Excuses, excuses

I realize I've neglected my blog over the past week. I've been too busy to post for the most part, which is really saying a lot because if you read this thing, you know that I am rarely too busy to post a simple blog entry. But somehow, finally, I managed to get pretty busy and in the midst of it all, I decided to visit my grandmother this weekend. She recently had surgery and has been staying in a rehabilitation facility in New Jersey, near my aunt. I came up with this perfect plan. I'd drive up to visit my friend Sara, who lives in Media, PA - just outside Philly - Friday night, drive to New Jersey the next day, drive back to see my parents in D.C. Sunday night, and then be back home in Chapel Hill Monday morning.

However, as trips often do, this one didn't go exactly as expected. I'll spare you full disclosure for the sake of your time, and because I don't want you all to think I'm a wimp, but basically, in the span of 48 hours, I encounted the worst road conditions I'd ever seen in my life (and thus suffered through a very terrifying ice-storm-related driving experience for many, many hours), saw some good friends, drank lots of wine, got violently sick, spent quality time in a rehab facility, had my tire slashed (or, had a deer, with antlers, run headfirst into my tire, who knows), waited hours upon end to get it fixed, and eventually made it home.

The thing is, of course, most of the weekend - getting to see my good friends and family - was absolutely wonderful and I'm glad I went. I'm simply explaining the recent dearth of online writing, just in case any of you were wondering what in the name of God were going on, as I know so many of you, one or two at least, check this blog every day, and I like to deliver.

To make it up to you, I promise some decent posts in the near future. I don't foresee holding to that promise being a problem because J, with the advent of this spring-like weather, has been getting very into birds again, pointing out the species that alight on the feeder outside our living room window with the enthusiasm of a three-year-old who's just gotten into some fingerpaints, and I assure you, that, alone, is enough to fill a few pages.

In love with the world once again

Should we need to be reminded why we love the place where we live, there is usually a sign. I remember on the coldest of cold nights in Boston becoming giddy upon entering a particularly warm bar packed with all my friends, so happy that we'd all braved the cold (there was no choice, it was always cold) to socialize. As a child growing up in D.C., it was a trip to the National Mall to ride the carousel, and when I got a little bit older, a trip to the same grand stretch of city to stare at the Capitol Building, which I still say is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. And in North Carolina, it's this time of year. The weather starts to turn warm again - even before it's really appropriate people jump the gun and have got their flip flops on and as night falls, get really, really cold, because let's face it, it's not summer YET, but the season is on it's way and we can't wait.

I'm always amazed how excited I get - how everyone seems to get - when the warm weather returns because it never really gets that cold in North Carolina so it's not like we've been that hard up. I think that down here it's not so much that we've been braving a harsh winter per se, and need a break - it's more that when even the most subtle hint of the new season (the birds, the girls in flowered dresses, the lone daffodil) appears, we feel we are returning to the norm. Snow in Chapel Hill is like a nationally sanctioned day of rest. Nobody knows what to do so they cower indoors. But in the warm weather, these people, they flourish.

In addition, there's all the basketball, and with North Carolina's men's team winning the ACC championship game this weekend, well, everyone is in a very good mood.

If anyone would like to share some thoughts about they place they live, or the warmer season approaching, please do so in the comments, because I'd love to hear what's going on with my friends (and some strangers) all over the country.