It isn't 666....but its close

Actually it is 66 - and it represents the number of sunny days per YEAR in Cleveland Ohio.

Wow. That's it. That is all of our sun? OUch. I think need to give myself a pep talk after hearing that one:

(WARNING: this is one of those annoying "internal dialogue" posts where I try to convey my thoughts without using the proper punctuation - so it probably makes no sense...feel free to read along if you want to see how my mind works....and be very confused, but you have been warned).

According to the news last night, only 18% of my life is now spent in the sunshine- well 18% + vacations, but who is keeping track? Just saying it out loud amazes me. I am a California girl: In theory, this means that I need lots of sunshine to be happy...I "should" by my very nature and west coast upbringing hate it here, but in the last year-and-a-half I have realized that that is not true.

Despite the dark gloomy, freezing, crap that is our weather - I AM very happy in Ohio. Seriously I am. And before that news biotch told me this little fact - I would have guessed that there were at least ....mmmmm 80 days of happy weather :)...that is way better than 66 right? But the weather is not what makes me happy anymore....that would just be an excuse - oh and it was when i was in college but I have since gotten over that little issue.

Sure I miss the beach, and having a pool that is actually useful, and being able to wear flip flops year round, but there are so many advantages to living where I do that those things are starting to not matter as much.

• I no longer have a tan ever......but i do have a beautiful home with a huge yard.
• I have a job that I really like and so does my husband....it is good to be a big fish in a small pond sometimes ( i guess that insinuates that I am a big fish though - I am not...but there is potential to be because everyone that graduates from college here moves to Chicago or some other big city- so if you stick around there actually is potential to be a "big fish" ummm i guess.)....and now that I said big fish so many times it makes me think of that one south park - where they tell Kanye West that he is a gay fish because he loves fish sticks. Hee hee....anways......
• I don't live near any of my friends that I grew up with...but I have made a ton of new friends that are fabulous and I still keep in touch with all of the girls I miss so much. It is awesome having friends all over the place....there is always an excuse to visit someplace new and cool.
• My kids wont know how to surf or skateboard....but they will get to go sledding during their recess (How cool is that?) Oh, and they will still wear cute little baby Vans too. I don't care if they are the only ones.
• I no longer get to see lowered vehicles with airbrushed naked ladies and Jesus on the hood....but i do get to occasionally miss work for snow days.
• Shaq and Lebron live within 5 minutes of me.....not just people who pretend they are Shaq and Lebron :)
• I get to make delicious soup and crock pot dinners all winter long...and they taste better here because you don't get all hot from eating them
• I don't have palm trees in my backyard....but I do get to see the unbelievably gorgeous season of fall. The smell of burning leaves, and actually having leaves to rake up makes me feel like i live in a commercial sometimes.
• My closet is the size of the apartment I could afford in the part of California that i would want to live.
• I get to spend every other Christmas alternating between a snowy winter wonderland with the O'Briens and beachy, hot, Christmas wake boarding with my parents. I really do get the best of both worlds during that time of year....and seriously- is there a better time of year anywhere?
• I am doing something totally different than what i am used to. I will never regret not moving around or trying something new.
• I am perfectly positioned to pick where Pat and I will retire....you compromise now to get everything you want later :) ( and this is not just in reference to location. It is good marriage advice in general).

I guess what I have realized is that Ohio is not better than California......and California is not better than Ohio either. They are extremely different but regardless of my location I am capable of creating my own happiness. Sunny days outside don't always mean that you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. So I am going to just concentrate on myself and my family -not my dark surroundings - and something tells me that everything will be just fine.