It’s finally that time of year when the first defrost-ening happens. We’ve spent the last couple of months curled up under a comforter, waiting for the brutal cold to pass us over. We wore wool socks and zipped our puffers up to the top. We canceled plans and watched a bunch of TV. And we were kind of sad about it. Now we’ve had our first warm day. 

The first warm day after a Midwestern winter is like Victory Day. The war has been won and we may delight in the spoils of the free world at last. We’re trading our snow pants for cargo shorts (a little too eagerly). We’re texting all of our friends that we should «get beers on a patio soon.» We’re walking around with a glint in our eyes that only a 50-degree and sunny day can bring. It’s what we’ve waited all year for.