So we've made it through another one

Admittedly, and I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before, I've been the one clamoring for us to get some real winter weather. We can all agree that the last couple of winters have been lame, right? I mean, if I wanted endless months of 40 degrees and rainy, I would have stayed in Seattle. But am I ready to admit to having wearied of all the snow we've gotten this year? I am not! The secret is to have a legit pair of snow boots, a lesson I learned my first winter in northern Vermont.

I'll say, though, that I do kind of wish for the studded tire equivalent of boots. It's not so much tromping through the snow that's a bother as it is the constant risk of falling and busting one's ass because the neighbors are too lazy to shovel and salt their bit of the sidewalk. West Philly's proving to be super hit-and-miss with this. For whatever reason, the folks who manage the old West Philadelphia High School grounds...guys. Listen. If you plow all the fresh snow off of a sidewalk but don't salt--particularly when that bit doesn't get any direct sunlight this time of year--you end up with a block-long skating rink. It was a rough shuffle getting to the store this morning, is what I'm saying.

Took this picture walking home late at night after closing the store...what, two storms ago? Maybe three? Can't remember, but:

My Los Angeles crowd all recoiled in horror, but the consensus among my east coast friends was that seasons are awesome, and one of my friends currently in San Francisco (originally from Delaware, though) noted that she'd greatly prefer feet of snow to a years-long drought, which I thought was a really solid point. California agriculture could be in some real trouble, you know! So today's probably the day to come in and get avocado on...pretty much everything. 

We're going to make it through this winter! Promise. We'll be back to the days of 102% humidity and air quality warnings before you know it. And what the Left Coast crowd doesn't want to tell you? They secretly all hate palm trees.