Somewhere between the freshly fallen, pristine snow of winter and the new growth and warmth of spring lies the ugliest week in Chicago. This week that exposes the filth of the city.

During these first several days with multiple above-freezing periods, including a spike into the fifties, the streets of this town become an ugly slurry of disgusting waste. All of the dirt, garbage, and feces that got buried with each new snow are now exposed. The thick ice under all the snow is now a deep black covered in litter. Large opaque pools form in the deep potholes created by the winter's fluctuating temperatures. Sidewalks are flooded with this same sludge because it has nowhere to go. The clocks were recently adjusted because of the abomination that is Daylight Savings Time, so everyone is a little grumpy this week. The weather hints at the coming warmth of Spring, but forces us to still keep bundled up, just in case another snow storm comes rolling through.

There is little good to say about this week.