Just Because

And we are not amused. Autumn used to be my favorite time of year until we moved to Colorado. In Arizona it marked the end of the long hot summer, punctuated by much cooler mornings and a new crispness; a new clarity to the air itself. It was like someone flipped a switch and you just knew summer was over. In San Francisco it was just as much loved, albeit for different reasons. Fall marked the end of the notoriously cold late summer fog, the beginning of Street Fair season, and usually provided a few short—if delectable—weeks of Indian Summer. While I still enjoy the arrival of cooler—and eventually—cold temperatures here in Denver, now autumn is simply a precursor to eight long months of it-may-suddenly-drop-ten-inches of snow-at-any-time and makes my anxiety level go through the roof while anticipating trying to get around town.

As I drive around the city and see the all those golden leaves starting to appear, all I feel is a pit in my stomach and I fully understand why my mother—after divorcing my dad and returning to her ancestral homestead in Wisconsin—lasted precisely one winter there before returning to Phoenix. Unfortunately, I do not have that luxury because Ben has made it clear that while he's willing to relocate once his indentured servitude is complete in Denver, he sees no future back in Arizona whatsoever.

September 10, 2013