Don't Make Me Call You Dirk.

Since the dawn of time, people have been arguing on MyFace about when it is acceptable to think about Christmas. Some say we must first recognize and celebrate Thanksgiving. To those people, I say, really???? We need to take the month of November to be thankful, and think about food, and football?? Is that the rule? Here all this time I thought we could also incorporate thankfulness into Christmas, what with the whole Birth of Christ celebration and family time. And in what way does Christmas music distract us from the feeling of gratitude and 12th man-ness that November brings? How is this a conflict? And why must you harsh on my mellow when I say I'm feeling good from hearing me some Christmas tunes? I did not make you listen to them. Why you got to be a Christmas hater?

I had a friend who posted as her status how she was enjoying some Christmas music-listening. To which she got comments like, "yay!" and "me too!" And then some putz had to say "vomit." Um, excuse me, determined-to-be-perpetually-single-and-alone-in-your-obnoxiousness. Have we forgotten our manners? If someone puts that they are excited to go see their favorite band play, do you put "vomit?" Well, maybe you do, because you're rude, but that's called bad manners. Why do you have to be all negative when someone shares something that makes them happy. I'm not forcing you to turn to the Christmas station. I'm willing to bet said station is not your regular station (at least in the Seattle area). I'm never going to let you in my car because you are rude and clearly need more time walking to think about how you have behaved. So why must you be Dirk Downer?

Up next on the Things People Spend Pointless Time Debating on MyFace: Snow--do we want it to come or not? Um... People... it's gonna come or not come regardless of how rude you are to your Friends. Just saying.

Top Ten Reasons Hot is Good

Although I still maintain that there have been entirely too many MyFace posts lately regarding the weather, I do declare that a record breaking day of 102 or 103 gives me license to talk about it. But I refuse to whine. Also apparently I am a southern belle. I have decided that, generally, we miss out when we focus on how much weather sucks. If you live in Portland, I give you full license to whine. They got up to at least 108, I hear. That is way too high. And if you live in a place where that kind of temperature is something you don't blink at, yes, I am calling you crazy. I don't care if it's a "dry heat." You are crazy to live in that kind of weather ON PURPOSE. With that said, I am, for the most part, enjoying our freakish weather. Here's why:

1. You have the perfect excuse to eat lots and lots of popsicles.
2. That great feeling you get when you drink a glass of cool weather and all the cells in your body seem to thank you in unison.
3. You lose your appetite and desire to cook things, and as a result your calorie intake falls.
4. Two words: Frozen. Grapes.
5. Sandals are fun to wear.
6. Air conditioning feels really good when it's this hot.
7. Swimming pools. Not that I've been in one. But I hear they are nice.
8. Mosquitoes don't like the heat, so less bites when I visit my favorite day camp in the world.

Freakin' Awesome!

This article is linked to on the cnn website with the headline "Seattle Bakes in Freak Heat Wave." Wooh! We're officially freaks! Freaks who generally don't have air conditioning in their house. But I'll leave the whining for the MyFace status.

Spring Has Sprung!

So I keep hearing people say "where is Spring?" I have experienced over 25 springs in the Pacific Northwest. I have not been surprised by the amount of rain this year, and I'm a little perplexed by the fact that other people--people who have lived in this lovely state for quite a few years--seem surprised by the weather we've been having. Take today. It rained. A lot. The streets are all shiny, and it smells like rain, instead of wet pavement. Apparently some would not classify this as Spring weather. But I looked up the definition of Spring. Season followed by winter: check. Budding trees: check. Growing plants: check. Onset of warmer weather: check.

Fifty-eight degrees may not be HIGH, but I think we can all agree that it is warmer than the temperature needed to produce the numerous snow storms we experienced this winter.

