silver white winters that melt into spring...

...just one of my many favorite things (but in order for there to be melting, there must first be snow!).

Seriously, man. Where is all the snow Jack Frost promised me this year? I mean, it started off well. Really well. For a while, it was even looking like we were going to finally have a white Christmas. And then... (you can't hear me, but i'm making a disappointed Snoopy noise).

Today it's raining. Not like raindrops on roses and warm woolen mittens rain, either, just straight up monsoon weather right outside my window. And the past several days leading up to this moment seem to have been misplaced from last spring, as if God was just like "Oops! Guess i forgot about that batch. Well, i'll just stick 'em in now for a nice winter break."

Not cool, man. Not cool.

On the positive side, i did sieze this opportunity to hit the gym this morning for the first time in nearly a year. If you'll recall, my mom and i joined one and went faithfully almost every day in the months leading up to and following our cruise to the Caribbean last March. I blogged my progress and mentioned on more than one desperate occasion how much better the experience would be if i had an iPod.

Well, folks, this time around i had an iPod. In fact, it was the iPod that clinched the decision between whether or not i would drag my lazy butt out of bed on my day off from work this morning and head to the gym in the wind and rain. I actually started getting a little excited. After all, i was looking at the start of a new adventure: getting back into shape, and doing it the right way - with music. I couldn't wait to hop up on that treadmill (i am small, so depending on what setting the previous user has left it on, sometimes a hop is necessary) and march away the hour to The Graduate's "Ahnedonia."

I got on the treadmill, messed around with its settings, and hit Play on my iPod.

Nothing.

In a horrific moment resembling that during which Frodo watched Gandalf plummet to his death at Mordor, i was struck with the harsh realization that my iPod wasn't charged. Alas, there was nothing i could do but brave the circumstances and continue on in my adventure (though not, i assure you, without first feeling the annoying claws of regret scratch lightly at the corner of my brain, reminding me of how soft and especially cozy my bedsheets feel at that hour).

I jammed my earphones into the treadmill and hoped that some smidgen of saving grace would kindly salvage my experience. I was about to give up when i landed on a station coordinating with one of the television sets overhead, where a theatrical of The Little Mermaid was airing on PBS.

Well...i sighed and felt myself succumbing quickly to its remarkable ability to work its magic on me.

And work its magic it did. While i couldn't exactly appease my urge to belt it out, i began lip-synching the words along with Ariel, complete with facial expressions and everything. "Up where they walk...up where they run...up where they play all day in the suuuuuuuuunnnnn...!"

Yes, i'm one of those people. Embarassing, and completely apathetic about it.

Next time (if there is a next time), for the sake of whoever decides it's a good idea to take me with them to the gym, let's hope my iPod is working.