Living here in H-town, the fourth largest city in the country, you would think that local news would have something more newsworthy to discuss than the weather.
Not really.
Every time there's a big rain, we are treated to news reporters standing in really big puddles talking about street and bayou flooding.
Yeah, that does kind of happen when your whole city is only a few feet above sea level. Duh.
Last night, it was wall-to-wall "end is near" reporting about the big ice storm that was coming. The coverage included bullet points about how to drive on the stuff (uh, slow down, no sudden moves, er, stay home?) like that's going to help. We were treated to file footage and eyewitness interviews of persons who "braved" the last "winter" storm in the city several years ago. This morning we've got . . . . Nuthin'
Dry pavement and cold temps--along with a warning that the weather boogie man may get us tonight instead.
Oooooooh. Scary.
For someone who grew up in Columbus, Ohio and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin it's all a bit embarassing--especially when I have friends en-Bare-Assing themselves in real snow drifts and swimming in frozen lakes.
Nevertheless, Superpounce was counting on the intervention of the weather gods. She's been to school a grand total of two days this year between the marathon trip and being sick last week. She knows from math class how percentages work, so when the weather forecaster predicted an 80% chance of Armagedon she went to sleep last night pumping her fist and rejoicing because it was a lead pipe cinch that school would be cancelled.
Bad bet, Superpounce. The house always wins in the end.
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So I'm curious. How's the weather been down there in general? I'm coming down for hell week in March and it was a real pleasure to experience your drought conditions last year. Prolly not so much for you guys, but it made for great riding weather! Just curious if we might get so lucky again this year?
My dad grew up in Ft Knox and would tell stories about how a light dusting of snow would shut the entire city down. I grew up in Mighican where we dug our way through miles of snowdrifts to school, up hill, both ways without shoes! So I'm with you on the drama-queen newsies.
Well, the sheer number of drivers in this town who've never driven in winter conditions should be enough to scare anyone out of their wits. They already don't know how to drive, even when the weather is good. Witness how many cars end up flooded each time we get some rain.
But yeah, anything for a little drama. The local news thrives on hype. The wailing and gnashing of teeth in northern latitudes when the temps go above 85 in summer are just as amusing to us down here.
I had been hoping for the sleet to come. Lots of it. And ice, maybe some snow. I was borderline with a cold before Sunday's marathon, and now I'm thoroughly miserable and could've used the day off. Instead I'm at the office trying not to sneeze and hack on any major projects.
It's not the media hype that irritated me wrt the cold front; it was the raised expectations.
Well, back to work.
Yep...my son did the same exact thing. He was so disappointed the next morning.
ICY BLAST 2007!!!
The weather people love to generate drama here, too. If there is any level of precipitation at all predicted they ALWAYS show someone standing on a street corner shivering saying, "rain predicted for tomorrow - stay tuned and see how this will affect your commute!" because it's all the commute, right?
Poor SuperPounce. What a let down.
Weather is news everywhere. It is the tie that binds everyone together. If you encounter an awkward moment with someone, you bring up the weather.
Poor SuperPounce.
Aww, SuperPounce! I feel for ya, kiddo!
Of course, I grew up in (and continue to live in) Sconnie, so the "cancelled due to snow" chances were WAAAAY down, here.
*sigh*
If it weren't for the weather, perfect strangers would have little to talk to each other about. At least that's how it works around here. At the grocery store, at the bus stop, in line at the theatre ...
If you think the kids are bad, you should see the teachers...
When bad weather hits, my son always asks me "do you think we will have school tomorrow"? But he tells me ahead of time that no matter what my opinion is, I am suppose to say "no.....no school" :-)
I call the TV and radio weathermen the Weather Terrorists. They are onstantly threatening to send weather upon us and if we don't submit to their demands to tune in we'll be doomed for sure. Never mind they are often all hype if not out and out wrong but they get us to stop and watch. They win.
As a native Pennsylvanian now living in Dallas it is, as you put it, em-bare-ass-ing to watch all of the hysteria over a little frozen precip. However, it's good to have the kids home from school every now and then... even if the snow ever came.
Wow. I sort of thought that Minnesotans were the worst. It's pretty much all we talk about. It's going to be -4 F here tonight. Poor SuperPounce. I remember doing that not too long ago.
I understand. In the state of true weather absurity we get Revelations like predictions from time to time, which generally fizzle out. Then of course we get dumped with 10 inches of snow when they were predicting flurries! Weatherman-pretending to know what God Almighty is thinking...that's funny.
How's your wildflower training going mr. I just finihed a marathon :)
that's nothing. benny and i were watching the phoenix news monday night. the reporter was interviewing a woman who was one of about 5,000 people in maricopa county whose gas wasn't working because the system was overloaded. she said, and i quote: we're hoping that we can keep the house around 73, 74 degrees so we don't freeze to death.
um... in utah, we keep our house at 70 degrees during the winter and sometimes that's too hot. now, i understand about the whole phenomenon of people in phoenix not putting insulation in their homes... it makes sense during 115 degree weather... but freezing to death at 73 degrees? ever hear of a blanket?
that's all i have to say about that... for now. of course, i haven't written the race report yet. it may factor in. you never know.
"80% chance of Armagedon"
Priceless, Greyhound. Priceless.
I tried to whip out my Columbus, Ohio Bravado with our ice storm in Austin, but at the end of the day, I was glad to be nestled in my little home in Austin, Texas--out of the weather!! I've become a wuss. It's official.
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