I was awoken this morning by extremely loud thunder, which must have originated nearby, since the flashes of lightning were nearly simultaneous. The rain had not ceased by the time I had to leave for school, so I donned my backpack as usual, and over it a poncho I bought at Disney World, and started pedalling toward campus. The poncho leaves most of my legs uncovered, so from about three inches above my knees my pants were saturated, down to my shoes, and into my socks. My bicycle has no fenders, so I also sported an elegant dirt stripe on the back of my pants and the bottom of my backpack. But, on the plus side, I barely broke a sweat over the three-and-a-half mile ride.
I did add a class about ancient Egypt to my schedule, and it is the first class I have ever taken in McCarty Hall. It’s in an auditorium, and, in spite of the rain, it seemed nearly full. I dropped the course about America in the 1970s. I had reservations about the instructor, and it would require a goodly amount of writing, whereas the Egyptology class requires none.
On my bike ride home, after it had stopped raining, I encountered a small boy also on a bicycle. He said, “What’s up, dude? Want to race?” He couldn’t have been more than eight years old.
Filed under: General, Meteorology, School on June 30th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Summer is officially here, and with it brutally hot temperatures. The last week has seen near-record heat. I almost passed out on my bike ride to work yesterday. I enjoy getting the exercise, but arriving at work dripping with sweat is unpleasant. Today was over 96 degrees, and tomorrow will probably be about the same. A year ago today I was at Wrigley Field, enjoying temperatures in the 70s.
Filed under: Meteorology on June 21st, 2009 | No Comments »
A couple weeks ago, after the plumbing nightmare, and the air conditioner failure, I silently wondered what the next house horror would be. I incorrectly guessed something related to the wiring. Last night, in the middle of the night, my hateful house answered my question.
At first, I thought the puddle of water on the bathroom floor was the result of my having not closed the shower curtain. But I felt around the tub and it was dry. When a drop of water hit my head, my heart sank. A leaking roof was the last thing I expected, and the last thing I want. The ceiling was saturated, the plaster breaking off in chunks. So, before the sun rose this morning, I was up on the roof, in the high wind and driving rain, laying tarps over the roof. Lord, was I dismayed!
But my preliminary survey of the attic was encouraging: there are no visible signs of water intrusion over a wide area of the sheathing. Rather, I suspect that the leak is occurring where the vent stack comes in contact with the asphalt shingles. I will know for sure soon. Meanwhile, I’d just like it to stop raining.
Stay tuned.
Filed under: House, Meteorology on May 20th, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Weatherwise in Florida, April is generally the least cruel month. This year, however, something strange is happening. We have had a lot of rain, and, oddly, thunderstorms. I’ve seen lightening, which I usually associate with summer, but the most recent line of storms–which soaked me Monday morning while I was riding my bike to work–ushered in a cold front. It was 85 degrees on Sunday afternoon; tonight’s low will be 32 degrees. Meanwhile, the pastures along Interstate 10 are flooded, and the rivers, too, look as though they could cover the highway any day now.
Filed under: Meteorology on April 7th, 2009 | No Comments »
It’s nearing seven o’clock in the evening, and the sky is still bright and blue, and the tops of the oak trees that line my street are glowing gold. Daylight saving time began today, and it makes me happy. Since Florida has only two seasons anyway, I see the beginning of daylight saving time as the first day of summer. It was in the 80s this afternoon, and it felt wonderful. Yesterday felt the same, and I rode my motorized bicycle to work and back. After some modifications to the carburetor and chain, the bike is running well. It will go much faster than I am willing to go, but it has also shaved ten minutes off my commute. Miriam doesn’t like it at all, but I am very careful.
Filed under: Meteorology, Transportation on March 8th, 2009 | No Comments »