Is it hot weather? No. Consistently sunny? No. But this is not Summer. And if it were consistently hot and sunny right now, two things would be happening that would make me crabby. One: people would complain about how hot it is. Two: Things would bloom early, the snow would melt too fast, the rivers would swell even more, we would have floods in the flood plains, and then this summer we would have a drought. Okay, that's kind of more than two things. But my point is this. People, stop complaining about the weather. No matter what the weather is people find a down side. I personally enjoy the moisture. It's what makes this particular corner of the state lush and green all summer long instead of yellow and gross. Our environment is also what makes it so that we aren't breathing in poisonous yuckiness, otherwise known as smog.

P.S. I'm playing around with publishing more pictures, since SOME PEOPLE seem to think I'm a youtube-aholic, and I am trying to tip that scale. Also my super secret spies tell me you don't click on my youtube videos. Whatever. Your loss. Doesn't mean I'm not going to still post them. Because if I can enrich just one life, my mission is complete. Also, does this green font make my blog look fat?

Snow Is Great. In Other Words: Stop Your Whining!

I've noticed that lately on MyFace, the little status bar should really just say "What weather would you like to whine about right now?" Before it was snowing in Seattle, and we apparently needed to complain about that. Even those who were excited the first few days were whining after not very long. Except me and K, that is. We wouldn't object to even more of it. Now we've moved on to complaining about the rain. Little hint: if the rain has come as a surprise to you, you probably shouldn't live here. It won't stop. And it smells great and makes things green. So stop whining. (And no, the people whining are not effected by the flooding).

While we were having the Big Snow of '08, I had the opportunity to sit in my comfy beanbag while I was snowed in and ponder the greatness of the Big Snow. There are many benefits to having lots and lots of snow, especially in the area I live.

1. They cancel school, and sometimes work, when it snows. Those of you in places that regularly receive real snow may laugh and mock, but we since we rarely get much snow, we don't have the kind of equipment to keep all the streets plowed and de-iced, and we have lots of hills. We get lots of black ice, and then there is much sliding. I will admit we have our share of stupid people that don't get how to drive on ice and snow. But it is very easy to get stuck on hills, and slide back down them, and so we close our schools. And I have many fond memories of snow days. So you can laugh and mock, because I know you are just jealous you didn't get as many snow days as I did as a kid.

2. Things slow down. During the days where it snowed heavily, there really wasn't a point trying to go anywhere. The roads were covered in snow, the hills were too slidey, and there were stupid people on them. Not worth the stress. So we stayed home. Instead of worrying about my huge to-do list, and going to work, and Christmas shopping, I suddenly had all of this time to fill. It made me ponder what the olden days must have felt like. I felt like I was this close to being able to go hang out with Fonz and the gang. They never had cell phones or jobs, and they were fine (Ok, some of them had jobs, but I think that was just for fun, since they didn't have them consistently).

3. "Town" gets quiet. When we did manage to get out of our apartment complex, the streets and parking lots were all packed with snow and ice, and so many people were staying home. As a result, we enjoyed some very peaceful shopping mere days before Christmas. There was, for instance, no one to witness my "I'm bored" dance while I waited in Lowes for like an hour on the shelving hour while K picked out some shelves for our apartment and calculated things and rang the little bell and got the boys to cut them. Not that I'm complaining. Our house has all kinds of pretty shelves now and I didn't have to think constructiony thoughts. (Shh... don't tell Dad).

4. Little kids bond with their parents. I saw so any whole families out playing together in the snow. I don't usually see so many parents out with their kids, especially on a week day.

5. Snow is pretty, especially from inside the window, near the fire, with my hot cocoa. The snow is clear permission to drink hot cocoa every day. And to wear sweats and comfy socks. And to watch K craft while I am lazy.

I'm No Snow Hater

Jumping Bean sitting on top of at least 19 inches of snow in the back yard.

When we had the Big Snow of '08 (which, by the way, actually ended up being a foot or two, which takes the fun out of calling it the Big Snow), there were a lot of people who started out excited, and then after a day or two, they were whiney. They wanted it to go away. To which I say, you big wusses!

Here in S******, where I am visiting Alice and the Mad Hatter (previously known as the W's) and family, they have received over two feet of snow in the last month. Alice measured today, and she informed me to today that they only have about 19 inches. This is low compared to what it has been. Rough life for them.

