Spring Thaw...

So the mercury climbed all the way up into the 60s yesterday. The rising temperatures brought much-needed relief from the interminable-seeming winter, erasing acres and acres of snow from the landscape and preparing the ground for spring showers. Those showers will wash away the accumulated dirt and grim of the past winter; for now, though, the grime just sits there, a stark reminder of just how bad this winter was.

With the snow gone, the effects of this brutal winter are coming back to light. Tree branches, downed in the December ice storm but covered for months and months, are still sitting by the side of the road, awaiting disposal. The tasks that were gladly put off as the temperature dropped at winter's first grasp now stare back at as, reminders that time waits for no man. It's time to go out and get dirty, cleaning up the mess that we had long forgotten about, yet knew would have to face.

It's unfortunate that, right now, the same can't be said for the mess in Washington. There's rumblings from within Obama's own party that he's in over his head, that he's making serious gaffes, that he's still not ready to lead. Issues like the recent visit by Gordon Brown, the "goals" of the stimulus package with regards to creating - or saving - 3.5 million jobs, and repeated tax cheats coming up for appointments have dodged the president, cropping up like so many dead tree branches long thought buried. And instead of firing up the woodchipper, rolling up our nation's sleeves and exhorting us to get back to work, we're just hoping for more snow to cover everything back up.

It's gonna be a long 4-8 years, folks...

That is all.