I was bummed the other day when I discovered that I had slept through a very exciting and loud thunderstorm. I love thunderstorms because they are few and far between here in my part of California. And although we need rain desperately, I think the weather is making me blue.

Worse than winter blues, this weeklong rain has made every morning a drag. I feel unhappy, grumpy, just plain blah. Today the sky was light and I felt happy. Not soon after the rain started again.

I'm looking forward to the sun and the heat that will grace us this weekend. Hopefully it will light a fire under me, take me outside, and fill my backyard with laughter.

Although I have a small window in my home office, I enjoy taking my lunch outside on the patio for a bit of vitamin D. Some days, after work, I steal into the backyard and sit against the back of the house, facing south, and open a book. I long for that warmth on my face as I read and the sounds of neighborhood swirl around me.

Weathering the first winter storm

Last night we finally had our first winter storm of the season. It was gusty and made for a restless night. I even got up at 2 a.m. to make sure that the back yard wasn't flooding and the neighbor's palm tree wasn't leaning.

At 6:45 a.m. on a "Mommy and Daddy day," aka weekend, Alyssa came poking at my arm. She was hungry and her tummy was making "funny noises." So I got up . . . slowly. With the storm and little sleep I felt like I was waking up after partying all night.

I decided I'd feed Alyssa and then brew some coffee. My magazine, a cup of coffee, and cartoons sounded like the safest bet for me to work off the non-hangover hangover (thank you, Migraine-Brain!).

I didn't think that an hour later with a cuddly Alyssa by my side that I would think about how lucky I was. I got to spend time alone with my coffee, magazine, and a cuddly baby by my side.

How soon she won't want to cuddle with me and won't wake me up at 6:45 to make her breakfast. She'll be slamming doors in my face, rolling her eyes, and making her own breakfast--even driving.

Maybe at 6:45 tomorrow I'll wake up and she'll still be sleeping. And I'll miss her company--alone--with my coffee and magazine on the couch.