The Snow Flies... And Takes Money with It

I'm told it's the most wonderful time of the year. Indeed, the house is warm and bright either with festive decorations or voices of friends and family. It's almost a joy this time of year to watch your money dwindle away on gifts you hope everyone will like. You'll even don a coat and some horrible looking gloves to go build a snowman. You may even go as far as to make the snowman a wife and some snow kids. You won't really mind getting smacked in the face with a fistful of compacted snow because snowball fights are just part of the festivities. Snow is exciting and you breathe a sigh of contentment looking out the window as it falls from the night sky.

Then comes January. The lights come down, the greetings have ceased, and the only brightly colored papers you receive seem to be bills. Wouldn't going outside to just get away from it be wonderful? Sure, problem is, it's 5 degrees out there and fuzzy slippers and frozen water just don't mix. That's all right, you can deal. Looking out the window, you still sigh at the snow falling, but it's just a bit sadder.

Enter car troubles. You go and brush the feathery snow off the car, scrape that ice off the windows only to get inside and find that evidently it's too cold for the car to want to move. It never fails, it always seems this is the time of year for something to go... anything, really. As long as it's a part that will cost you money at an auto parts store or through your oil-slathered mechanic, it will suffice. You'd love to feel a nice, warm breeze through your hair...

Whammy number 3, AKA tax time rears its ugly, green head. Oh, look, the government is politely demanding some money because you made a mistake last year. You're so glad they have people that do their jobs so well. Out of the corner of your eye you see those light, almost transparent flakes whirl around before landing on top of millions of others just like it. You stand at the window and ask someone who isn't there why this white torture has to keep coming. Those flakes are no longer serene and silent, they're overwhelming, hard to walk through, and are rather effective at keeping you indoors.

There's no relief in sight. Spring is 4 months away and the heater has dried your skin up to a charming sandy texture. You'd had it.

Your first reaction is to take it out on the snow. Yes! The snow will pay! Enough is enough..!

Unfortunately, the only thing you can think to do is take a big, orange shovel to it, and you quickly realize the only thing that'll hurt is your back.

And really, who can afford doctor bills this time of year?