Ode to Snow

When strange things happen or I see something beautiful or a philosophical idea pops into my head, I think "I should put that in my blog." I even have my roommate saying "you should write a blog post about that" at times. My favorite so far was the quote "Yes, I know my pants are on inside out." There is a perfectly logical story behind that quote but it would not be nearly as interesting.

My latest idea for a blog post is "Five Things I Hate About Snow." I've been really into writing lists lately, as you can tell by my last few posts. When I tell people I love Chicago and Chicago winters, aka the snow, they always say "Well just wait a few years and I bet you'll start getting sick of it." I would like to reiterate, however, that I do not have a fondness for the extreme temperatures but I love the snow.

But in order to appease those who might think I will someday tire of snow, here are five things I don't like about snow. Enjoy.

5. It is wet and when one is not wearing proper clothes like boots, a hat or hood, and gloves, it can get uncomfortable.
4. Sometimes it collects on your glasses and you can't see. Also, steaming is more common on the lenses when it snows, probably because of the increase in moisture. Duh.
3. It melts and makes big puddles in the gutter near crosswalks.
2. Yellow snow makes me gag.
1. ...

I couldn't even think of five things and pretty much all of the above are not the snow's fault. Nope, they are more about human interaction with snow. Or canine interaction.

THUS I will instead write...

the Top Ten Things I Like About Snow

10. It is completely unpredictable! This week, "light snow showers" were called for almost every night and as far as I could tell, it did not snow. However, last night the forecast for Chicago was again "snow showers," with projected accumulation of less than 1". Earlier this afternoon, when it started snowing and it didn't look very "light," I checked again and the forecast was up to 4". Tonight, there are already 5" in the Chicago area and 3-5" more expected. I'm expecting to wake up tomorrow with snow up to my fifth floor windows....
9. It's really pretty! Especially after dark when the pretty Christmas decorations are on outside my building.
8. See puppies and babies discover snow for the first time is indescribably cute. Trust me. Last week when we had another big snow storm, Eva and I saw this couple go outside all bundled up with their little girl, probably about 1 years old, and then commence to take a lot of pictures. We're pretty sure they weren't going anywhere - they just wanted to introduce their kid to snow!
7. Without snow you would not have "snow pajama parties." These are spontaneous moments of insanity in which you and your roommate decide to go outside and look at the snow but are too lazy to actually put on real clothes and real shoes. Instead, you go "frolicking" in the snow outside your apartment building in pajamas and slip-on shoes or flip-flops. Not kidding folks, you should try it!
6. If in the right mood and with the right snow, snow balls and snow people can be made!
5. Even with the slightest bit of snow, it is inevitable that someone will try to make a snow person out of it, especially if this person is a college student from California or Florida (see also Northwestern students.)
4. There is a snow club. My brother-in-law calls me when it snows in Baltimore. He is a member of the Elite Snow Lovers Associate. ESLA. I just made that up but there is a sort of unity among those of us who resist the peer pressure surrounding us, trying to make us complain about snow. My brother-in-law probably had no idea he was in this club but now I guess the secret is out.
3. If it is snowing, it must not be too cold since it never snows when the temperature is below around 15 degrees. Sunny skies in Chicago during the winter mean single digit temps with extreme wind chills.
2. Everything gets really quiet when it snows. Because of my Southern experiences with snow, I figured it was just because no one goes anywhere because they are terrified to drive. In Chicago, people do not have this fear so there are still plenty of cars out on the main roads. However, no matter what time of day it is, if it is snowing there is a peaceful stillness that seems to engulf everything around you. A friend of mine who grew up around here said that the snow actually muffles some of the sound, which I can completely believe.
1. Snow reminds me to smile. It reminds me to slow down and contemplate the beauty in life. Nature has always been a sacred thing to me: the beauty of nature shows the beauty of God. Snow has a spiritual aspect which makes me remember that not everything in life is so bad. Everything looks pretty when it is snowing.

So as you can see, my list of five things I dislike about snow will probably never be complete. I'm pretty biased in favor of snow! I know my list above got a little sentimental towards the end but I can't help it - IT'S SNOWING!