More melting - myself and the snow

So, remember my last meltdown? Well, three days later I experienced another, related one. Bigger, more public, and more disastrous than the last. What is this world coming to when Amber can't get a hold of herself - and over stupid Massachusetts car registration!? It was a simple matter of finding out that I couldn't get a Brandeis parking pass until my car was registered (which meant I wouldn't be able to park on campus the next day...which meant either I take public transportation at my own expense, try to convince the guard at the gate to give me a day pass...again); having no time the entire week to complete said registration; finding out that if I drove my car with an expired registration (expiring the day in question), I could be fined $1000 and have my car impounded; and, finally, that I was going to have to miss my most important classes that day to go get it taken care of. I had no other option. I was frustrated and angry at the absurdity of the situation, and anger always turns to tears for me.

There I was, trying to figure out how to explain to my professors that I had to miss their classes to register my car (which has to be one of the lamest excuses anyone could possibly come up with), when I saw one of those professors - the one I most want to impress, no less - walking toward me. He greeted me, and I burst into tears. Sobbing, really. Could hardly put a sentence together. I got out something about not being able to attend class today, and he awkwardly put his hand on my shoulder, surely thinking someone had died, and asked what was wrong. I could only sputter, "I can't get my car insured!" He fumbled for something to say to console me, assured me we would meet soon and discuss it over coffee, and hurried into the building. I, on the other hand, desperately looked for some place, any place, where no one could see me crying like this. I stepped behind another building and took my frustration out on the snow, kicking it savagely over and over. And boy, I sure wanted to swear! I had just made a fool of myself in front of my professor! I looked like a complete emotional wreck, in no means capable of dealing with the demands of academia! But no foul words escaped my mouth. I was in control enough to know that I couldn't justify letting loose. I'm such a weirdo!

BUT, you'll be glad to know that I am now the proud owner of Massachusetts license plates (along with new insurance), and I even made back for one of my classes. The rest of my week went much better. In fact, on Saturday, my tummy full of goodies (I allow myself to eat sugar on my free day), I had an overall feeling of well-being and happiness. Is this PMS? I've never really felt moody, or at least not in control of it, before, but perhaps it gets worse with age.

In celebration of getting over that stupid day, I have decided to write my top 10 list of my favorite things about Boston in the WINTER. OK, some of them may be sarcastic:

10. Snow, snow, and more snow (which could also be found on a list of most hated items as well).
9. Melting snow that creates small ponds and rivers in the streets and sidewalks, and then freezes at night, leaving a death trap (slickest ice imaginable) for all drivers and pedestrians unfortunate enough to be out and about early in the morning.
8. Bundling up.
7. Hot chocolate (agave cocoa on regular days, the real deal on Saturdays).
6. Snow days!
5. Cream of Wheat for breakfast - really do love it!
4. Frozen rain/snowmelt droplets on tree branches, electric cables, etc., looking like (and surely, the actual visual effect from which tree twinkle lights sprang) millions of Christmas lights ontemple square, everywhere, and even better!
3. Driving! Seriously, Boston roads in the winter are nothing less than an adventure. I think it should be a video game - dodging pot holes, parked cars taking up half the road (because the snow took their spot); two-way roads that turn into one-way roads (again, the snow took up the space) so you have to back up and let the other guy by half the time; left-turn and right-turn only lanes that show up out of nowhere, so you end up driving down a straight road in a weaving pattern just to keep going straight; snow banks that prevent you from seeing if a car is coming at any small intersection, so you just gun the gas and hope for the best (so far, so good). And this just doesn't do it justice!
2. My new heating blanket. Ahhh.
1. Being told by a native New Yorker that I'm a good driver - and by that, she meant that I was not afraid of doing what it takes to get around. Always knew I had that adventurous driver side to me!

So, there we are. Now, off to drive!