Spring Please......

I understand that this has been an uncharacteristically pleasant winter (although terribly windy near the new stadium site) but I am none the less desperate for spring. I want to be outside in a light jacket. I want to stroll through my neighbourhood with no fear of slipping. I want to sit with girlfriends and judge strangers from a patio instead of a coffee house. Heck, I'll even take a mosquito or two.

As a nearly lifelong Winnipegger I have no great aversion to winter itself. During my brief tenure on the West Coast I genuinely missed our distinct seasons and the vast blue prairie sky. As much as I believe shovelling to be a scourge on humanity and a danger to the health and well-being of us all, I never want to live completely without snow. I spent one Christmas Day in Hawaii, and Santa on a surfboard just doesn't cut it. I enjoy our brisk, white winters. They just last about 5 weeks too long. A winter season from mid-December to the end of February sounds pretty much ideal to me.

Many have tried to convince me that Winnipeg winters pass swiftly if you embrace something to make it fun. Skating (I look like a serious dork), Skiing (were we really meant to descend hills strapped to pieces of wood?) or Snowmobiling (just what the economy ordered; something else with a gas tank). Nope. There's nothing there for me. I come from a long line of hibernators. It's in my DNA to opt for cozy blankets, a PVR full of tear-jerker girl movies and a list of complaints until spring is sprung. I would hate to break from family tradition.

On the upside I already see some definite signs of spring; My cats whine, whimper and then refuse to actually go outside about 47 times a day; Every other news cast includes some kind of "flood forecast" that relies completely on the weather of the next 6 weeks which, let’s be honest, nobody has a clue about; and I received my first unsolicited paint company estimate outlining how much better my house could look if I only cared enough to do something about it.

Here's hoping unfortunate Red River Ex weather and massive BDI line-ups (the proven signs of spring) are not too far behind. I'm running out of girl movies.