January has come to an end. Everyone's least favorite month is now upon us.
Let's face it; if someone tells you February is not their least favorite month, they're probably lying. There's a laundry list of reasons why February stinks.
The most obvious one is the looming Valentine's Day. Two years ago, I told you in this very column to 'girlcott' Valentine's Day, and that advice still stands. There are those who will try to cheer you up with comments about how the day is a "Hallmark holiday," and technically, they're correct. However, I think it's fair to say that any day that a single person who doesn't want to be single has to see a bunch of couples is a bad day. Unfortunately, Valentine's Day is at the top of that list.
The second most obvious one is the end of the football season. It will be seven more months until we see a regular-season football game, college or pro - an interminable wait made tolerable only by the approaching baseball season. Until then, fans have to get by analyzing recruiting classes or free-agent signings obsessively and following NFL draft coverage until it comes out of their ears.
Oh, yeah, and the weather is abysmal. Yesterday's low was actually below zero. What happened to the ridiculously warm December we enjoyed right before leaving for Winter Break? Because walking around in a coat a tad large for Shaquille O'Neal is not fun.
I wish I had some great advice for those looking to escape the second-month blues, but the fact of the matter is that there are few who know how to escape the pit of sludge that is the month between January and March - or, as I and many other sports fans term the break, between the Super Bowl and March Madness. However, there are some suggestions for those trying to escape the winter blahs.
Listen to a ton of music. Something about listening to music in the comfort of your own room makes it feel like summer all the time. It's unexplainable, but it's a great feeling.
Follow the NBA and college basketball more closely. There's a certain team on the west side of Chicago that's a blast to watch play and could always use more support. And with no less than four teams from the state looking like they have a good shot at playing in mid-March - University of Notre Dame, Indiana University, Purdue University and, last but not least, Butler University - there's no shortage of good amateur hardwood action to check out.
Do not, I repeat, do not do anything for Valentine's Day, unless you have a significant other to spend it with, in which case I suppose I can grudgingly concede you a happy Valentine's Day. If you try to do something romantic single, it's just going to annoy you more.
Study more than usual. Actually, you know what? Nevermind.
Play a game of snow football at LaFollette Field. It is my opinion that every red-blooded male in the world needs to play a game of snow football before they reach the age of 25, and if you haven't yet, now's a great time to do it. After all, the snow's going to be there a while.
The winter blahs can be tough to shake, especially in this, the worst of all months. But if you give it a shot, you might find March isn't so far away.
Write to Andy at ndistops@hotmail.com
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