I never thought I would say that, but this weekend, it’s true. It has just been a cruddy weekend around here. It could have been worse, but it also could have been much better.
Why? Because Hubby somehow talked me into saying that his nephew, who happens to be one of my least favorite kids, could spend the weekend with us. Now, compared to how he usually is, he was very good. But that’s not saying much. If I had to be around that kid for any longer than a weekend, I would positively be pulling my hair out.
Besides that, it’s been miserably hot. I know, I’ve been dying for some warmer weather, but it could have come a little more gradually than it did. The past few days have been terribly hot and humid. There has been some rain every day, and the showers cooled things off for a while. But then the sun would come back out, and it would get even hotter than it was before. It’s times like these when I wish we had an air conditioner.
Add to all of that the fact that I wasn’t feeling well, and it makes for a rather foul mood. If only I could have spent the weekend productively, doing something like creating a website or picking out new home lighting or even just having some fun. Oh well. Maybe next weekend will be better.
Today has probably been the hottest day we’ve had all year. I’m not usually one to complain about hot weather, because I am not a fan of cold weather at all. But just this once, I think I might make an exception.
It didn’t help that today was the day of Pumpkin’s Girl Scouts awards ceremony. As usual, I waited until the last minute to get things done, including ironing the patches on her sash. I spent about an hour doing that this afternoon, and it wasn’t pleasant. We don’t have an air conditioner, and I couldn’t turn the fan toward where I was working because it kept blowing stuff around. So it felt like a sauna in the kitchen. If I had to do that every day, I wouldn’t need Apidexin to lose weight!
Then I realized that I didn’t have any shorts or capris to wear to the ceremony. The coolest thing I could find to wear was a black sleeveless dress. Black isn’t exactly known for keeping one cool, but it was very lightweight. So I got it out to wear, and I took my shower shortly before leaving. I didn’t dry my hair, because I wanted it to remain damp so it would help keep me cool. I knew it would be dry enough to be presentable by the time we got there, because Hubby always insists on leaving the windows down instead of running the AC in the truck.
Luckily it was pretty cool in the auditorium where they had it. But it was still hot out when we left. As soon as I got home, I put on a pair of pajama shorts and a t-shirt, turned the fan on, and opened a couple more windows. According to the thermostat, it was over 80 degrees in here.
I hope the warm weather continues. Really, I do. I guess today was just a bit of a shock, considering how cool it’s been so far this year.
I consider myself fortunate to live in the mountains. The scenery is gorgeous, and it’s nice and peaceful. But as with anything, it does have certain disadvantages.
One of those disadvantages is how crazy the weather can be. Especially this time of year. Like yesterday, it was warm and sunny. Today it’s a little cooler, but still pretty. But tomorrow it’s supposed to turn much cooler, and for the next couple of nights it will be cold enough to frost. I like having all four seasons and all, but these wild swings in temperature are hard to get used to, not to mention rather rough on my sinuses.
But right now what’s really driving me nuts is the wind. We get some high winds around here off and on all year long. I’m talking gusts that are the equivalent of a minor hurricane. It’s not at all unusual to see stuff blowing around everywhere, even heavy stuff like metal buildings. I remember one time when we were driving down the road and saw that the wind had picked one of those up and put it in a field a good 50 to 75 yards away. And it had apparently rolled around quite a bit in the process, because it was all twisted up.
I know, I really shouldn’t complain. At least we don’t get actual hurricanes around here. The rain sometimes makes it this far inland from the coast, but we rarely get any serious winds from them. Still, the residents of the area are no strangers to the damage that the wind can do.
We’ve had some of the coldest weather here in the mountains that I’ve ever experienced over the past several weeks. From what I hear, that’s the story pretty much all over the country. But that doesn’t make me feel any better about it.
If we weren’t so broke from fixing the plumbing, I would probably be seriously looking into Cancun vacation packages right about now. But we are, so I’m not. At least it’s gotten a little bit warmer for the past couple of days, and if the weatherman is right, it should stay that way for the rest of the month.
I’m not a particularly outdoorsy person or anything. I just despise cold weather. It presents problems that wouldn’t otherwise be a concern (like frozen pipes), and it makes fixing those problems more difficult or even impossible. If Hubby weren’t so deeply rooted in the mountains, I probably would have tried to talk him into moving somewhere warmer a long time ago. But that’s not happening, so I guess I’ve just got to deal with it. At least it won’t be quite so chilly for a while.
I was listening to the weather on the radio this morning, and if what they said was true, we’re going to have one snowy weekend. They’re calling for 3 to 6 inches tomorrow, and by the time it’s all said and done, possibly 10 inches or more. Nooooo!!!!
I hate the thought of snow at all, but if we have to have it, I wish I could push it back a few days so it would be on Christmas. I don’t really care if we have any snow on Christmas myself, but Hubby’s dying to have some then. And I’m sure Pumpkin wouldn’t mind it either. Of course, if I had my way, it would just miss us altogether. They’re giving a 100% chance, but I’ve seen snowstorms miss us with those kind of odds before. I can hope, anyway.
