Living Proof

Today it feels like spring. I woke up to the sounds of rain tapping on my windowsill. I miss that sound. My bedroom was dark, the shades were pulled all the way down, and a dim light from the overcast sky sneaked its way in. I was tucked away under my goose down comforter thinking about similar mornings like these. Madelene would be sleeping soundly with her little satin eyeshades. I’d wake her up by tickling her nose with a light cloth or a tissue and she would think it was just an itch. She’d scratch it, wiggle her nose and then she would fall back into a deep slumber. I’d tickler her again, but this time, I’d tickle the soft part of her lips. She’d squish and rub her lips and then fall right back to sleep. I would relentlessly do this until she would wake up and laugh at me. I wanted to spend the morning with her, but at the same time, I wanted her to rest. It was a toss up. I guess the feelings of nostalgia hit me hard this morning. It was nice to hear Madelene’s voice over the ph...

It’s one of those days where the news guy is telling us, “Don’t go out there today! It’s going to be the coldest day in years!” Fine. I’m staying put. No one go to work or do any errands today! Do not go out to get your mail and do not even attempt to open your door if someone’s on the other side. We have to protect ourselves here. If anyone is going to make a huge fricken deal about the weather, it’s the news. They want “big news” and they want everyone to know…you’re in it! Most people tune into the news just to hear the weather if it’s bad outside. The newscasters seem to hype it up a tad and make a fiasco out of it. “Blizzard conditions” and “wind chill” are exaggerated terms in order for the viewer to go, “Ooooh, wow!” What about the “heat index”? Another exaggerated term for telling the temperature. As a matter of fact, the newscasters don’t even bother telling you the temperatures anymore. They just hop on the screen and tell you the heat index or the wind chill temps. It’s kind...