Spring Into Action!
I know what you are thinking. And, believe me, I thought it too. For starters, my blog title is a bit cliche (and lame-o). But, if you can move past that, it's hard NOT to notice the signs of spring all around us: Birds chirping their brains out at 6am and prematurely waking me up; trees budding; tulips beginning to push up through the ground; grass turning green, consistent 50-60 degree weather and the lovely April rain showers that produce May flowers.
With Spring in the air, I'm hard pressed not to think about the one thing I dislike that is associated with the Spring season. The dreaded "SPRING CLEANING / TO-DO LIST". Yes, I said it. Shame on me. And shame on us for trying to ignore all those things we've been so covertly putting off to do because it was cold outside.
With that being said, I decided to put together a Spring to-do list that I think will be helpful for every one of us who is in graduate school.
1. Lose the Winter Coats/Layers. Spring in Ohio can be a bit capricious. Especially when it was snowing less than a week ago. But, I'm going to go out on a limb and say, "PACK IT UP, PEOPLE." Replace your winter coats, sweaters, cardigans, stocking caps, scarfs and jackets with shorts, polo's, t-shirts, sandals, flip-flops. The only way I've found to convince mother nature to make Spring stay is to change the way I dress.
2. Clean. I'm keeping this one short because this word around this time of year seems to be an inevitable "cuss" word. Clean your desk, garage and car out. Maybe you just need to tidy up your room or get rid of some old clothes. Whatever it is, get on with it and do what I call, "The Nasty".
3. Take a Drive with the Windows Down. Sunday was a gorgeous 85 degrees. What makes those days even more gorgeous is going for a drive with the windows down. If you have a convertible, then I envy you.
4. Flip-flops, flip-flops, flip-flops. Need I say more. It's time to break them out if you haven't done so already. Personally, I haven't met any more aggressive when it comes to flip-flop wearing that fellow MLHR blogger, Shawn H. This man sets the standard for flop wearing.
5. Bust Out the Sunglasses. With the temperatures rising and the sun staying out longer, it's important to protect our eyes from damaging UV rays. I can't think of anyone else I know who dons the sunglasses more than fellow MLHR blogger, Garren C. This man wears sunglasses 25 hrs day/ 8 days per week/ 365 days per year. Take a tip from, Garren. He believes in protecting his eyes from damaging UV rays. So should you.
6. BBQ. In southern states, it's BBQ. In SoDak and other Midwestern states, it's grilling. Eh, same thing. Nuances aside, it's just plain time to fire up the grill, invite some friends over and enjoy some good burgers & brats and sip some cold drinks.
AND
7. Enjoy the Great Outdoors. When the weather is nice, it's time to put away the TV and get outside. Go for a bike ride or take your dog for a walk. Maybe join a volleyball or softball league. Whatever it is, stay active and enjoy being outside.
Go Bucks!