Silly Me...

I haven't blogged in ages as I do have trouble with my "focus" sometimes and I tend to go off in many directions at one time, sometimes forgetting what I may have left behind along the way. Today, for some reason, I decided to re-visit my blog and was very amused when I read over my first blog entry from 2008. Wow, how things have changed in three years!

In that blog I was opining about the lack of sunshine in the northeast for the long four months of winter and went on to sing the praises of life in the wintry city in spite of the lack of sunshine. I believe I even said, "I wouldn't trade it for anything"!!! How silly I was.

I HATED WINTER!! I HATED THE COLD, DAMP, DREARY, GRAY DAYS...and the even colder, damper, drearier nights. I deplored having to wear layer upon layer of clothes to just feel a little warmer and WEARING gloves inside the house because my hands were never comfortable.

Just one year after I posted those comments I was off in sunny, warm Arizona having sworn I'd never again suffer through another Philadelphia winter. My first year in Arizona I knew I was in love with the state and the life I could live there in the winter months. Hiking, biking, walking, shooting, wandering could all be enjoyed. I could be OUTDOORS all winter!! Yahoo!! I spent 10 weeks there the first year.

The next year I extended my stay to 16 weeks having left too late the year before to avoid blizzard 1 and blizzard 2 that struck Philadlephia in early December. I was determined to never have to deal with snow again. Unless of course, I wanted to go to Flagstaff in the morning and go tubing. But then I could be back in Scottsdale in the afternoon enjoying margaritas in the courtyard with the sun warming my face and shoulders. Mike and I set off Thanksgiving day and I came home the last week of March. Unfortunately for me, it snowed a bit in early April, was very cold and very rainy and very GRAY. Did I mention I hated GRAY. This was not good.

This year we plan on heading out the week before Thanksgiving and I'm not coming home until the end of April or first week of May!! Thank goodness I bought a house last year when I was there or I couldn't pull this off. So, as much as I waxed poetic about Philadelphia in 2008, I was seriously mistaken. I guess I was trying to convince myself I didn't dislike it as much as I did to make myself happier about being here. It didn't work! I am thrilled to be planning my winter escape again. This year I may never come back!!