Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Rally For Thanksgiving: Forget It. November Is On Its Own. I'm Sick, Freezing, And So Over It.

If you could hear me right now, I sound like Demi Moore with laryngitis, that's how badly my throat is damaged from postnasal drip and coughing. And that's not lipliner I'm wearing; my lips are chapped from wiping my nose, which alternately stuffs up, then randomly starts draining like a leaky faucet. So attractive! I'm alternately crusty and sticky, depending if it's nighttime or daytime, respectively. Oh, November, what a Joy you are!

Yesterday, I had to go out early in the morning. November greeted me with this:

That is the view at the very end of my street.  At 7:45 AM.  My poor little Prius did not care for this at all.  "Oh, but it's so pretty!" so many of you are saying.  Yes, it is. It's very pretty.  I'll give you that.

As a matter of fact, the route I had to take was absolutely gorgeous and, thankfully, clear and only wet.  The snow was heavy and, because it was exactly 32 degrees, wet and clingy.  Every single tree branch, wire, and structure was frosted.  It looked like something out of a movie.  This road in particular, was breathtaking.  But I couldn't stop for photography, as much as I wanted to.  I had to be somewhere.  I caught a few breaks thanks to school buses and traffic heading toward the junior college, but pictures don't really capture it.


Later, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped.  The snow froze.  The wind started blowing it off of all of the trees and structures in hard clumps.  I could hear it hitting the house, the road, the deck, all in thuds and clunks.  I worried about some of the more beautiful, aged trees in the city, as well as power lines.

When Winter sneaks in this quickly, with this much force and cold and snow, it can do a lot of damage.  We still have leaves on some of the oaks and maples here that are slow shedders.  They can hold lots and lots of heavy snow, causing huge limbs to break, downing power lines and crashing into roofs.  Not to mention the sadness of losing the trees themselves, many of them gracious shade-givers or landmarks.  And a lot of residents haven't yet raked up the last of the leaves; the city has not yet come by and vacuumed up the piles along the curb.  If we get a thaw and some rain, which it looks like we will, those leaves will clog up the sewers and cause some flooding.  
By the way, the Tuesday weather is very misleading.  Right now, it is 14, but because of 29 mph winds out of the WSW, it is actually -4.  My furnace has been running since 7:15 AM, struggling to reach 72.  It is now noon, and it is still trying.

November, you've caused a Big Mess.  I hate you a little bit.  Except for Thanksgiving, so far you've brought me nothing but a bad cold, crappy weather, and a bunch of republicans.  After all I've done for you!  

Rick will be the first to tell you that I am Not One To Suffer.  After thirty years in a public school classroom, I honestly feel like Those Days are over for me.  I no longer have to suffer unwillingly. So, this is the end of my Rally.  I'll still post as often as possible this month, but I'm no longer going to try to stick to The Theme.  I'll write whatever the hell I want to.  

So that's that.  I quit you, November, cold turkey.


8 comments:

  1. Oh, yes, it would be lovely IF WE DID NOT HAVE TO GO OUT IN IT!! I was just as willing as you, Nance, to get all warm and cozy over November, and then it up and starts behaving like January. I've already broken out the big Winter coat, and my polar vortex balaclava and alpaca gloves.

    Research indicates that we are suffering from some meteorological phenomenon called an Omega Block, which funnels arctic air down on us while it just sits there unmoving.

    Let's move to Maui. Rick and realprof are welcome to come, too.

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  2. I feel your pain.

    I won't rub it in that we are currently a clear and balmy 76 degrees.

    Nope, won't rub it in at all how it's so nice and dry and I am wearing capris, sandals, and a T-shirt whilst frolicking outside!

    Seriously, I hate when big beautiful trees get damaged for any reason. I hope all in your neighborhood remain relatively unscathed!

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  3. I'm over November too! It doesn't play fair :(

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  4. I'm sorry for your pain. I've lived in snow, and I understand how much nicer it is when you're not trying to drive, not sick,and not freezing.

    We're supposed to get some rain this week. I hope that means, somehow, that you'll get a reprieve.

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  5. j@jj.com--Thank you. I'm glad you are getting rain, which I know California needs any time of the year.

    I feel like a Perfect Ass now, however, after seeing poor Buffalo, NY, who got over 50 inches of snow. They cannot even get out of their houses, some of them. It's abusive! They must be in a state of panic and complete Dismay. I don't know what I would do.

    My New Mantra: At least I don't live in Buffalo.

    Bug--You have already conquered November with your daily walks in all sorts of weather. Keep giving it the business!

    Gina--There is never any reason to wear capris. But that fashion choice is between you and your conscience. ;-)

    Certainly you may gloat over your California weather, your abundance of avocados, and your ... whatever. (You always have me at "avocados.") But I feel like you could do it with less malice and better timing. I am sick. Sniff sniff, sob.

    So far, our TREES are FINE.

    fauxprof--Right!? Today, Wednesday, the forecast is calling for 35. I call Bullshit because right now it is 15--at 9:30. That is a long way to go.

    November can go screw itself. It is, as my son Jared would say, a shit show and a dumpster fire.

    And the names that the Weather People give to these occurrences are awful. "Omega Block"? Why not "Big Awful Destructive Thing"? They could use the shortened form BAD Thing. Much better.

    No need even for Hawaii. We can go to Alaska; even they are warmer than we are right now, and we wouldn't have to contend with a bunch of sand.

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  6. Yeah. Here, too. I hope your bug is now bugging off and leaving you free to contemplate December.
    Although this is not as aggravating as posts from Hawaii, I did a lot of my Xmas shopping yesterday. Wet icy roads keep a lot of people home and I shot around the stores like a greased pig.
    A much poorer one.
    Yeah, at least we are not in South Buffalo.

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  7. Mary G--Oh, I WISH my bug would bugger off. I have no voice at all, and last night a cough kept me awake. I find the common cold to be ridiculous. Why must we put up with it? Why is it still A Thing? Is anyone working on a vaccine? Anyone?

    I don't mind the fact that people are plugging away at their Xmas shopping. I have squirrelled away a few things myself that I happened upon while out running errands. What I do mind is when people say to me in August or September, "Oh my. I just finished up wrapping the last of my Xmas presents, thank goodness! So glad to have that out of the way!" Where is the Joy in that? Not to mention that it is insane.

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  8. I know, that was kind of mean. I need to curb my instinct to always go for the jugular with these things. I can't help it, I guess, I'm just a smug Californian with no sense of decency.

    You know as for the capris, I have always loved them, and we have such strange weather here sometimes that especially now that I am of a certain age, I don't feel comfortable wearing shorts (thanks for the genetic tendency towards spider veins, Mom) but yet full length pants are just too hot.

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