Not quite the cruelest month

October used to be my favorite month. I'm a bit of a grey-scale girl to begin with, and there's just something about the smell of fall in Connecticut, the beginning of college basketball season, the end of baseball season. But now I'm a continent away, and older and wiser, and March is quickly gaining on my ranking of the best time of the year.

It's rainy and windy here right now, except when it's sunny, except when it's freezing cold and hailing. The variety pleases me. And there's something to be said for all the things going on right now: The occasional glimpse of sun and fun and Joba in spring training, the adrenaline rush of election season, this wacky life in which my small family celebrates both Purim and Easter on the same weekend. Noisemakers yesterday, colored eggs today, in other words.

And then there are moments like this one right here, sitting upstairs watching the Tar Heels -- knowing good and well CBS is going to cut away any minute because we're up by 24. TheGirl is sitting right next to me ripping apart the Sunday Times. TheBoy is eating jellybeans from an egg hunt. I'm acting like a true Portlander, drinking one of these and feeling the way I should feel after half a glass. Slightly tipsy and very pleased with the world, in other words.

Happy holiday, everybody.