If you are from Chicago, WI, or MI or been here a while you get used to the winters. You just layer up, face whatever is out there, and sum it up with a “shit that was cold.” I’ve screamed in my car quite a few times as my hands slowly thawed after scraping my windows. Fought frozen nose drips walking to work across the Chicago River as the wind punches you in the face. Those are the extremes and nothing a fire, blanket, and hot drink can’t fix. What gets me is the long, grey ugliness of our winters - grey sky and grey snow. The first snow and big storms are beautiful and magical, but then quickly turn to mush, ice, and a general pain in the ass. The ski runs in WI and MI are mostly sad and run in about 2 minutes and, yes, you can snowmobile your heart out. I admit, I’m a little bah humbug. As I get older, I finally understand the whole snowbird mentality full circle. I’m leaving all together - exchanging a winter of snow for some drizzle and more nature.

And there’s my Dear Diary entry on Chicago winters, meh.