snow!

Since every time I come back after a long absence I try to say I'll be back for good, I'm not going to promise anything. The truth is, I haven't felt like sharing a lot of what has been going on this fall with anyone. I have where needed and now I am feeling a lot better. It was just a stressful fall, trying to get into this "real world" thing and succeed. I'm finally working at a part-time job that can actually pay bills so things are looking up.

The reason I chose today to start blogging again was that in the past few days, things have happened or I've observed things that I really wanted to share with everyone but feel kind of silly just blurting out in a conversation. Plus, I can talk to more people at once this way...

Yesterday was a momentous day. It is the day I wait for every year here in Chicago (okay, not my 1st year but that's because I was still ignorant to the beauty of weather.com). It was the day "snow" first appeared on the 10-day forecast. I admit it may have been there another time but since I have weather.com as a homepage and check it at least once daily, I think it was yesterday. I immediately started screaming for Eva to come into the living room and here the good news. She gave me a weird look. If I had been her, I would have reached over, patted my head, and said "I think it's time for you to go to bed..." Instead she let me be happy in my moment of sheer bliss at the 10-day forecast.

The snow had barely made it on the forecast and even so, it was "scattered snow showers." I use the past tense because when I checked this morning, it was back to just rain. The first sign of snow on the forecast has absolutely no bearing on the actual coming of snow in the near future. It is merely a reminder for snow fanatics like me that it snows in Chicago and eventually it will come, much to many people's dismay but to my extreme bliss.

So I wasn't suprised it was already off the list this morning (It had been forecast for next Thursday, Nov.8). However, I was happy to see snow was back this evening! It is now being forecast as Rain/Snow Showers for Friday, Nov. 9. Translated this means it might rain and be really cold at the same time. Some people may get some actual snow but it isn't likely. Temperatures are predicted to be too high...

After a post like this, I'm sure my family is wondering why I didn't go into meterology like I wanted to when I was younger. I think maybe the science of weather may have taken away some of my awe and excitement about the unpredictability of weather. Yes, I get my kicks from looking at predictions but that in now way means I believe them. It is like reading a film review but knowing that whatever the critic says is not something you will agree with since you are of different opinions. Weather.com is like that for me. For over four years I have been using it as my lifeline and guide, which means I have been disappointed numerous times. However, I have also learned to take everything with a grain of salt, since things like rain on at a time when the "current weather" for the area is sunny with no clouds. (Yes, it happens).

Snow makes me happy. I look forward to my new view from my bedroom and living room, watching the snow coat the roofs of all the buildings around us. I can't wait to see how the skyline that you can see out of my window looks when the snow is gently falling. It brings out the poet in me.

So if you want to join the fun of the game of actual weather vs. predicted weather, you can click on the link above to follow along with my 10-day forcast or enter your own zipcode and try. Of course, for my California readers, it will probably be more interesting to follow my zip code since there is not a lot of weather in CA.

So hope this post makes you smile as much as me. I'm looking forward to having somewhere to again try to document my search for "an enlightened state of confusion." I'll have to tell you about my explorations into yoga and the great room rearrangement of Halloween day....