Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth

I think there's something wrong with me.

Okay - I know there's a lot wrong with me, but that's not entirely the issue here.  I'm talking about something specific.

I'm actually upset that we didn't get any major snowstorms this winter. 

Granted, winter isn't officially over for another three weeks, but it sure feels over.  Tomorrow is March 1, which is typically heralded as the gateway leading us from winter into spring.  I've noticed the sun rising in the morning quite a bit earlier than this time a month ago, and the last couple weeks have had temperatures approaching 60 degrees.

So why is any of this bad?  Why should I regret not getting a "real" mid-Atlantic winter?

Compare this season to the last couple winters we've had in the area.  Two years ago we were blasted with an apocalyptic series of snowstorms the likes of which we hadn't seen in a good five years.  People were stuck in their homes for the better part of a week, and grocery stores were completely emptied of milk, bread, eggs and toilet paper (I always found that last item kinda funny - do people anticipate going to the bathroom a whole lot more often if they're stuck at home?). 

Last year we were hit with one major storm in mid-January.  Thanks to the storm hitting before road maintenance could take any cleaning action, most everyone was stuck in traffic for hours.  My normal commute of not even 10 minutes was over three hours.  Some of my coworkers at the time were in their cars for 8 hours or longer. 

This year, we got a pitiful dusting here and there.  No catastrophes or piles of snow loaded up on street corners.  Pathetic.

What the hell is wrong with me?  Shouldn't I be happy that we were spared such nightmares this winter?  Granted, I suppose there's the super small chance we might get a storm in the next couple weeks, but considering how unseasonably warm it's been, I don't see it happening.

I guess this feels so foreign to me is because I grew up in the northeast and anticipate at least one or two big snowstorms every winter.  One of my best friends lives in San Diego and specifically moved away from her home in Kansas to get away from frigid winters filled with snow.  I couldn't fathom living in an area where the weather doesn't get fiercely cold between December and February. 

The irony here is that usually around this time I can't wait for spring to get here.  I've normally had my fill of winter by this point and can't wait for spring to finally arrive.  Since we didn't have much of any kind of winter at all, I feel like we skipped over the last three months all together with no fanfare at all.  It's anti-climactic.

It's fine if you think I'm some kind of looney toon here who doesn't appreciate a very mild winter to offset the last two crazy winters we've had in the Baltimore/DC Metro area.  I'm completely aware of how nuts I sound, and maybe the cosmic reason why we haven't gotten much snow at all is simply because of the last two winters.  Balance in all things.

Hey, the upside to spring already being here is that pitchers and catchers have already reported, and batters are starting to show up as well.  I can live with that.