has been four months and change of bummer, particularly on the NorthCoast, where winter hits like Godzilla on a Tokyo weekend. Later for that.

It's snowed twice since I got here, and it's gotten down to about twenty degrees....thank you, Lord.