Groundhog's Day

When I was little, living in New Jersey, I remember the excitement of the possibility of snow in the winter. In the second grade my teacher even taught us the snow dance to summon the snow the next morning. While iPods, Pandora, and Spotify monopolize music listening today, back then it was all about the radio. I loved the radio, not only for the music and the joy I would get from the chance of hearing my favorite song played when I was listening, but also for the morning shows. Sure, there are still morning shows on the radio today, but most of them are syndicated around the country, they're not as personal as they once were. Back then I listened religiously to 97.5 PST, now 94.5, which played none other than "the best of the 70's, 80's, and today" and "the best of the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today" as we moved into the Millennium. But I digress.

So what was great about the morning show was that they would talk about music and pop culture, they would talk about things going on locally, AND they would be the first to tell you if your school was closed for a snow day! Of course the school district would call all the parents and let them know, but it was the anticipation of lying in your bed, the covers wrapped up to your nose with just enough room to breath but not enough to be cold, the hum of "Winter Wonderland" beginning to creep from your lips with hope, just waiting for those few small words that could make it the best day ever.

And then you realize snow is fun for that one day but not so much after that. The white turns to black, the powder turns to slush, the leftover wetness turns to black ice, and the wind feels like it's pushing you back rather than propelling you towards fun. All of a sudden you can't wait for it to be Spring, and the attention you gave to hoping and wishing and waiting for snow on any given day, turns to a very specific February 2nd. Groundhog's Day.

I don't know how many Punxutawny Phil's there have been over the years, or why the groundhog is the chosen animal for this momentous task, but I know that that's the name of the little guy we rely on to provide us with the news that we will either have to suffer through 6 more weeks of winter or we get to welcome spring a little early. If he sees his shadow then things are looking dark and dreary with 6 more weeks of winter, boo! You start to feel gloomy, like Eeyore, and think to yourself "nobody knows the trouble I've seen, nobody knows my sorrow." But if he does not see his shadow then the sun is shining without a cloud in the sky and you are ready to burst into "I see skies of blue, ..."

Now, I have to point out that there are some regions of the country, like Florida or California where I lived for 9 years collectively, that really don't give a second thought to Groundhog's Day. It's sunny all year round, with the occasional rainy day, so what's another "6 weeks of winter," who cares? I almost forgot what the change of seasons felt like after all that time until I moved back up to DC. While we didn't have such a terrible winter, I will still be on "Team Spring" come tomorrow morning when I watch the news. Don't get me wrong, the snow is pretty while it lasts, last winter I even had my best friend do that old snow dance I learned along with me and guess what, it worked! But I'm over the cold this year, I'm ready to see flowers and ready to wake up to "Here Comes the Sun." Interestingly, here in DC, as well as the majority of the northeast, even Chicago!, we have been experiencing an unusual rise in temperature over the past few days, almost as if something is trying to tell us that Spring is truly on it's way. That's right, "it's gettin' hot in herre, so take off all your"... jackets? Ok, not quite so warm as to pull out those bathing suits just yet but hey, I'll take a jacket-less walk around town! I'm trying not to get my hopes up but I'm crossing my fingers that these 60-70 degree day anomalies we've been relishing in January are not so fleeting.

For those of you down south, keep enjoying your year-round 85 and sunny days, and keep your fingers crossed for the rest of us poor cold souls up here. I'm just teasing; but seriously, as long as I don't wake up on February 3rd to find out it's February 2nd again, I think that no matter what the outcome of Punxutawney Phil's morning is, I'll be good ;) Happy Groundhog's Day!


Winter Wonderland
Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen (a rendition from one of my favorite shows)
What a Wonderful World
Here Comes the Sun
Hot in Herre