Weather Whiplash

I was diagnosed the other day with a very serious condition---true, it was a self-diagnosis, but I believe valid all the same. The self-diagnosis waiting room is always lot less crowded and the magazines are better. And it’s a lot less scary than googling stuff on WebMD. Self-diagnosis has fewer yucky pictures. So, in short, self-diagnosis is like regular diagnosis, only with less. And the co-pays are surprisingly affordable.

Where was I? Oh, yes! My diagnosis.

I knew something was seriously wrong when I found myself debating every little decision. Did I want hot tea, or iced tea? Shoes or sandals? SPF or umbrella?  Long pants? Shorts? Did I have to make hay while the sun shone or could I save it for a rainy day? Clearly, I was suffering from Weather Whiplash.

According to Wikipedia—or at least it will as soon as I upload the definition—Weather Whiplash is what happens to you when the weather moves from one extreme to the other in a short period of time. The weather is careening from Cold and Damp, to Hot and Miserable, and back again, with very few stops at Mild and Lovely along the way. SPOILER ALERT: Mild and Lovely is my preferred weather destination. That’s where I like to summer. Please forward my mail.

Hydrangeas don't care for the heat

Symptoms of weather Whiplash include inability to dress one’s self appropriately, overgrown lawn, and---at least in my case—the tendency towards irritability and a fondness for recalling previous weather phenomenon, often at length. Persons suffering from acute Weather Whiplash have been observed wearing fuzzy sox indoors while the A/C is cranked to Arctic levels, just in case the sun comes back out by Golly the house is not going to be hot!

Why use one umbrella when MORE is better?

There is no known cure for Weather Whiplash. All we can do is treat the symptoms and wait for July. In the meantime, enjoy this picture of my hydrangeas, hiding from the heat. They have Weather Whiplash too.