The worst time of year

note - I just noticed that my last post was titled "the worst month EVER". see, I'm not lying about my general state of mind, haha

I'm living in it right now, folks.  

I wouldn't say that I'm a "rainbow and sunshine" kind of person.  I can tend to think in "glass half empty" terms if I'm not careful.  I get annoyed more easily than I should.  These are on my good days, people.  

This time of year, though...I am the above x 1000000.  Seriously I am the most annoying, bad-attitude-having, negative, grouchy person.  And I would like to thank the terrible weather and never-ending gray days for being the source of all my misery.  

I can't even begin to tell you how much it DRIVES ME CRAZY - CRAAAAAAAZY - to see people on FB, Instagram and blogs start proclaiming the "beautiful weather!" and wearing sandals and shorts this time of year, and posting pictures of green leaves and blooming flowers.  Because today?  I put on leggings, tall socks, boots, two shirts and a winter coat.  I had to tromp through snow to get to my car.  Our thermostat is at 72 and half the time I'm still chilled.  Our warm-mist humidifier is running.  My hands are dry and cracked and seriously don't get me started on my nails.  I usually don't give two cents about the state of my fingernails but right now they are a mess of splits and breakage and that's a problem cause they're always snagging on my SWEATERS.  

I'm sure what makes this difficult for me is that I grew up in Illinois, and around there, spring started towards the end of March.  By May 1st, it is beautiful.  I have memories of being in school at the end of May/beginning of June (back when they made you go that long into the summer!) and wearing a tank top and shorts.  In northern Wisconsin in April, you're still getting big snow dumps.  Shoot...I remember getting a dump of snow in May in Minneapolis one year.  But even worse than the snow - I can handle that, it usually is pretty and melts really quick that time of year - is the lack of sunshine.  It seems that every year around the beginning of March, the sun must go on Spring Break to Florida or something.  For like the whole month.  Cause we hardly ever see it around here.  

The only thing that makes me feel better is the prospect of a beach trip, which this year we're unfortunately not doing.  BUT we are going to see my family in Georgia, so the prospect of 65-70 degree weather is very exciting to me.  The other thing is online shopping.  Ha.  

And this little lady can usually put a smile on my face, too -