Quick Thoughts: The Weather Perspective

Growing up in Southern California, I was very much used to the "curse" of the eternal summer.

It wasn't unusual to see sunny and 75 degrees for weeks on end. And in those occasional instances when it would rain, it was usually predicted far in advance to a point that it became an event to wait for the precipitation to fall. When that would happen, time just seemed to stand still, a mystic feeling would come over me as the world was being cleansed of the weeks of built up smog and grime on the roads. For just a few moments, I could sit back, watch the rain come down, and hide away for a while.

The rain carried a whole different aura during my time in the Midwest. When it poured, it was unpredictable and in most cases, relentless in its approach. It came in bursts and it disappeared as fast as it appeared. Us Californians consider the rain to be a major event. In my former life in Ohio, it was just another Tuesday. It was, drop by drop, annoyance and inconvenience. For me, it brought out a yearning for sunnier days, both in the weather and in the corners of my own mind.

The 2013 SoCal Holiday Excursion Recap: Part 5

**This is a recap of my vacation back to Southern California from 12/28/13-1/9/14.**

For a typical Southern California interlude, I present a soccer game in early January. Okay, fine...it's more of a photo to just rub in the fact that my home is pretty much an eternal summer with a slight variation of a few degrees. By the time I was sitting on the sidelines watching one of my nieces start her first game of the season, I almost had to take off my hoodie.

Ice scraper, anyone?

Until a few days ago, I didn't realize the value of having easy access to an ice scraper. For the last two days at least, the routine for starting the car would involve allowing it to idle for several minutes while I took the scraper to the front windshield, side windows, and the mirrors. I'd shave off enough ice from the glass to make a kid-sized snowcone and then leave it on the windshield to blow off while I drove to hockey practice or work. It's quite a scene to see this from your car while the DJ on the radio declares that it'll "be nice all week with temps in the 70s."

Welcome to the unpredictability of Ohio weather. Whereas in California it's still in the 80s and 90s (and probably still on fire) I'm seeing frost in the backyard at 8AM and there's probably a 50% chance of rain tomorrow. It is an adjustment to say the least. I am grateful for all those years in the hockey rink because I don't seem to be physically fazed by it at all.

On a bright note, it'll be interesting to see actual seasons. It took 25 years of my life, but I'll actually see snow fall for the first time this winter. The leaves actually change colors here; it's a concept that I was taught in first grade but never understood. In pockets, the weather will be pleasant enough to take out the bikes every few days or so to ride through country roads and enjoy one of the most beautiful times of the year. The air is always clean and it's a nice sight to see a blue sky without a halo of brown stuff over it.

Clean air, a lower cost of living, and a slower change of pace. I'm getting used to it. For the first time in a long time I actually have time to plan activities, play more hockey, and socialize with other people. I get the extra hour and a half of time back that I would've used trying to get back home from work to relax. People are a lot more pleasant out here and actually greet you. Makes me wonder why I didn't leave CA earlier...I guess I just needed a reason and a little persuasion.