April 15th

The significance of this date has nothing to do with taxes for those of us who live in the Blue City. No my friends, today is significant because today is the day our heat turns off. It's been on since October 15th, but today it's time to say good-bye.
In years past, I have dreaded this day as temperatures outside were still cold enough to need the heating, but this year I'm ok to see it go. I'm sure we'll have another cool/cold spell or two, but I think winter is officially behind us now.
This winter was not as bad as any of the others that I experienced here. Al Gore really is right. And in honor of climate change, global warming, our heat being turned off and feeling ok about it, and Earth Day, some of us are watching An Inconvenient Truth tonight.

While I'm on the subject of the changing seasons, I have something else to say. I hate being cold. That's why I hate the winter here. But, there are some negative aspects of the warm weather also. First, spring brings the sandstorms. We've only had one so far, but more are likely. I'm from Oklahoma, so I can handle the wind, but when it's windy in Oklahoma, it's just wind...not trash and sand and other stuff blowing around too. And I'm normally in a car and not on a bike. I guess I should be thankful for the good opportunity to exercise as I attempt to ride my bike into the wind.
The other thing about temperatures above freezing means that things begin to thaw. Water I'm fine with. Sewage...that's another thing. One positive thing I will say about Old Man Winter is that when it's freezing (or below freezing) outside the stuff that normally smells disgusting is completely frozen for a good 5-6 months. Well, all that stuff has begun thawing in recent days. Spring is in the air.