Thursday, February 6, 2014

My Taste of Winter


It still amazes me how I can get on a plane on a pleasant sunny warm afternoon and feel sharp cold as I step off the plane onto the jet bridge a few hours later.

We have been having a mild sunny winter in Southern California and even though I’d heard about the weather in Chicago, it was still a shock to feel the sharp cold in person. It was also a surprise to have to climb over a pile of snow to get to the curb when I was dropped off.

I usually take my pull cart to the grocery store to pick up supplies. I figured the sidewalks would all be shoveled. Not exactly. And I didn’t consider the ridges of snow at every street corner. Let’s just say I had to lift the cart over the snow.

Then the snow came over the snow that was already on the ground. And all the sidewalks that were shoveled, weren’t anymore. It was pretty when it fell, that is if you didn’t have to go anywhere. I saw on TV that a commute that would normally take no more than a half an hour was now taking 88 minutes.

Today the sun was out, but the temperature dropped. Now the TV weather people are talking about dangerous wind chills and the actual temperature is hovering around zero. It’s been cozy and nice inside, but tonight I can feel cold air swirling around the living room.

It makes it easy to hover over my computer, working on finishing Knot Guilty. It’s set up in the center of the apartment where it’s sheltered from the blowing cold. A mug of hot green tea with strawberry bits adds a pleasant fragrance.

I feel for the residents of the city who have been dealing with this harsh weather for weeks and will have to deal with it after I leave.

More snow is due on Saturday and I hope it doesn’t mess up my flight. I am looking forward to doing the reverse of getting here. Watching a puff of my breath as the cold air blows in through the space between the sky bridge and plane as I get on and then feeling the damp air way above freezing when I step on that sky bridge in L.A..

6 comments:

Planner said...

It's supposed to be 65 degrees in L.A. on Saturday and 88 degrees the following Saturday. Quite a contrast from the zero degrees in Chicago!

I hope your flight leaves before the predicted snow arrives.

Monica Ferris said...

It can be hard on the psyche to get yanked back and forth into and out of a season. The cold feels colder and the warmth warmer.

Love the title Knot Guilty - I've been thinking about a needlework mystery title using Knot. But I think to make it work I'll have to take on tatting or something similar. Not bobbin lace, I looked into bobbin lace for another book and, eyes widened, stepped back. It's gorgeous, but . . . wow.

Betty Hechtman said...

Planner, that sounds wonderful. One of my favorite things to do is sit out in my yard and have my morning coffee.

Betty Hechtman said...

Monica,my son came up with the title. Knot is a good play on words for books about yarn or needlecraft. If I'm not mistaken,bobbin lace is very intricate and the people who did it use have problems with their eye sight after a while.

Linda O. Johnston said...

I hope your travels continue to be safe, Betty. You missed our LA rain storm yesterday. I kept trying to encourage more but I doubt we got even 1/2 inch around my area.

Betty Hechtman said...

Linda,but even 1/2 inch is better than none. And no flooding!