day 30: the last day, on which it snowed and all melted

We woke up to something like eight inches of snow on the ground this morning. I was not pleased about it. Not that I don't like snow. I like snow. Mostly I wasn't happy about the fact that it was very squishy wet snow that makes my shoes--and therefore my socks--all wet, and then my feet are clammy all the day long.

Don't you lecture me on wearing water-proof shoes. Do so, and I'll lecture you about using your turn signal or the difference between your and you're.

To be frank, one of the other reasons I wasn't pleased by the snow is because of the number of unavoidable complaints to be heard all day on twitter and facebook and from students passing by my office.

Dear Utards,

(Utard being an all-encompassing term to include residents of Utah or those who choose, by their own free will, to live in Utah and insist upon complaining about it)

Guys, it's March. Not only is it March, it's March 5. It is still winter. I do not care if the weather has been tempting us all with spring, because it is still winter. It is snowing all over the country. The East Coast is snowed in, and has been for months. A few inches of snow is not going to kill us, nor should it be a particular surprise, because it's March.

Put on a sweater and deal.

Love, Emily

PS. Don't say cute things like "Ugh! Lame Utah weather!" because I don't know what that means. Weather will change its mind, no matter where you are. This is winter. Welcome to it.

The fact is, the snow was quite lovely coming down in enormous fluffy puffs that really did make me want to stick my head out the car window to let a few of those flakes fall on my tongue. It was so pretty that, if I blocked the dirty slushy puddly road from my line of sight, I wanted to hop out and build a snowman, or at least kiss Mr. Ames. And now, as I type, the sun has come out and it's all melting away, almost like it didn't even happen.

In some ways, I think the surprise almost-spring snowstorms are my favorite. Not only are they unexpected, but it makes the warming up afterward so much nicer! And I don't know about you, but I thrive on layering clothes. Please give me six layers to wear every day of my life. Please please please. I don't do well with warm weather clothes. I don't know how to handle it. But doesn't a sudden cold spell also make for the nicest, coziest, blanket-iest cuddling? YES IT DOES.

And when it snows in the very early spring, it feels like the whole world just gets washed a little and it actually smells cleaner outside. I mean, sure it takes the ground a few days to dry out, but it's like spring cleaning in preparation for spring.

I can't say a snowy spring like we had last year is ideal (snowing into April, when it really is legitimately springtime in Utah), but a few inches of snow on March 5? Keep it coming.