In case you need a good laugh...

A friend of mine sent me the following article, which is FABULOUS since she currently lives in Syracuse.  Having spent four winters up there, I can fully appreciate the difference between WINTER (a la upstate New York) and "winter" (a la Dallas).  After all, my junior year in college it snowed a whopping 191.9 inches.  We missed breaking the all time snow record for Syracuse by a mere 0.2 inches.  You know how weird it is to find yourself hoping for more snow after tromping through nearly 200 inches of it over the course of a single winter?  BECAUSE I'M STILL BITTER ABOUT IT.

In other words, I tip my hat to Glenn Coin.  Had I written the following article, it would have included significantly more sarcasm. 

In related news, I'm totally sending this to my friend in Chicago who was just complaining to me about the last two winters she's had to endure.  Clearly, winter in Chicago - with their polar vortexes and feet and feet of snow - doesn't hold a candle to "winter" in Dallas.  Otherwise, Chicago would have made the list, and...well, ha, ha, they didn't.  Clearly, they had nothing close to the ten or so days of on and off uncomfortable winter-like temps like we did.  I mean, I had to break out my fleece and everything.  Plus, this last weekend, while they were experiencing yet another snowstorm in Illinois, I was eating Tex-Mex on a patio in a t-shirt and flip flops (although I totally had to borrow a sweater from my mother once the sun went down). 

HARD LIFE, I know.

There is a reason I moved back to Texas.  Although, that said, I really wouldn't mind living somewhere with a legit spring or fall.  Because it is already in the 80s this week in Big D.  Summer is right around the corner.

Weather Channel: Syracuse had one of 5 worst winters in America

By Glenn Coin
on March 23, 2015 at 8:33 AM, updated March 23, 2015 at 9:02 AM

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Weather Channel says Syracuse had one of the five worst winters in America.

Tell us something else we didn't know. Syracuse had a colder-than-normal January and the coldest month on record in February with an average temperature of 9 degrees, which was 16.9 degrees below normal.

Syracuse came in fifth on the worst winters list, just behind Dallas. Yes, that Dallas, the one in Texas that had an average temperature in February of a bone-chilling 45.7 degrees. That was a whopping 4.2 degrees below normal.

The biggest snowstorm in Dallas this winter was 3.5 inches. Syracuse had 5 feet of snow in February.

Third on the list was the Sierra Nevada region, but because it was warm and dry, not cold and snowy. According to The Weather Channel, Tahoe City, on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, had just 19 inches of snow as of last week. The average is 151.9 inches.

That's bad news for the lingering drought in California, where many cities get their water from melted snowpack.

The combination of low snowfall in the West and cold temperatures in the east meant that the tiny village of Copenhagen, downwind of Lake Ontario, was the snowiest place in America through early March.

At the top of The Weather Channel's list was, not surprisingly, Boston. The city had more than 100.2 inches in less than two months. Two of the city's 10 heaviest snowstorms of record happened within 10 days, The Weather Channel said.

Here's the complete list:
1. Boston
2. Nashville
3. Sierra Nevada region
4. Dallas
5. Syracuse

The Weather Channel also named the top five best winters. All of them were in the West.

Things that crack me up about "winter" in Dallas...

The Thunder Truck making its debut the same morning we had Thunder Sleet on Feb. 23.
The weather people could barely contain their excitement.

When reporters put three snowballs on an
overpass to watch them melt and call it "news".

Then get bored and turn the snowballs into the world's saddest snowman.

And continue to cut back to the snowman every ten minutes like it is breaking news.

And, finally, ME.  Because I watched this ridiculousness unfold for HOURS.
I even looked up the reporter on Twitter.  Comedy at its best, people.

Basking in the snowy glory of winter storm THOR...

Granted, nothing will ever compare to my junior year in college when it snowed over 190 inches in Syracuse, New York, but 6 inches is a BIG deal for Dallas.

Plus, it meant I got to have another random day off from work to snuggle with my boys and nap.

(Seriously, is there anything better than a good snow day nap?)

It rarely ever snows down here, so please forgive all the pictures that are about to flood this page.  After all, the last time we had this much snow down here was before Banner was born.  I can't help but document!

Plus, it was pretty!

Underneath the snow was about half an inch of ice.
Which explains why Uncle Spencer decided to sleep over the night before.
(Banner was thrilled!)

"Thor" enjoying the aftermath of Thor.

Since it is going to be gone by afternoon...

Gypsy being overly dramatic.

At least this time it actually snowed...

Of course, I was already at work, so no snow day nap for me.

Most people decided to leave early because of the weather, which made no sense to me since no one can drive in "winter" down here and the highways (no joke) looked like this:

Ironically, if they had simply stayed put, the snow stopped falling and the
roads were fine by [what would have been] rush hour.

I can't complain, though, because it is pretty.  And rare.

Baby's first snowball to the face
(compliments of Trevor)

Tomorrow is going to be fun.  At least until it all melts.

"Winter"...

I honestly thought we were going to skip winter this year.  Especially when it started getting into the 70s mid month and things started to bloom.  And then *WHAM*.  We had an ice storm.  Which, tragically, means that Banner now thinks ice is snow.  

(College me is mortified.)

Also, I'm pretty sure my wisteria isn't going to bloom ever again after Mother Nature has fooled it with late freezes two years in a row.  And it had buds already!  BUDS!  Shame.

Work has been a doozy lately, so - honestly - a couple of random days off here and there for ice were fine with me.  My house never feels as warm and cozy as it does when it is cold outside and I'm home with my boys.  

Here are some of my favorite pictures:

I sent this to one of my college friends and she laughed.

The girls stole his bed.  Haskell was not amused.

Can't wait to experience "winter".

To be fair, that is solid ice.

The brisk temps turned the dogs back into pups!

Sadly, "winter" killed my rain gauge.  

Obligatory photo of our patio furniture.  You are welcome.  

Banner kept calling the ice snow.
Even Haskell was embarrassed.

And because I really don't know what to say about Dallas overreacting to winter yet again (except that the naps I took were GLORIOUS), here is a video Trevor took of Banner in the backyard.  The downside to "snow" days is that it is getting really, really, REALLY hard to wear that boy out.