Snow what?

In my neck of the woods, as NBC's Al Roker would say, weather forecasters are foaming at the mouth, tracking the next BIG snowstorm on their radar. It would be the fourth major storm of the season.

I don't care. I see light at the end of the tunnel. Spring is firmly in hand. I have my volunteer assignment for the Philadelphia International Flower Show, which starts February 28.

Yeah, sure. Give me a few weeks of spring rains and weedy gardens, and I'll be ready for the next season. But for now, that first smell of grass and the sight of showy crocus, daffodils, and tulips are enough to bring tears to my eyes.

No wait, that's just the remnants of my stubborn winter cold.

The good old days?

When times are tough, it's natural to pine for the good old days. But nostalgia can be selective.

In the 1950s, the ideal American family -- and idealized family life -- was played out weekly on the TV sitcom "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." In this nuclear family, Ozzie worked and Harriet stayed home and took care of their two sons, David and Ricky. Talk about reality TV; this show featured a real-life family, with exterior shots of their own home, dealing with the minor problems of their daily living. And when the sons got married, their wives were written into the show.

But was this really such a wonderful time for women? Circulating on Internet is an excerpt from a 1950s home economics textbook, which includes the following tips on how to be a good wife:

• Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready -- on time.
• Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives.
• Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him.
• Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.
• Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.
• The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.

Even if you make this gender-neutral to refer to the stay-at-home spouse or significant other or partner or person-who-prefers-housekeeping, it still doesn't fly.

So much for the good old days.

Too logical to succeed

The wrangling over healthcare reform is enough to make anyone sick. It almost doesn't matter what's in those thousands of pages of proposed legislation, there are those who will oppose it, and the current administration, just, well, because.

But think about the premise: fixing a broken healthcare system to bring down costs, expand coverage, and improve quality. It makes sense to me, but then so did the metric system.

In 1975, Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act, declaring the metric system to be "the preferred system of weights and measures for U.S. trade and commerce."

I recently found a guide in my bookcase -- "Metrics Made Easy" -- that must have been written in an alternate universe. Some excerpts:

• "...change is occurring so rapidly that it seems unlikely any deadline for total conversion will have to be set."
• "Road signs showing metric distance units are now appearing, and towns that were once 50 miles away are now 80 kilometers away."
• "But regardless of when and where you begin to notice the change, one thing is certain. Metrication is coming to America."

That was written in 1976. And I'm still driving MPH, watching the pounds on my bathroom scale, and freezing when the temps hit 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Metric was touted as simpler, easier, and more logical than the U.S. system. But the metric ship has sailed, and we missed the boat.

I'm just hoping the same doesn't happen with healthcare reform, because right now the debate is making me more than a little queasy.

Taking the plunge

This is the time of year for performance reviews and entertainment awards. It's a time to look back on 2009 and note what you've accomplished.

For all the projects I've written, clients I've gained or retained, and writings that have hit the mark, my reward is just: paid invoices and more work. Yet there is one thing I've done that continues to astound family, friends, and colleagues.

Planning began in 2009, with close collaboration of two others. We strategized, considered alternatives, and bolstered one another's confidence. Then, at 2:00 p.m. on New Year's Day, we raced into the icy waters of Lake George, N.Y., for the annual First Day Polar Plunge.

White snow. Blue feet. Chattering teeth. It was a blast.

As the guy in the video says: "Makes no sense at all, but it looks like fun." And you get bragging rights for life!