R-E-S-P- [oh, c,mon ... you know the rest]

"Respect" is a very important word in New Jersey. Just look how many times it’s used in The Godfather – which takes place in Sicily, New York, Long Island, Las Vegas, Havana, Miami, LA, Washington DC and Rome [I’m stitching them all together as one, here]. Look at The Sopranos, who actually ARE from Jersey. Goodfellas??? My Blue Heaven???

In NJ respect is currency. It is more valuable than your credit rating; if it starts to rise, it can generate its own wealth. Should it fall, no amount of refinancing can fix it.

This Winter, the Weather has decided to disrespect the Calendar.

Our Thanksgiving TurkeyMan Duathlon was just a warm-up [pun: sorry]. We’ve had Thanksgivings in the 40’s and 50’s before. I even remember driving over to South Street with my buddy Don Krnse with the top down a day or two after Xmas back in the early 80'.

This December's average high temperature for the DelVal Area was about 42° … the average is 36°. The only truly cold day in New Jersey In December was Dec. 8. The high temperature in Trenton that day was 32 degrees. Newark was 31 degrees and Atlantic City topped out at 34 degrees.

Today, it was 72°.

At 6:30 AM it was 55°. I did my morning run in a T-shirt and shorts. It took considerable resolve NOT to cut my grass. I washed my car.

I did NOT take down my Christmas lights. I did however put a Hawaiian shirt and lei on my angel on the lawn … just because.

I had a cigar. On the porch. After dinner.

What is this ... June-uary???

This disrespect is shameful.

If Weather were a carnate being, it could be fatal.