Showing posts with label whiplash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whiplash. Show all posts

Friday, July 13, 2018

Chronic Weather Whiplash


You may remember that last year I was diagnosed last with a very serious condition---true, it was a self-diagnosis, but none the less valid. I’m pro self-diagnosis: the waiting room is less crowded, the magazines are better, and it’s less scary than googling stuff on WebMD. Self-diagnosis comes with fewer yucky pictures. So, in short, self-diagnosis is like regular diagnosis, only with less. And the co-pays are surprisingly affordable.

According to Wikipedia—or at least it was once I uploaded 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.

As I said last year, there is no known cure for Weather Whiplash---although if y’all wanna start a Go Fund Me, YouTube Marathon Fund Raiser, I’m open to the idea—as Guest of Honor, of course. But short of that, the only thing we can do is treat the symptoms and wait for July 5th when summer begins...

Eh. That’s the rub. Mother Nature is not following the Rules of the Known Universe as Understood by Sue. The weather is allowed to be iffy right up to---and sometimes including—July 4th. But unless July 5th falls on a weekend, you can count on Full Blown Summer arriving on that week. Those are the Rules.

July 5th happens, rain goes away, Summer settles in, I drink iced tea on my deck whilst enjoying the blooms. That’s. How. It. Works. The rain stays away until some random day in August—often Jubilee weekend, but it can’t be helped—we might get a little sprinkle. Then right back to sun, sun, sun, all the time.

July 5th is now in the rearview mirror, but the windshield wipers are on up front. I’m drinking hot tea, inside, instead of iced tea, outside. I’m using commas recklessly and threatening to wear wool socks—WITH MY FLIP-FLOPS.

Things are dire indeed.


Friday, July 7, 2017

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.