Frigid forecast? Temperatures in the teens? Other than the exceptional use of alliteration, there's not much to like about those two sentences. I'm not proud to admit it, but I'm a wuss about a few things in life... and cold weather hovers toward the top of that list. (In my defense, I once passed out on the side of a mountain while snow skiing so I'd like to think my aversion to cold weather is trauma-induced and therefore, legitimate). Locals tell me I'll get my first taste of a Charlotte winter this week. If today was any indication, I'll be wearing three layers (not including wool underpants) until March, adding bi-daily "ice scraping" to my routine, and waiting for my extra-hot coffee in a Starbucks drive-thru line 17 cars deep.

Weekend recap: Significant people in my life doing significant things.

Mom ran in the White Rock (her second half-marathon of the year) and finished all 13.1 miles, beating her personal best by 2 1/2 minutes. She's pretty much Superwoman as is, but throw unrelenting athlete in the mix, and the lady is unstoppable. Don't let the innocent smile fool you, she's really thinking, Eat my dust, suckers!

And while Mom was crossing the finish line, Kyle was crossing the stage... I know I said I wasn't going to make it to Austin to see him graduate, but I lied. There's no tricking this trickster, so the only way to ensure the success of the surprise was to fudge a little.

Other than the extra five pounds -- queso culprit strikes again -- a trip to Austin was exactly what I needed. Almost felt like I never left. A big family meal at County Line. A couple of quintessential trips to Sixth Street. And oodles of reunions. Gah, I miss my friends. A genuine, heart-aching kind of miss. I left with a sore throat from screaming like a mad man every time I saw a familiar face. (Take me out of Texas for two months and what do you expect? Things were bound to get melodramatic).

Pretending like Austin was home again for a few days made reality seem a little more cruel on Sunday. The bubble burst as I stripped down to my socks in the airport security line. I hid stray tears behind a Dan Brown novel as I waited to board. The day I don't have to tell Kyle goodbye at the curbside passenger drop-off and watch Austin shrink behind the wings of a plane is going to be a damn good one.