You know you're getting old...

...when snow loses it's mystic charm.

Remember when you were a kid and you eagerly looked forward to snowfall? Snow days, sledding, snowballs, snowmen, snow forts etc. etc. The world seemed to have transformed into a fantasy land when those first few inches would stick to the ground.

Yeah, that's all changed.

Snow is now more of a hassle than a sign of fun. Things I consider when I hear there is snow in the forecast: "Do I have enough milk?" (I am from Virgina, after all), "will my bus be on it's normal route?," do I need to drive anywhere?," and "will Metro be running?"

So the magic of childhood has faded to the practicalities of adult life. And that's depressing.

But despite that, there are still times when the snow is just as beautiful and filled with as much promise as when I was a kid. But it's getting harder and harder to remember that. Especially when I have to hike home on iced over sidewalks after my bus has dumped me 10 minutes away from my normal stop because it's running on a snow emergency route.