A Long Winter

I began wearing my Lands' End hooded down coat in mid-October, 2008. Today--April 13--the day after Easter and the day of the Cubs' home opener, I'm still wearing that coat. And a space heater still hums next to my feet in my office.

I'm in the midst of my 11th winter in Chicago. The severity no longer surprises me: Every year, I expect feet of snow and sub-zero temperatures, possibly even burst plumbing in the condo above ours.

But the duration ... the duration grinds on me every single year. Six months in a down coat. Too long.

But 60 degrees is on the horizon, maybe even by the end of this week. :-)