Infrequent Visitor

I've lived in Southern California since 1976.  I was happy to get here.  I had definitely had it with ice storms in Detroit and commutes to work ranging from 45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours during the winter.  Gifting the snow shovel to our neighbors as the moving van pulled out of Carrie Drive was a sweet, sweet moment.

I will not complain about the weather here at all, even though there are days (usually the fifth day in a row of 105+ temps) that make me want to get on a plane to anywhere else.  Incessant wind is a fact of life; firestorms announce that fall has, in fact, arrived.  And rain, any amount of it, is always the lead story on the nightly news.  Rain was actually the second story tonight, after the "Fall of Tiger."

Over the past week, we have had an abundance of rain by Southern California standards.  On Monday, it poured all day.  We've had 3 waves of storms over the past two days increasing the chances of mudslides in the fire areas and causing multiple road closures and fender benders.  As I write this blog entry, I'm dry and warm in my nice little home with no plans to venture out onto the freeways of Southern California.

We really, really need this rain.  We just don't need it all at once in downpours that threaten the hillsides and urge neighborhoods to form sandbag brigades.  Temperance, Mother Nature, haven't you heard of temperance?

I thought today would be an wonderful day to stay inside, listen to Christmas tunes, and start to wrap the Christmas gifts.  Unfortunately, I soon realized that my list from last year was inadequte - I desperately needed more wrapping paper, more ribbon, more tissue paper.  So, I ventured onto the wet streets of Menifee, California.  I should have stayed home.

One and one-half hours later, I am the proud owner of one roll of somewhat-acceptable wrapping paper for toddlers.

'Tis the season!