How about some sunshine -- and now

Am I the only one who's noticed the change in people's moods lately?

Is your husband a little more irritable when he comes home from work?

Are your children a little more disobedient than they once were?

Has it been two weeks since you've actually felt like cooking a home-cooked meal after you've spent the day taking care of irritable children or grouchy bosses?

Don't feel alone.

It seems it's been scientifically proven that the winter blues really do exist.

And I know at least one person that seems to be affected by them.

Me.

I came to the conclusion when I decided that the streets of McCook -- B Street and Norris at least -- were safe enough for driving my Crossfire. The day I took the cover off and prepared to move it up from my back yard, it snowed.

I've always enjoyed the snow. When I was younger, I enjoyed playing in it. As I've grown older and arthritis started setting in, I could still enjoy looking at the undisturbed fresh-fallen coating right after a winter storm -- for about two days. It's like a freshly washed white comforter you spread across your bed. It's nice to look at, but the last thing you want to do is leave it on the bed when you're in it.

Then the snow starts melting and turning into ice -- something more akin to a ripped and torn gunnysack that can trip you up and land you flat on your back in a split second.

I'm ready for the green blanket, the one that comes with the rain that soaks slowly into the ground and dries with a few days of sunshine. I'm ready for the birds to return and the rabbits that congregate around our home to start nesting.

I want to see a flower popping up from the ground, and my first weed of the year to show its ugly little head.

I want to mow. I want to weed my rock/weed garden.

I want to climb a ladder to the top of the third story of the house -- despite my overwhelming fear of heights -- and finally paint it to match the front. I want to put rain gutters on my house. I want to drag all my power tools out into the yard and use them to finish the interior of the windows we installed last year.

I want to fix my camper and take it to the lake for a fishing trip without having to worry about the heater going out.

I want to drive my Crossfire out of the back yard and use it every day -- without worrying about sliding into someone or someone sliding into me.

Simply put, I want my sunshine back, and I want it back now.

You never know what someone with the winter blues could be capable of.