Category Archives: Weather

Rain day

Guess who was waiting to greet me at my front door this morning?

Surly little devil.

And rumor has it he plans to hang around all day.

Uninvited.

Now, I have two possible responses to my unwelcome guest.

First, I can let him ruin my day.  Get nothing accomplished.  Eat too much.  Get depressed. Perhaps shed a tear or two for no particular reason.

Or I can chose the far healthier response…

Go see a movie.

I still may not get as much work done as originally planned.  I may — okay, I will — eat junk food.  And if I end up crying, that simply means…

It was another great day at the theatre.

Wet

The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain. –
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Nuff said.

Plastic people

It’s been bitterly cold in NYC the past few days, and in the family-friendly Upper West Side, this has been a common sight:

The plastic-covered baby carriage

On an intellectual level, I realize the plastic covers serve a useful purpose, shielding the child inside from the cold, snow and rain.

But my claustrophobic mind registers only one panicked thought…

He’s smothering!  Get that poor kid out of there!!

Sorry.  All better now.

It does makes me wonder — would my fear of small spaces have been averted if my mother had used such a baby carriage when I was young?  Will children today whose mothers use such contraptions have less of a chance of developing claustrophobia?

For their sake, I hope so.

Some good should come out of being publicly shrink-wrapped.

Magic carpet

It’s chilly today in New York City.

My morning walk with Rory in Central Park was cold, cold, cold.

So when I found this aerial view of carpets in Marrakesh, Morocco — shot by photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand — the colors and reflected sunlight warmed me right up.

Hope it adds a little warmth to your day, too!

Blue skies


New York City does not look like this today.

Our skies are overcast. The air is heavy. The rain that alternately threatens and abates has delayed my friend’s plane for hours.

No, the skies are not bright in Manhattan.

But this photo, from Cat Satler’s Art Scrapbook, reminds me that they will be again soon.

Very soon.

Snark week

Catastrophic events can bring out the best in people.

But if they don’t materialize as predicted, boy — it can bring out the snark in them as well.

Where’s the relief that Hurricane Irene didn’t gain strength?  That she was only a tropical storm when she entered New York City at Coney Island?  That the mayor evacuated those areas of the city that currently have water standing in the streets?

Instead, Facebook and Twitter are full of complaints from New Yorkers about how ‘lame’ this hurricane is.  How they wasted a Saturday preparing their homes and backyards and families.

Come on, people — how about a little gratitude that we were spared from what could have been?  Sure, the media spent 24/7 reporting on the storms, but it’s their job to keep us informed.

If they hadn’t, we would have complained about that.

It’s time to feel lucky, people.  I certainly do.

Just in cases

Here in New York City, we’re awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Irene.

The calm before the storm and all that.

Today is also Just Because Day, the one day of the year we’re encouraged to do something that might appear to have no reason or logic to others.

(Wow — I’ve been celebrating daily for years.)

Some folks on Facebook think people who remain in their homes in the path of Irene are taking the holiday a bit too seriously.

Now, if I lived in an evacuation zone, I would be gone in an instant.  But I don’t.  So I’m staying…because it’s home.  I’ve been out-of-town for the past week, and home is comfortable and reassuring and the only place I want to be.

I’ve got food and water and batteries and my dog.  I’ve got books and magazines if — say it isn’t so — the electricity goes out and I can’t watch HBO OnDemand.

Heck, I’m acting too sane for Just Because Day.

Gotta work on that.

Relief

I needed that.

No skin off me

It ain’t easy being pale. That’s why, some 11 years ago, I founded the PPA.

Pasty People of America

I’m not only the president, I’m a member…the pastiest member by far. You know that pale skin that kinda has a bluish glow?

That’s me.

A friend in Kansas City — also pale, also self-deprecating — inspired me to use the word ‘pasty.’  He too is a member for life.  (No choice, really.)  Today I am inspired by people who have a choice and stay pale, even at prom time.

The Melanoma Foundation of New England asked teens to sign a ‘no-tan pledge’ — a promise not to intentionally tan or visit a tanning salon before prom.  There was a similar pledge for college students before spring break.

The pledge reads:  “I realize that by getting a tan I am sharply increasing my chances of developing melanoma, which can be fatal if not caught in time. I have read the “Facts of Tanning” and understand the dangers of tanning beds and lying out in the sun.”

It was a contest, of course.  The winning school — the pastiest party-goers come prom time –  won $1,000 for their class.

This year’s winner was Waltham High School in Waltham, Massachusetts. 

Hey — I think I recognize that one student.

Cheaters.

The fever

Today The Sticky Egg dedicates this space to its mighty alma mater, the University of Kentucky Wildcats, the first team to earn a spot in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament!

GO CATS!

It’s also the first day of Spring, and I can’t help but notice — everything is coming up blue!

But that’s March Madness for you.

Gotta love it.