January's "illness"

It's happening like it always does.

January rolls in with its short days that still aren't long enough for my taste. The fog and marine layer of clouds hang like a grey blanket that doesn't leave for days on end. The air is heavy with humidity making the 50 degree high for the day just not warm enough at all and leaving a chill in my bones. The annual rains come to make our hills their lovely winter green that tempts and teases the sun-loving gardener's soul even though I know that more frosty nights are on the way.

And that's when it happens.

I get Hawaii Fever.

It's a sickness that one only gets if one has been to Hawaii. So those who haven't been "exposed" need not fear.

Symptoms of Hawaii Fever include but are not limited to:

Repeated Hawaiian music playing in one's head throughout the day.

Nightdreams or daydreams about being in Hawaii, laying in a hammock in the warm tropical sun, breathing in the heavenly scented mixture of plumeria and sunscreen, with the sound of waves crashing onto a coral-lined shore.

Sitting in front of a computer screen staring at photos from past visit(s) to Hawaii that "exposed" one to the sickness in the first place.

Frantic late-night searching of the internet for airfare deals to a major Hawaiian airport.

Repeated calculation of frequent flier miles against the airline reward chart.

Bargaining with one's spouse to try and justify the expense of a trip to Hawaii as "business".

Symptoms of advanced stages of Hawaii Fever include but are not limited to:

Giving up on bargaining and secretly plotting to pack one's bags and just head to the airport with credit card in hand.

Mentally rearranging one's calendar in order to accomodate spending the entire month of January in Hawaii.

Writing a blog post about having Hawaii Fever and directing others to look at one's photos from past visit(s) to Hawaii.

Yup, I've got Hawaii Fever--just like I do this time every year.

Don't worry.

It isn't fatal... even though it feels like it sometimes. ;)