I'll Be Ready

I'm waiting anxiously for spring. March is a very confusing month, and it kind of makes me crazy. Give me real sunshine already!

A couple days ago the weather was gorgeous, and I had to sit outside and read. I had to sit in the direct sunlight, though, because it was positively frigid in the shade, with the wind blowing and all.

Spring-like weather has me thinking about spring-like activities. So here's a list of what I simply must do when it's *really* spring.

1. Play frisbee. (note to self: learn how to throw a frisbee.)
2. Go on an ice cream walk. (Get ice cream. Go on a walk.)
3. Sit in the sun until my hair gets warm and my nose gets red.
4. Chase butterflies.
5. Chase squirrels.
6. Chase children in the park. On second thought...
7. Go on a hike. Do not complain about the bugs.
8. Look for flowers starting to come up. Encourage them.
9. Spend as much time outside as possible. When inside, spend as much time as possible looking outside.
10. Frolic!

Well, that's good. I always feel more prepared for something when I've made  a list. Now I know exactly what to do when the days get warmer and longer and sunnier.



Who's with me?

Hello, Squirrel.

Well, I ran outside yesterday morning. For the first time since September? maybe October? Actually, it was still a little chilly yesterday, but I sucked it up. Because that's just what I DO, baby!

My first few steps felt very heavy and hard. Running outside is NOT the same as running on a treadmill. There's no softness on the concrete. Plus, I may run on an incline on the treadmill, but the hills around my neighborhood are a little crazier. So, basically, it was weird to try running outside again.

Something I seem to have forgotten since last time I ran outside is just how many animals there are around here. By "animals," I mean mostly squirrels. And the occasional chipmunk. They are all over the place.

Staring at me intently.

Waiting until I come close before making a run for it.

Popping out from behind every bush, every lamppost, every tree.

Sometimes they are cute. Sometimes they creep me out.

"Stop staring at me, you stupid squirrel! I'm just trying to run, here! What, am I not a good runner? Are you laughing at me? Is that a smirk?"

You've got to be wary when you run outside. With squirrels around every corner, a girl has got to watch her back.

Squirrels Are People, Too. Not Really.

I remember when I first started driving, I told myself to just suck it up and hit the squirrels.

They get hit all the time. It’s too bad, but it’s a fact of life.

I told myself that I would never go out of my way. I wouldn’t slow down. They’re SQUIRRELS! And they have brains, after all. More or less. If a car is coming, they should know not to go bounding in front of it, freeze in panic, dart back and forth and then turn around and go back where they came from. I mean, how smart is that? They deserve what they get!

Then it happened to me. I was driving alone on a street, no other cars around. And a squirrel, perhaps dared by his buddies who were cheering him on from the bushes, made a run for it. I wanted to teach him a lesson, not to mention warn his little delinquent friends, but I just couldn’t do it. I slowed down, even stopped, leaving him free to enjoy the adrenaline rush.

I sure showed him.