This was probably not the first thing I wanted to see this morning.
Part of my morning routine is to quickly go through a handful of websites to get me caught up on what has transpired since I slipped into my nightly coma the night before.
I was less than enthused to be greeted by this headline this morning:
"Finally, a nice week ahead."
I have a fairly well-known disdain for the importance we in the news business place on the weather, and how we hyperventilate at every chance of rain, snow, lightning, pestilence or locusts.
When I want to know what the weather is doing, I usually stick my head out the window.
That's what I was doing most of last week - or at least gazing out the window.
That's because it rained last week - a lot. In fact, it was cloudy and rainy all week. The clouds, cold and rain arrived on Saturday, soaked the runners in the Broad Street Run on Sunday, then stuck around all week.
I know this because I was gazing longingly out the window all week, hoping for a break in the rain.
I always take a week in the spring - often leading up to Mother's Day - to get caught up on all the things I've been ignoring around the house since last summer.
That means getting the lawn in shape, cleaning out the flower beds, and cleaning and setting up the deck and patio furniture.
It appeared as if I was going to get exactly none of that done last week. That's when I broke my own rule - and peeked at the extended forecast. It called for continued clouds, cold and rain all week. That's when I decided to don my weather gear and challenge the great outdoors.
The week wasn't a total loss. I did manage to get the outside of the house whipped into some kind of order, even if my toes are still squishing.
And my wife and I managed to get out flowers planted. Actually she does most of the planting. I kind of stand around and offer pithy comments, such as, "You're not digging the holes deep enough." She saw about as much humor in my comments as the forecast.
Sunny dispositions? Uh, not exactly.
For my wife, there was a silver lining, literally, to what was one of the ugliest weather weeks in memory. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I was hanging around the house all week.
The woman is a certified professional shopper.
So I escorted her all week on various shopping expeditions, including one more trip yesterday to make a return on the dress I picked out for her for Mother's Day. Yes, on the day the sun returned after 10 days of clouds, showers and cold, I was on another shopping trip. It's the least I can do for her on Mother's Day. Besides, the rest of the day I spent sitting outside soaking up as much as as I could. The lawn? Uh, that will have to wait for next weekend.
Someone once said, "everyone complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it."
I have a new motto. I am no longer talking, or complaining - some would say whining - about the weather.
Yes, it was a lousy week.
No, there is not a damn thing I can do about it.
And that includes complaining about it.
Please don't ask me how my week was.
I think you already know.
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