Noticing the year: 11/19/08

[urbpan]

The weather here in Boston has reached a new stage this week, for the first time in months. This stage is called TOO COLD. The evergreen plants look like they are reconsidering their risky evolutionary gamble, vincas and English ivy and rhodies all cringing in the morning light. "We're alright!" they claim unconvincingly. I see you shivering! The cedars do look a bit like they're gloating, however.

Fortunately, there is no precipitation associated with the weather yet, since the air mass that brought the cold is nosebleed-inducingly dry. I'm going to need a refill on my asthma inhaler toute (de) suite; and likewise the notion I floated a week or two ago, of ditching my car and its many expenses and returning to the road as a cycle commuter, seems ludicrous if not downright suicidal. I'd make it a tenth of a mile from my house before collapsing in a heap of chilly wheezing--right now just from walking to get Alexis' car from the lot I sound like an accordion with torn bellows.

I needed this to remind me why it is we are looking to move. Now I can put a date on it: third week of November--can't breathe outside; steering wheel feels like cold iron bar; all clothes inadequate must buy new ones and wear all of them at the same time. And this is actually behind schedule by a few weeks.

Comments

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

i never want to go outside again. can i build a tube between the house and work?

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Wimp!
I haven't even pulled my winter coat out of the closet yet. I'm still wearing a Red Sox jacket I got in April last year.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

If you say so.

I did ride a bike to work for about 15 of the past 20 years, and worked outdoors for 7 years, so I feel like I've done my time. I'm happy to be able to count the remaining New England winter months on my hands (and maybe feet if we have a bad one). Then you and your Red Sox are welcome to it. (Come to think about it, those soft ass baseball players practice in Arizona...)

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Okay, the weather guy on TV said it was about 20 degrees below the average today, so it was a little cold this morning. (I still didn't change jackets, but I did put on my gloves to scrape the car windows.) :)

I'm always amused at how people think Baseball players are somehow "soft". Being a professional athlete is not an easy job, oh sure they are way overpaid, I'll be the first to admit that, but they do work hard to stay physically fit. And Baseball players play something like 130 games over about 6 months
Oh, and The Red Sox have spring training in Florida not Arizona.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Hey if someone wanted to pay me a hundred thousand dollars to play my favorite game 130 times for half the year (in florida, arizona, wherever) I'd sign up. I'm just not good enough at rock band to get 30,000 people to watch.

[moonlightlilies.livejournal.com]

It's really cold here too in New York.

[rudbekia.livejournal.com]

I'm with donnad - it's seasonably chilly, but not actually cold yet!

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

15 degrees with the wind chill this morning! How cold does it have to get to be cold?

[rudbekia.livejournal.com]

Not long after I made that comment I walk past Jamaica Pond over to Brookline and found myself eating my words. I was dressed appropriately for 30degrees F - wool sweater under a windbreaker, wool scarf, hat, & mittens - but was not counting on the wind. Was really wishing I'd had some light longjohns on!

[stephanietberry.livejournal.com]

I LOVE the image of cedars gloating. I can totally see that. Very cold here, too, in the southern apps! It got down in the teens last night. Can't remember a November chill like this one...Hot cocoa is the way to go.

[anais2.livejournal.com]

Hey, put on your freezer suit! Do you ever wear it?

We are down to 22 degrees at night, which is fine by me. Daytimes are still in the 40s and 50s.
I still remember when we moved here from San Francisco; I asked Robert "Are you ready for winter? Cause they have winter here, y'know?" And he answered me "Whattaya mean? I've seen rain before!"
Mwahahahahhaaa...

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I tried it on once, but I can't imagine actually trying to do anything in it!

[ssorca19.livejournal.com]

we had snow yesterday, a good couple inches in places... just about all gone now, luckily. And there was enough ice to make one of the hills downtown impassible to all but some 4 wheel drives. Yay for living in the mountains? urg. Its currently 31 degrees outside at about 10:30 am. And we currently have no real heat in our house. So far its been a fun winter.

[urimancy.livejournal.com]

In Austin it's been in the high 60s to low 80s and sunny during the day for the past few weeks. Down in the 40s at night. It hasn't rained in far too long, though. Very dry year.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

I bike-commute with a fleece neck gaiter. It is loose enough to not get all sweaty and gross, but it warms the air that I breathe quite nicely. I agree that today isn't necessarily the day to START bike-commuting, but just wanted you to know that the gaiter is a pretty good workaround to wheeze-worthy air!
In Arlington it was our first really hard frost - there was lots of wither-and-die going on.

[buboniclou.livejournal.com]

Cheer up! I saw this and immediately thought of you:

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

oh wow, that took a LOT of work.

[okaree.livejournal.com]

We feel the same way -- only problem is, winter sucks everywhere in Canada (except Vancouver, where it rains for 5 months).