Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Sunny surprise




Here in Northern California, the sun has not made an appearance since the new year.  And, while a dozen days of overcast skies can be a bit tiresome, there is something far harder to endure: listening to Northern Californians complain about the weather.

It's true.  Whether on the local news, on blogs or in Facebook updates, my fellow Sacramentans are talking about a lack of blue skies as though it were some kind of hellish torture.  Most complaints are of the quiet, "enough already" variety, but a good handful are genuinely peeved at the injustice of it all.  "I've just about had it with this s--t," read one.

Keep in mind this is a place where the sun shines 300-something days a year.  By any standard, the weather is outrageously generous. To me, getting to live in a climate like this requires that you keep quiet when the weather makes rare forays into less-than-ideal territory.  It's an implied contract.  Besides, complaining about January fog when people in Chicago are listening is like kvetching about your scuffed shoes to a man with no feet.

A few days ago, my daughter asked me about the coldest day I could remember.  I answered without hesitation.  January 20, 1985 -- it was 27 below zero in Chicago and 83 below when you factored in the wind chill.  Eighty-three degrees below zero!  (I pause here to point out that on this coldest day in the history of Chicago, my friend Kevin and I drove to an indoor tennis match between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe.  Kevin's Dodge Dart started on the first try -- maybe they should bring that model back to save Detroit.)

Today's weather forecast called for rain, the beginning of a week of wet days.  But when the morning was a balmy, drizzly 55 degrees,  I decided to bike to work.  I'm happy to say I was rewarded richly for this decision.  Not only did the rain fail to gather any momentum, the sun struggled out while I was riding alongside the river. 

You can call it another error of weather forecasting if you like.  I prefer to think that the sun chose to thank me for not nagging it during its brief time away.

4 comments:

  1. Ha, I think I'm the footless man in this scenario. Yeah, Californians, hold on while I get out my violin ;)

    Funny that you mention January 20, 1985 as the coldest day you remember. That is Chicago's official Winter Bike to Work Day for that very reason.

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  2. @ Dottie,

    I love that Chicago has its bike to work day in January! That takes civic nerve, humor and flair! And, I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers... for a while there, I used to think I'd imagined the severity of that winter's temperatures.

    It's a treat to see you on here, as I am a huge fan of LGRAB. Thank you!

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  3. Ha! When you grow up here you don't expect for the sun to vanish for more than a week or so at a time. Fortunately we natives are also inured to out-of-staters griping about our griping.

    Anyway, Mr. Sun was good enough to recall his obligation today. The restless natives should be quiet for awhile.

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  4. This one made me laugh, Matt. Well said.

    Yesterday's appearance was welcome... today's was glorious. I rode to a meeting downtown today in my shirtsleeves. Lucky, lucky us.

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