Where's the snow?!!

Was seeing posts from friends back home on Facebook this morning and it struck me that there's less than a week left before Christmas. 

Something as simple as "Heavy snow, perfect day to stay in and wrap gifts. Careful on the roads if you have to step out..." brings back all those memories . 

Walking into a warm home from the cold, the smell of traditional holiday meals, and the tree. I swear the cold affects your perception of how things smell and multiplies just how good they smell.   I've never felt so un-christmassy in my whole life. They've placed decorations at the gates but for us, it just doesn't compute. Christmas light in palms? Santa's sleigh on green grass? And I can still enjoy my morning coffee outside, barefoot???

That's not Christmas. Usually, I love when the days get shorter, it's like the snow and the decorations more than make up for it. Here in the desert, for the first time in my life, I understand how certain people can find the time change depressing. 

We do have our usual customized wicked Christmas tree, gifts and all and I try to set the mood by playing the old Elvis Christmas album or Bing Crosby's. Cooking also helps. But the minute you walk out or even just look outside, it pretty much kills the magic.

I don't miss home, I guess I could stay in Vegas forever, but if there's to be a Christmas, it has to be back home, w/ snow, and cold and all the rest...

So the flight is booked for the first week of January, so that we can see the family and get into that holiday spirit a bit. Until then, I guess that that's the one thing I can't quite grasp - holidays in the south. For the rest, we're pretty much in tune w/ it.

We had some this afternoon but nothing on the ground yet.  

Supposed to hit us Thurs & Friday though.

In my neck of the woods; 20.F this morning. Some scattered snow on the ground. A winter storm warning for tomorrow night, expecting to dump 12 inches of snow. 

Gotta wait for February there Rain!

We had some last night.   Things were lightly covered by 3:30am, but it was gone by 5am.  More fell at 9:30am, but it didn't stick.  We're supposed to have another storm tonight but, usually, there's only one day of what I call "picture post-card snow" before Christmas that is gone by the next day.  Then, if we're going to get more at all, it's usually in February and then we get the nastier stuff...

bitflipper


You mean with all the extravagant displays in Las Vegas nobody's thought to build a skating rink with snow machines and semi-naked ladies doing synchronized routines? Even Tokyo has one of those (minus the naked ladies), and it snows there naturally!

what's the point, then? 

Here in New York I have not once had to turn my heating on so far this winter. In fact I fully intend to leave it off (hate the stuff). I hope it doesn't snow though (hate the stuff). 

I am the biggest Scrooge in existence. Have not "done Christmas" since about 1991 or so. Something about it just rubs me the wrong way. Being bombarded with Christmas songs in every store from November doesn't help. People who know me have come to accept that although I wish them the very best for the holidays, I will not be joining them for the magical day of overeating, watching crap TV and resolving family tensions with raised voices. Yes, I know I'm a freak 

In Carolina.... we don't often get a White Christmas. 

And last year was really not a good winter if you like snow. The ski resorts opened late and closed early....

It was either last year or the year before that we did get a few good snows, but they never stick around in NC for very long. One of them, we just happened to live in the small area that actually got about 14" of the white stuff..... just a few miles in either direction and you were lucky to get 2"..... 




This was on the back deck railing..and the snow was still falling. 



.

Starting off like another warm one here in PA.Since snow really throws a wrench into my commute I don't care to see much of it.It is pretty to watch if you don't need to go out or clean it up.......and that ain't me.

Truth is, I only miss snow as part of the whole Christmas thing. For the rest, I'm pretty happy to take a break from it all. 

I've also seen a couple of friends back home reminding me via Facebook of all those times when you have to wake up 2 hours earlier to dig out your car from under the snow and clear the driveway.

And then spend 20 minutes w/ that shovel again after work - that and getting rid of the ice in the windshield and all before you can leave the office and go back home. 

And how the traffic gets slow and it takes you twice as long to get back home.

And then you'll probably need to spend another hour or two w/ that shovel at night, just so you can park your car. It's insane man.

So it's alright w/ me to juts get a few days to take it all in in January and then come back here.

It's definitely getting cooler here at night. I wouldn't spend the evening outside w/o a jacket. But that's like late September back home.