Raise your hand (or you can just grunt) if you found yourself in a funk last weekend when we were once again covered in frosty flakes that persisted most of Saturday. I woke up that morning determined not to let the weather wilt my enthusiasm for home projects. Sipping from a big coffee mug, I laid out a plan in my head: clean the kitchen table off, make breakfast, start to paint the spare bedroom, and finally, catch up on some reading.

I got as far as cleaning the table and making breakfast (which is why I had to clean the table). From there my motivation took a dive as I glared at the snow droppings – by April that’s how I see them – and switched off between watching everything HGTV had to offer and checking on the impending birth of April the pregnant giraffe’s baby. As of the writing of this column, no baby giraffe to report.

 It seemed like this last storm was the last straw, the one that broke the camel’s back, took the cake — all those idioms that mean we’ve had enough, because we have. I want to see daffodils and green buds on trees, not our friend Bob plowing our driveway. …  I mean, he’s a really nice guy but seriously, Bob, put the plow away until next January.

 By the end of that wasted Saturday, I had come to the conclusion that I was mad and sad about more snow. To quote Gilmore Girls, I was smad. Spring is taking forever to make a decent appearance. I’m well aware that we hardly experienced winter until February, and yet, I find no comfort in this fact.

Thankfully, Sunday was a gloriously sunny day and Spouse and I made sure to get out and enjoy it for a bit. The temps hit 48 degrees, so where do Mainers go when it warms up? To Home Depot and Dairy Queen, where else? But that one-day exposure to spring fever had only whet my appetite for more.

It was early Monday afternoon when I was struck with an overwhelming desire to step away from my multiple computer screens and get out of the office. Taking a quick break, I stepped outside and wandered toward the ferry terminal a couple of blocks away. I found a spot to sit and watch the docked ferry boats roll gently against the water. People in business suits slowed down as they passed the bay, soaking in the feeling of spring. The outside temperature was a bit cool, but when I closed my eyes and faced the sun, the warmth pulsed through me. I quietly hummed “Sitting on the dock of the bay” to myself … technically I was sitting on a stone wall by the dock of the bay. For a few sweet moments, it was spring and I was free.

This was what I had been missing — sunshine. My brain was cloudy from too much winter. I’m sure this was why my sleep patterns were off and I had been having a hard time concentrating on projects. Being outside for those few minutes revived me enough to head back to the office and continue my day with a little less monotony.

Sometimes we forget to give ourselves a break. We eat at our desks and work long days to accomplish every task before us. It’s time to find our spring state of mind, get up and go outside for five minutes. It doesn’t have to be the dock of the bay, it’s wherever we can be exposed to a little vitamin D.

We may be stuck with a few remaining wintry days, but I’m determined leave my smad mood behind, update those daffodil (and baby giraffe) reports, and eventually hum a few bars of, “I can see clearly now, the snow is gone … from my driveway.”