84 Degrees!!

I live in North Texas, which if you don't know, has been in the midst of a horrible heat wave and drought.  We had 40 straight days of 100+ degree temperatures, and I don't even remember the last time it rained.  Everything is brown, and summer in Texas is supposed to be green, not brown. 

And then yesterday, a small threat of rain.  I was happy, until it lasted all of 5 minutes (maybe less).  It cooled off a little, but only enough to ensure that we would not break the record for consecutive days over 100 degrees.  After weeks and weeks of record breaking heat, we missed that record by one day when the temperature topped off at 99 degrees.  It seemed too cruel to be real.  True, it wasn't as hot as it had been in the previous weeks when temperatures were reaching 107, but it was still pretty darn hot.  Add to that the fact that the official temperature is actually taken in the shade, and it just felt like after all that, we just got cheated out of a record we had already earned.


So where does this 84 degrees come into play?  Well, yesterday was just cruel, but today was amazing.  I have no idea what the high for today was, but I know it didn't come close to 100 degrees.  In fact, I went to run a few errands this afternoon, and the bank marque said 84 degrees.  I know these are not the most accurate things around, but it sure felt nice out.  It was overcast pretty much all day with a slight breeze blowing. 

Yes, it was super humid outside and I know these cooler temperatures will soon be gone (the high for tomorrow is expected to reach 102 degrees), but for one day I got to take my puppy for a walk without worrying about either of us having heat stroke.  And if you listened really closely, you could hear the grass singing and the trees breathing a sigh of relief.  Let's hope tomorrow's forecast is off by 20 degrees. 

Winter is Here! Now Please Leave.

Winter hit North Texas on Tuesday, and it refuses to leave.  Like most people, I've been stuck at home ever since.  Texas is not like other places when it snows -- we don't have snowplows, we don't have salt for the roads, and we have no idea how to drive in it.  So what do we do?  We close down the cities and stay home. 

This is a really bad time for this freak snow storm to hit.  We're hosting the Super Bowl this weekend, and while the weather should clear up for game day, all the events leading up to the game have either been canceled or attended by very few people.  I wanted to head out this week and take pictures, maybe meet some fans, but it's just been too cold.  Today, the temperatures have hit the low 20s.  Compared to the rest of the week, that feels downright balmy. 

So while there are parts of the city which are absolutely beautiful when covered in snow, I will not be posting any pictures because I'm too much of a wimp to go outside.  On the up side, I have a warm house and plenty of food in the kitchen, so I'm in great shape until we thaw out.  Until then, I will stay at home, watch some movies, study for the bar, and play with my puppy. 

If you're stuck in this winter storm as well, stay safe and stay warm.

Snow!!

We got our first snow of the season today!  And in case you're wondering, this is an exciting thing.  Why?  Because I live in Texas, and we just don't get snow very often.  In fact, we were in shorts a few days ago. 

Unfortunately, the snow did not stick, but my puppy sure looked cute with snow in her black coat.  :)

Fall

A few days ago, I listed the things I love about fall.  But today I'm remembering the things I don't like about fall.  My main problem with fall in Texas is that it takes about it month for it to fully become fall.  In the meantime, Mother Nature keeps going back and forth between 60-degree days and 90-degree days, with 40-degree mornings thrown in for good measure.  What that means is I spend much of this time getting sick.  Right now I'm enjoying my first cold of the season.  Oh joy.....

Texas Drivers

Over the years, I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel through most the of US.  Through my travels, I've learned a few things -- 99% of all people are very warm and welcoming, locals can always give you better recommendations for lunch or dinner than Chili's or McDonald's (not that there's anything wrong with either of these), and just about everyone thinks Texas has the worst drivers.

I admit that I think speed limits are merely suggestions and rolling stops are my specialty, but I've never thought Texas drivers are that bad.  After the last couple of weeks, I might have to agree that Texas drivers are not necessarily the best around.

Example 1:
I pull up to an intersection and stop.  The cross-traffic does not stop at this particular intersection.  I look to the right and no car was coming.  The cross-street is a one-way street, so there was no need to look in the other direction.  I start to pull out.  Just then, I hear a car horn and turn just in time to see a car coming from my left.  I slam on my breaks, but he's coming pretty fast so he still has to swerve to miss me.  As my heart skips a few beats, I can't help but notice that the driver is flipping me off as he drives by!  I guess he hasn't yet figured out that he's driving the wrong way down a one-way street

Example 2:
I'm stopped at a green light (yes, a green light).  There are 2 stoplights that are not synchronized -- my light is green, but the next light is red, so we can't move.  There's a car in front of me whose driver has been considerate enough to not pull into the intersection, knowing that when our light turns red, if the other light hasn't turned green he will be stuck in the middle of the intersection and will block the cross-street traffic.  Everyone is happy until our light decides to turn yellow.  This is when the considerate driver ahead of me decides to pull into the intersection.  Of course, our light turns red, the light ahead is still red, and the cross-traffic is blocked.  This leads to blaring horns and angry fist waving, to which the guilty driver responds by giving the universal where-do-you-want-me-to-go-I'm-blocked-too wave/shrug.

Like I said, Texas drivers might not be the best around, but I'm still not convinced we're the worst.  :)