Here in New England we’ve just managed to string two days together with temperatures above 50 degrees. This is a sure sign that we are headed for decent weather and we’ll be able to play with our toys soon enough. Then again, the forecast for Monday says we’ll be slightly above freezing and slapped around with a “wintry mix.” DOH!

The Top 11 Reasons We’re Thankful Spring is Coming

11) We’ll be able to wrench on the Javelin without the sub-zero suit: My wife thinks I am insane for even acquiring the Javelin, let alone working on the thing when it is snowing and raining.

10) No more evil car killing salt on the roads: Nothing worse than watching your car actually rot right in front of your very eyes.

9) The local racing season is set to kick off: You spend all winter wrenching on your junk or you’re like us. You HAD all winter to wrench on you junk, but now that we’re under a month to get the job done, we’re sweating.

8) Mud season at the local junkyards: Going to the junkyard in the winter sucks due to the fact that you need to shovel the snow off of cars you want parts from, but going in the early Spring is even worse due to the fact that there is quicksand-like muck, massive puddles, and all kinds of critters back to harass you while piling through abandoned cars.

7) Something to talk about on the forums: Oh man, it’s slim pickings when the most exciting thing that has happened to you in the last two months of automotive life is that you drove a tractor 35 mph.

6) Chicks will not be dressed in parkas: Horribly sexist? I hope not, but jeez, it’s like Nanook of the North around here.

5) Occasional random hot rod sightings: The only cool junk we’ve seen in months has been because we went and took sniper shots of it sitting in someone’s yard or shop. When the weather turns, it’s always cool to see something unexpected pull up next to you or drive past in the other direction. Right now, if it doesn’t have a plow mounted to the front of it, forget about it.

4) Mid-week cruise nights: Is there anything better than getting out of work and just swinging in to a local cruise and killing some time?

3) Very little chance of the doors on the daily driver being frozen shut: Nothing is worse than trying to pry your car doors open at 6:00 a.m. in subzero temperatures. Seriously. Nothing.

2) Sparkless burnouts: It’s fun throwing sparks with the studded snow tires, but it gets old quick. We look forward to the day when the only metal involved in roasting tires are the cords being exposed just before we blow those mothers off the rims.

1) Wearing shorts without shrinkage: Decency laws prevent us from elaborating, but you certainly know what we mean.