Tricycles make good snow measurement tools.

In celebration of the deep, deep snow Jumping Bean and I decided to have a snow war.

Jumping Bean winds up with a snowball.

Jumping Bean lies defeated in the snow, due to my amazing snow fighting

skills (or because I told him to so I could take a picture. I'm not saying which one.

Kermit's New 'Do

With extreme Seattle weather, Kermit* was feeling a little extreme himself.

Note the way Kermit's faux hawk elongates his head,
creating the appearance that he is slimmer and taller.

*Kermit resides on my car antenna. KJ brought him to me from disneyland- I think I've had him over a year now.

The Big Snow '08: Adventures in a Marshmallow World.

There have been rumors in this area that we might actually have a blizzard. I think, if rumors serve me correctly, it will not actually touch my specific area, but more up in the foothills. But since I haven't actually been watching the local news or reading about it, I'm just going on what I hear. So apparently there really MIGHT be a big snow. But I like to think that the snow we have already is large in spirit.

Today K, MommaK (K's mom), and I went on a little jaunt up north to my favorite shopping area, and I can now say that I have been shopping up there, although there was not much actual shopping done. There was much sitting, however. Also, MommaK did a little ice skating performance in the parking lot of one shop we actually made it into. We sat in our car in the very slow traffic and waited for someone to move, and probably spent at least half an hour traveling the four blocks to the freeway entrance. The slow traffic was partially attributable to the popularity of this area for Christmas shopping. It was also partially attributable to some stupid people and some cautious people trying not to crash into each other on the thick layer of compacted snow and black ice on the roads. Because snow in this area basically changes roads and freeways into a huge bumper car arena. As we waited our turn to get through a light, we heard sirens.

There was a police car driving in the opposite direction as us, and instead of ten billion cars going our direction towards the freeway entrance, he only had to get around 10 cars, not going towards the freeway, which apparently contained stupid people. He was having a hard time getting around the cars, and all of the sudden we hear the officer in the police car on the loudspeaker. K unrolled her window to see who was getting yelled at, and we heard the patient officer say "Move to the right. TO THE RIGHT." and then, singsong "To the right, right, right." I kind of expected him to jump out of his car and break into dance. The car moved over, and he was able to pass. He's my favorite cop now.

The Big Snow of '08

Finally, the snow has arrived! Today we have what I shall forever call The Big Snow of 08. Two or three inches, at least. Last night it started snowing sometime around midnight, and K and I were very excited! We sat in the dark at the window and watched the snowflakes come down, with our Christmas music playing in the background. It was very festive. Then we saw this man walking up the hill at the entrance in front of our aparment.

And then we saw him come back down.At first, he didn't make it very far, because the snow was still pretty thin on the hill. We could see him kicking his little feet to try to get further. But after a while he really did well. He almost gave up half way through, but K felt that she needed to cheer him on, and so she opened our window, and, I'm sure to the delight of our neighbors, yelled as quietly as possible "don't give up!" And so he turned around and kept going for a while. He and K had a little exchange, and we learned that he was "getting it ready for his kid." (To which K said "no you're not!"

The next day we did see a family out with the same tube, but not dad.

It's so fun, because our apartment is situated right by the entrance of the complex, and there is a big hill at the entryway. The staff will cone it off when it gets too icey so that people won't try to drive on it (black ice is bad), and the kids will all bring their sleds or plastic bags or what have you, and sled down the hill. It's fun to watch.

I just wanted to make sure that you are aware that I could be walking in a winter wonderland right now. Not that I am. But I totally could be.

The good news is I have lots of cocoa mix. I had some last night while K and I sat in the dark, listening to Christmas music and cheering on sledding man.

Talk About a Gloomy Forecast

The CNN breaking news alert copy writer apparently did not get enough sugar on his cheerios this morning. Or maybe it's the guy who writes copy for the weather service. The alert I got today says, "People sheltering at ground level at Galveston Bay when Hurricane Ike hits face 'certain death.'"

Be nice, Ike!