That'll do, snow... that'll do

What does it take for someone who hasn't posted a blog post in almost 2 years to post?  Fourteen inches of snow in April, that's what. 

I know, I can hear it now.... "Uhhhhh, you live in ALASKA.  Didn't you realize it snows there?"  Yes, I do realize it snows here, and most of the time I actually enjoy it.  I call snowflakes 'happiness flakes' (this started because the girl who works in the office next to mine HATES snow and I was officially banned, by written memo, to go running through the workplace, waving my arms like a crazy person yelling 'snow, it's snowing, snow, snow, snow... yipeeeeee).  I love snow so much that I made up a new measurement of time called 'snow time.'  I believe that watching snowflakes fall, much like watching a gold fish swim around in a goldfish bowl, slows time and relaxes the watcher.  But, it's APRIL.  April means tulips, and budding spruce trees, and warm sunny days, and children flying kites.  Doesn't it?  Maybe it's just been winter for so long that I have forgotten which month spring in Alaska normally begins. 

But, come on, 14 inches?  OH, and did I mention that was over a day and a half period, and that just 2 days later is snowed another 8 inches?  My poor husband has had to snow blow the driveway 3 times in 5 days. Then, not even 4 hours after I check the National Weather Service website for the 10 day forecast (which assured me it was going to be nothing but sunny days and blue skies in my zip code), I came out of my Wednesday University Spanish class and find .... what?  You guessed it, SNOW on my car.  Two inches of what I am no longer referring to as happiness flakes.  Cristine is not amused, and Cristine is certainly NOT happy.

I'm ready for spring.  I'm ready for temperatures that allow me to stop wearing a jacket all the time.  I want to go hiking and fishing and biking (yes, I said biking... if saying it again will make spring come faster, I will say again that I want to go biking).  I want to take walks in normal tennis shoes and not snow boots.  I want to be able to wait at the bus stop for my bus to my Tuesday and Thursday afternoon University classes and not wish that I had worn earmuffs that morning to work.

I just want spring.  What god do I have to pray to for it to come?  Is there a special 'welcome spring in' ritual that I missed somewhere?