DAILY

'Hey winter! Is that all 'ya got?!'

Perhaps I'm a masochist, or perhaps it's because I'm originally from California, and I want the full East Coast winter experience, but when the winter season is as mild as it has been this year, I feel that the warmth, come spring, won't feel as sweet.

There's nothing like heading up to Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, on the first truly warm day- warm enough to go for a bike ride in shorts, no sweatshirt- and seeing the burst of activity; the contrast to the pent-up, closed-off energy of winter is dramatic. You literally feel the buzz of excitement as everyone shakes off the physical and emotional weight of winter like one collective, shaggy, wet dog. But will this buzz feel as intense when I can sum up winter in one, sort-of word: meh?

On one side, I am a person of order and when the weather breaks the rules (i.e. warm winter, cold summer) I tend to feel that the world is somehow out of whack. But I doubt I'm alone; do you ever hear anyone say, "What an epic ski trip! It was hot every day and the snow was so slushy!" No! No one ever says that because people expect proper winter weather...during winter. It's just the way it has to be, and if the weather doesn't cooperate during your alpine vacation, it soon becomes seared into your memory as the worst trip ever, and nobody wants that! I feel the same about everyday life: I want the seasons to adhere to my standards and follow the rules that all kindergarteners follow when depicting them with crayon: winter requires snowflakes; spring must have flowers; summer always takes place at the beach; and fall is flooded with leaves. It's so simple! Why can't nature jump on board?!

On the other side, though, who likes to be cold six months out of the year? In some ways, this winter has been a blessing, a consolation prize for the disaster that was last winter (abandoned city buses anyone?). Anytime the clouds collect to form a solid white shell over our great city, I think, "Maybe this is it. Maybe this will be the storm we've been waiting for." But alas, we've received only a pitter of flakes amounting to nothing more than damp sidewalks.

There are definite pluses to this bizarre lack of winter weather: less ice patches to dodge; less angry people at the subway station; less frozen fingers; and lighter coats. But, again, I wonder, are all of these wintertime inconveniences what make the sights and sounds of spring all the more vivid and intense? If nature keeps up the warm trend, I suppose I will find out soon. Either way, though, regardless of whether or not we will have earned our spring this year, you can bet your ass that come April, I will be cruising through the park on my Huffy having completely forgotten this entire discussion because overanalyzation is a winter sport, after all.