Tis the Season--unless you live next door to us

Anyone who visits me knows that practically the only house in sight from our front window is caddy corner across the street. And, it never fails, winter fades to spring and spring to summer and those people are still...let's say, "festive." Instead of decorating from Thanksgiving to Christmas, they decorate from Christmas to Thanksgiving, which is why what's happened now is mind-boggling even to me.

Three weeks ago, the decorations, which have been up for more than a year, completely disappeared. No icicle lights, blow-up snowmen or plastic Santas in sight. I thought perhaps that they were just giving them a good scrubbing seeing that they had probably collected two years' worth of gunk and grime in the front yard, but there's still no sign of the little suckers.

Until February, that is, when I'm sure they will magically appear again.

The irony of it all...

Well, it snowed. We got about three inches which means the area will virtually crawl until the stuff melts. It doesn't help that the city has about two salt trucks and six snowplows. Well, make that five.

On the way to work this morning, we passed a snowplow that had caught on fire the night before. The front was completely charred and the thing was still smoldering. A blackened snowplow on an icy road. How's that for ironic?

Three reasons I'm happy

1) I'm not sick anymore! Just a random cough now and then and a stuffy nose. But, trust me, it's MUCH better than it was.

2) It's snowing!!! Not that wind-blowing-pain-in-the-rear snow, but a nice, gentle, pretty snowfall. A bit of accumulation, just enough to make it festive but not so much that people drive like idiots.

3) Not only is it snowing, I don't have to deal with it. I'm working from home today sitting here in a sweatshirt and sweatpants and listening to Christmas tunes while trying to get inspired enough to write a speech for our CEO (ok, that part's not so fun).

Really, I ask: Can life get any better than this?