How to Make Rockford’s Unending Winter a Little More Tolerable

Okay, so it hasn't been the most frigid winter we've ever seen here in the Rockford area. It hasn't been the snowiest one, either. That doesn't mean that most of us aren't sick and tired of winter. But, since we've got quite a bit of winter left, how about a few tricks and tips to make the remainder of the season a little bit easier?

The winter-coping tips I got from my dad were few and far between, but valuable nonetheless. Got a driveway full of ice and snow? Have your son shovel it. Snow gathering on the rooftop, threatening to cave the roof in? Have your son climb up there and shovel it off. Slick sidewalks? Send your son outside with a bag of salt and a scraper. You see the pattern, right? I employed those methods myself, until my son Spencer wised up and took a job with a cruise line. He's spending the winter in the Caribbean, and my daughter Molly is really good at hiding.

So, with child labor off the table at my house, I've had to look into other methodologies to deal with winter. Luckily, there are people out there who've come up with some really ingenious wintertime "hacks" that have made life somewhat easier:

Or, you could always apply for a job on a cruise line that spends winters in a warm, tropical environment. It's working out well for a former laborer of mine.