I'm going to invoke my rights as a lifelong resident of the New England area: I'm going to bitch about the weather. The actual rule is that we get to bitch about the weather in all seasons. Examples: spring — "This mud is driving me crazy!", summer — "Uggh...it's so hot!", fall — "These damned leaf-peepers are making me crazy!" (thus invoking the little-known by-law giving the resident the right to complain about any form of tourist, fall foliage seekers included), winter — "It's sooo cold! Will it ever be warm again?!"

Oh yes, we do like to whine about the weather.

Recently, we've had a spell of what the television forecasters like to call an "active pattern." This means that every other day or so, we have another snow event. Just as you're finished cleaning up from one storm, the next one shows up. The last one was particularly trying: it started off with eight or nine inches of snow, followed by sleet, freezing rain, torrential rain, and for good measure, twelve hours of freezing rain.

Wah, wah, waaaah!

I know, there are people out there with problems far worse than this typical New England winter. I have to say though, that it's finally getting to me. The sun has been out only a handful of times in the past month. I think I need one of those "happy lights" like the ones used by the guy on the television show Northern Exposure. Anything to bust this slump!

...like some good, old-fashioned country music. There are no associations in my mind between country music and cold weather (even though one probably exists, I know... just... shut up!). So it is now Dale Waton's job to burn away all of this snow and ice. Watson is one of those treasures who deserves much more recognition. He upholds the tradition of country music with a sound full of passion and terrific guitar playing. Heck, Watson's passion just might melt that frozen stuff: he became so disgusted with what modern country music had turned into that he now avoids the label and calls his music "Ameripolitan."

So maybe a disc full of Bakersfield-tinged songs about truckers will melt that ice. At the very least, it'll make me feel better.