84 days and counting

I talked to a friend tonight and realized that one of the biggest factors in what I like to call the Second-Semester Senior Stress Syndrome (I'd like to request a gold star for the alliteration) is CABIN FEVER. Plain and simple.

Generally, I'm the type of person who loves to spend time outside. Over the summer I would go on long walks and explore the area. Or I would just walk to the grocery store or the gas station to get a newspaper or something. It was wonderful.

And fall was just as wonderful. It was cool and bright and the leaves seemed particularly beautiful and I could just meander for hours and take pictures.

Now, however, we're breaking the all-time snowfall record (or something crazy like that) and last time I caught a glimpse of the sidewalk, it was covered up again in only a couple of hours. It hasn't entirely stopped me from going on walks all together, though. But it has shortened them drastically.

So I think a big part of my problem right now is that I'm COOPED UP LIKE A CRAZY PERSON. I bought a bike in November and I haven't been able to ride it at all. And every day I come home and look at my poor bike all ready to go and it makes me sad that I can't go ride it. I have an awesome trail area right near here and I've been a few times to explore it Calvin and Hobbes style, but I want to hop on my bike and just let it take me wherever it goes.

Deep down somewhere I know that winter can't last forever. I know that one day the sun will shine and the birds will chirp and the flowers will bloom and the fireflies will sparkle (goodness, I sure do love the fireflies) and the fields will be green and wonderful and the air will be warm and the days will be long. I know it. But I can't feel it.

I know we have a while left to wait, but in the meantime I'd like to ask God or Mother Nature or Channel 8's John McLaughlin or who ever is in charge of our current situation for just ONE beautiful day to hold me over until spring. PLEASE let the sun shine. PLEASE let the mercury rise over 40. PLEASE leave at least some of the sidewalks clear. If we could do it on a Monday, that would be splendid.