I saw a huge flock of crows the other day, and realized that they were probably making a pit stop on their way to fly south for the winter. I sort of wished I could sprout wings and go with them. I don’t like winter as it is, and the weather here is shaping up to be particularly unpleasant this year. It has already been quite cold, and we’ve narrowly missed quite a bit of snow and ice so far.
I doubt I’ll be growing wings any time soon. And I’m certainly not one of these well-to-do folks who can just pick up and reserve one of the best hotels New Orleans or Orlando or Atlanta has to offer for a week or two. So it looks like I’m stuck toughing it out.
The idea of getting away for a while sure sounds good. Things are getting a little better on the home front, but it would still be nice to have a change of scenery. Guess I’ll have to settle for the occasional trip down the mountain for now, and hope and pray that a vacation is in the cards for next year.
Labor Day is coming up, marking the end of summer. The first official day of fall is the 22nd. But here in the mountains, we’re already getting hints of the colder weather to come.
It has been about 10 degrees cooler than what we’ve grown accustomed to all week. The mornings have been downright chilly. And I’m dreading the coming winter with every fiber of my being.
I had hoped to have a secondary heat source by this winter, but that’s not happening. So when it starts getting cold at night, I’ll have to start staying up late again, keeping a fire going. I’m a bit of a night owl, so that’s not really a problem, but lately I’ve gotten accustomed to going to bed a little earlier than I had been. Guess I’ll have to get unaccustomed, huh?
Besides the fact that it’s so much cheaper than any other kind of heat (especially for us since we get our wood for free), I’m not a fan of wood heat. But it does the job, for sure. The only complaint there is trying to keep it circulated. I’d like to put a ceiling fan in the living room to pull the heat down from the ceiling, but as low as our ceilings are, that would be a recipe for disaster. So I guess we’ll just have to stick with the floor fan. It does a good enough job to keep most of the house comfortable (and often hot).
At least winter hasn’t set in yet, and probably won’t for a couple more months. We should still have plenty of time to enjoy some warm weather.
Spring in the mountains is a crazy time. The weather fluctuates wildly from sun to rain to snow and back again. This week is looking like it might be a case in point.
Today was beautiful. Abundant sunshine and a variable breeze were the themes for the day. Hubbs, Pumpkin and I got out and enjoyed it, and two out of three of us got a little sunburned. Mine is a little ouchy, but I’m not complaining in the least.
But according to the weather forecast, we won’t have another day like this for a while. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy and windy, like most of last week, but with a little twist: in the afternoon, there’s going to be a drop in temperature and a chance of snow. Yuck! 
But wait, there’s more! They’re also calling for snow on Tuesday, and by the time it’s all said and done, the possibility of 4 to 8 inches for parts of the area. My neck of the woods is only supposed to get a dusting, but dang!
This time of year is always a bit of a roller coaster for me. I get a glimmer of hope when we get a nice, sunny, warm day, and then winter comes back for a while. I know that I shouldn’t let the weather dictate my moods, and I try hard not to. But I’m not a fan of cold weather, so when it starts to go away, I get all excited. Maybe one of these days I’ll learn to be more patient with Mother Nature.
We got a little skiff of snow last night. It wasn’t enough to even cover the ground, not by a longshot. Yet they still called off school today. I’m beginning to think that they get paid extra for dragging the school year out into the summer.
The forecast is calling for a substantial amount of snow in the area. I’m happily on the least snow-prone side of the county, and we’re only supposed to get a couple of inches. But on the other side of the county, they are calling for up to 10 inches.
Will we get it? Who knows. Most of the time when they cry “Big Bad Snow,” we get next to nothing. I’m hoping this time won’t be any different, because even though I stay close to home most of the time anymore, I like being able to get out if I need to. That, and when school is out, I have a hard time getting my work done. I can’t expect poor little Pumpkin to entertain herself all day, after all.
Anybody want to place bets on how much snow we get? I say 4 inches on the snowy side of the county. I’m willing to put up my entire jewelry box, contents included. Nothing really worth anything in there, but it’s the best I can do right now. Unless anybody’s interested in an air hockey table…
I hate cold weather. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I guess it’s a good thing I never followed through with the hairbrained idea of moving up north when I was single. If I can’t stand the winters here, I can’t imagine how I would deal with them up there.
Right now, as I’m typing, it’s 12 degrees. It wasn’t much warmer than that during the day today. I went out to feed the dogs for Hubby around 5:30 or so, and I didn’t think I would be out there very long, so I didn’t bother putting on any gloves. But the puppy had her chain tangled up, so I had to fight with her to get it unhooked, unwrap it, and then fight with her again to get it hooked back on her collar. I also had to take my time walking up and down the hill since there’s still snow and ice out there. By the time I got back in, I couldn’t feel my hands.
Tomorrow is not supposed to be any better, but it’s supposed to get into the 30s and 40s later this week. Better break out the shorts and suntan lotion, cuz that will feel like a heat wave compared to this!
