As I write my annual, snarky Christmas letter, I’m revisiting some highlights of past years. From my heart to yours. With apologies.
Mild Weather Disrupts Winter Activities
The only thing Minnesotans complain about more than a harsh winter is a mild winter. While global warming has definitely benefited those of us in the frozen north with milder temperatures, earlier springs, and warmer falls, there is a downside.
Ski Season
Warm temperatures and a lack of snow present a conflict for those families enrolled in ski school. After skipping a few weekends, the Days decided that navigating rocks and patches of grass was preferable to wasting the exorbitant (and nonrefundable) ski school enrollment fees. Fortunately, only minor injuries resulted.
Winter Recreation Camp
The boys spent two days at an overnight winter recreation camp despite the lack of even a single flake of snow. They reported that the highlight of camp was tobogganing down the inside of a huge (and fortunately empty) sewer pipe. Oh, and baking cookies, a classic Minnesota winter activity.
Important Economic Categories
Tragically, as reported in the January 20th edition of the local newspaper, the ice wine season was officially cancelled due to a lack of ice-generating temperatures. Not addressed: The question “What is ice wine?”
A Snapshot from March
- 4 lacrosse games
- 9 lacrosse practices
- 11 dance classes
- 2 dance competitions
- 4 baseball clinics
- 4 piano lessons
- 4 chess club meetings
- 4 birthday parties
- 8 swim lessons
- 5 school events
- 3 school conferences
- 3 round-trips to the airport
- 2 trips to the orthodontist
- 1 opera
And finally to end the month…one well-deserved vacation!
Tomorrow, excerpts from 2013…
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