I use to spend the night at my cousins house almost every weekend back in the early 2000’s. One winter morning we woke up late after a long night of gaming. We headed downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. We both ate some cereal for breakfast and looked out the window in the kitchen at the winter day laid before us. Out this window on a clear day you would normally see Mt. Hood in all it's glory. This winter day however was not one of those days. After we had finished our cereal we both moved to the couch that was right by the window we were looking out during breakfast. As we looked out the window, leaning over the back of the couch, my cousin finally said what I think is the proper way to describe what most of winter is like in Oregon. What he said and I quote, "It's rainy....cloudy....misty... Its F@$#ing S#@%%y". Now those might be strong words for such a day, but if you have lived in the Pacific Northwest that quote is a good description of what you can expect for winters here in Oregon. In fact we still quote that phrase to this day when I talk to my cousin (who now lives in Arizona and gets plenty of sunshine) about living in Oregon. The very gray winters in Oregon were not the only reason my cousin moved to Arizona, but definitely one of the motivating factors that’s for sure. These long, gray, rainy, and cold days during the winters here in Oregon can be very taxing on the body and mind.
I will go on the record to say that I have spent my entire 31 years in the state of Oregon. I will also say that I really do love it here. The one exception being the winters here in Oregon. Most of my life the winter months of the Pacific Northwest have always made it tough on me. It seems to me as I get older it has only gotten worse. Maybe it's because when I was a kid I was excited about Christmas and the ever-long wait for the chance of snow here in the Willamette valley. Looking back now its so funny to me how much snow seemed so exciting when you were a kid. When you get older snow becomes more of a problem. How am I going to get to work? Is it safe to ride my bike? Will my college be closed or not? These are the things grown ups have to think about. Don’t get me wrong I still like to watch snow fall, but now days when it falls I usually hope it doesn't stick. This year we haven't had much snow on the valley floor. What we have had instead is some thick fog that at times has become frozen and in turn ends up lightly dusting the ground. This was something I haven't experienced in the 31 years living in Oregon. This frozen fog as it were kind of made it seem like it had snowed and that part I was kind of ok with at least. To be honest this strange event was just perfect for me. It also made my many bike rides to work and back home very interesting. The beautiful way the frozen fog sparked in the beam of light coming from my front bike light on my ride home was a nice change of scenery. A little of the beauty without all the hassle. I'm sure many kids in school are mad about it not snowing though. I mean I loved snow days when I was younger. We even were warned recently about this massive amount of freezing rain that never came. If you have lived in the Pacific Northwest you know what it's like when it comes to winter weather.
Lets get more specific on some of the other reasons why winter brings me down. I'm ok with winter up until January. Then when January hits it seems like forever till March. By January I miss my many pairs of shorts so badly, the presence of the sun immensely, so done with the grayness obviously, tired of being cold most definitely, and yearn for all the greenery that Oregon has to offer so desperately. I have said many times that I do not like January or February. I would probably lean more towards disliking February more. The reason being if my football team is doing well (which this year they have made it to the Superbowl!) I still have football to entertain me and distract me through January. In a way it's nice that my dad died in February because I already disliked February so it didn't ruin a month that I liked. I mean really February is made up of a fake holiday and not EVEN 30 days in the month. There really just isn’t much to like about these two winter months for me anyway. Lets just say if there was some way to fast forward through these two months or just take them off the calendar all together I would be first in line. Maybe it's the down time after going through the three big holidays? I mean I use to get very depressed after Christmas ended when I was younger. Not so much now that I'm older. It's just so gray and cold during January and February....UGH! It's hard to keep the spirits up that's for sure.
One thing I want to get straight is I haven't sat back and just let these two months bog my life down especially in the recent years. Each year I have tried to fill this time of year with important things to help move through winter. More blog entries is one of them. When I wasn't in college I spent much of this time of year deep cleaning my apartment, going through my file cabinet, finishing a book or two, and playing as much video games as I could. I also keep up with my vitamin D levels as well by taking my vitamin D supplement. This is to help make up for the lack of sunshine during the winters in Oregon. All of this really seems to help.
One thing that is still tough to overcome is being cold. I have lost a lot of weight since the days when I would wear shorts during the winter. I get cold now damn it. I remember the first winter I experienced what it was like to be skinner during the coldest season. I experienced my stomach shaking vigorously many times when I wasn’t wearing enough layers. Well, I'm not going to just pack the weight I lost back on. So, my solution is just more layers if clothing. Oh dear my life is so stressful! I have however taken a liking to scarfs and flannel pajama pants during these winter days and nights that's for sure. So, I adjust, adapt, and try to make the best of the situation. Last year in February (and I'm going to try to go again this year) I even went as far as to go visit my cousin Jason in Arizona. It was only in the mid 60's when I went, but it was warmer than home so I will take it any day! Also, while I was there the sun was out everyday. Which is not hard considering its in the middle of a desert, but always welcomed none the less. As I get older and thinner I dream of warmer weather with fairer skies and maybe these feelings are just part of getting older.
As I write this though its the final days of January and so I have made it “so far” through this winter season. Thankfully as you get older time does go by faster so the wait for spring seems to get a bit shorter each year. Also, this January is the first time I have been in college during winter. Being in school has definitely helped to push things along and occupy my time. I also have been sleeping regularly as well which helps no matter what time of year it is. So, for now I count down the days till I can wear shorts again. I will spend some time planning my trip to Arizona as well. Overall I know that spring is just around the corner. I can't wait to see the first buds on the trees by my work. In actuality January & February are only 2/12 of the year as a whole or 1/6 simplified and that's not even a whole number. Lol You got to love a little math joke sometimes. I know this might seem crazy or too early to tell, but I have a feeling we might actually get an early spring this year. Here’s to wishful thinking.
As always I bring this to you with love and pure D-lite.
