What a great weekend.

Somehow the Midwest seemed like a completely different place.

The warm air welcomed me as I stepped outside on Saturday. Instead of speed-walking to my car, I strolled. I didn't want to waste a minute of being able to feel the warm sunlight on my face.

Unfortunately I spent most of Saturday inside at the office.

But Sunday brought a second chance.

I spent the early afternoon on the porch of a friend's house in Mason City. A street that seemed almost dead during the winter was bustling with activity.

Neighbors walked their dogs. Bikers cut through the library parking lot to reach trails along the river. Motorcycles cruised down the street, their drivers' hair blowing in the warm breeze.

My boyfriend, his neighbor and I took a walk around the neighborhood. It felt like summer, except there weren't any leaves on the trees yet. Christmas tree lights still hung from some people's houses. The ground was muddy from the melted snow.

We decided that it was perfect grilling out weather. We drove to the store, windows rolled down, music turned up. I put my arm out the window and let the wind blow through my fingers.

We bought hamburgers, buns and charcoal and fired up the grill. Cheeseburgers always taste best when they're grilled. I have to admit, we made some great ones.

It's days like those that make you appreciate living in an area with four seasons. There's no way the day would have been as enjoyable if we hadn't spent the last few months bundled in sweaters, shivering and scraping ice off our cars.

The sun and warmth made me perfectly content. I had a small smile stuck to my face all day. I thought of swimming, summer clothes and ice-cold lemonade.

On a day like Sunday, it was easy to forget everything else.

To forget the uneasy economy.

To forget the state's budget deficit and its unsatisfactory solutions.

To forget the impending war on Iraq.

To forget that one of my friends had to forgo his last semester of college to sit in the desert and wait for a war to begin.

Monday night brought an end to the tranquil weekend. President George W. Bush gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to step down. The chances of that are unlikely. By the time you get a chance to read this, we could be at war.

I am and have been torn about what to think of the situation from the start. It's a risk either way. Since talk of war with Iraq began, relationships with allies have been damaged. Worldwide opinion of the United States has been diminished even further.

But not taking action could result in other consequences. If, in fact, Hussein is helping terrorism, if he does have the capabilities to use weapons of mass destruction, we could be facing another Sept. 11-like attack.

If it all goes as planned, the war could bring greater good. Iraqis could live in a country without oppression.

If all goes as planned.

War isn't predictable. And that's what frightens me the most. The fact that we have little worldwide backing makes me more nervous.

It's rainy today. By the end of the week, it could be snowing.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com