wetter warmer
I never rained yesterday. I carried my umbrella all over town for nothing. It sure did rain this morning, though. I did bring my umbrella again and I feel vindicated!
There is a Seattle Times article from 2011 that I have never forgotten: Our new ‘normal’ weather: wetter and warmer. I can't tell you how many times in the seven years since then I have thought of that phrase: wetter and warmer.
On the one hand, it's sort of a relief. All this talk of water shortages around the world -- imminent disaster in Cape Town -- and even as far back as his 2008 docuseries Stephen Fry in America, Stephen Fry was saying in interviews when people asked about his impressions of America's future, that he was convinced any second Civil War in America would be fought not over cultural clashes, but water rights. I'm not sure I would yet subscribe to such alarmist ideas (although President Fuckwit saying widespread Republican losses in this year's midterm elections could result in "violence" is troubling to say the least -- bordering on incitement), but I do think about these things pretty regularly now. So wherein lies the relief? Well, if the Pacific Northwest is getting wetter while most other places are getting drier -- I mean, if everyone else is desperate and wants our water then that's cause for concern, obviously, but I do think it's better to be in the defensive position in possession of that which everyone wants as opposed to being in the desperate position of needing what someone else has. And maybe I'll die of old age (or getting hit by a bus) before it comes to that anyway.
On the other hand, I fucking hate the heat. Look at this bullshit, which the Seattle National Weather Service tweeted just this morning:
On this last day of August here is the warm/hot day scoreboard for Seattle so far this year.
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) August 31, 2018
Days 90°+ 11 days, record 12 days (2015), normal 3 days
Days 85°+ 31 days, record 31 days (2018), normal 11 days
Days 80°+ 43 days, record 51 days (2015), normal 27 days. #wawx
Anyone who sees stats like that and still insists climate change is a "hoax" is truly a moron. (We already know President Fuckwit is a true moron, that's been self-evident for years.)
Aside: I also keep thinking about how the U.S. standings on education are so low in the developed world -- and have come to the conclusion that it's by design. That's how to guarantee the electorate votes like morons. If they vote at all. There is so much riding on this year's election, and yet if we get further fucked by either misguidedness or complacency it won't be all that surprising. It will be awful, but it won't be surprising. For now, I remain hopeful.
Anyway! Back to the wetter. I have been able to see this "wetter and warmer" prediction bear out with my own eyes. Seattle never used to get heavy rainfall, now it happens with increasing regularity. And, summers are increasingly unbearable. I, of course, will continue living here until I die because I am obstinate about never wavering on my love for this imperfect but wonderful and beautiful city.
What should I tell you about last night? Not a whole lot, except that Shobhit did manage to weasel his way into a point for the next Social Review: technically, we went out for dessert. Before the Starbucks on Broadway and Pike closed at 9 pm, we walked down there and split a slice of banana bread. We couldn't have been there more than ten minutes. But, it counts.
Shobhit recognized a guy in there from a theatre writer's program he had been somehow involved with on Capitol Hill several years ago. They chatted for a bit, and it sounds like the guy is one of Shobhit's Facebook friends. Shobhit could not remember his name, though. It never came up. The guy addressed Shobhit by name more than once. This guy was wearing a suit, but was otherwise almost strikingly disheveled: facial scruff that looked like he hadn't shaved in two days; quite the head of frizzy red hair -- not long exactly, but certainly not short, and large in volume. He looked like a guy in serious need of a makeover.
I have about 17 coupons for one free Luvo frozen meal that I swiped from work several weeks ago. I finally found a rather large set of them in the freezer section at Safeway on my way home from work. I checked Target downtown first, not entirely surprised they did not carry them. Then, feeling oddly light headed, I decided to catch a bus home. I was going to check the QFC on Broadway and Pike but then a #10 bus came first, and that goes up to Safeway. So, I checked there instead. You can only get one at a time with these coupons, and I nabbed a "Quinoa & Veggie Enchilada Verde." We haven't eaten it yet; I put it in the freezer when I got home and Shobhit was already well into cooking minestrone soup.
He called me while I was on the bus, and this is legitimately annoying, how I can be off my usual routine by all of twenty minutes and he wants to know what's up. Why couldn't he just text me, anyway? He didn't just call, either -- he called on FaceTime. In what universe is that logical when I'm out and about? So first I had to pull out my headphones, and even that wasn't all that helpful because there were these two other guys, one to my left and one sitting behind me, chatting with each other rather loudly across the bus. And Shobhit's asking me all these unnecessary questions: Where are you? Where are you going? Why did you take the bus? I said, "Why are you interrogating me about this?" He replied, "Whatever" and hung up. Whatever, indeed. Works for me. I could have happily told him what was up under better circumstances, but he was FaceTiming me on the fucking bus.
So then I just got off at 15th and John and went to find quite the spread of Luvo meals at Safeway. Then I got into line and the lady ahead of me was stalled due to technical issues in their POS system, and the cashier had to ask for assistance from two other employees. Jesus Christ.
I'm really digressing here, aren't I? Shobhit and I went across the street from the Starbucks on Broadway and Pike to see if they had Luvo meals in their freezer section. They clearly did not; Shobhit still insisted on asking employees. This turned into another mini-production, first with my asking a kid working the Customer Service Counter, who could only call for someone who was evidently too busy to call back; then with two ladies standing in the self-service registers area. They immediately said that yes, they did have Luvo products. One of them led us back to the freezer section, only two discover she couldn't find it either. She placed a call for a receiver to call back. Oh, guess what? They had a reset recently and removed all the Luvo items.
At least when I finally find another store with these fucking products they will be free. In all likelihood, the much larger QFC in Broadway Market also has them. At least I know for sure now that Safeway has a bunch of them. We should burn through all these coupons sooner than later, though, before every damn store discontinues them. PCC has itself gone back and forth on this brand; we cleared them out in 2014, but I just re-added the brand this week and added four of their "Power Bowls" for upcoming freezer resets. I'm much more interested in using the coupons at Safeway, though, as they had quite the expansive collection, no less than half of it vegetarian.
Anyway then we walked back home and I watched the second episode in season one of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which I found to be notably more engaging than the pilot episode.
Well, after the rain this morning, the weather is perfectly pleasant this afternoon -- comfortable, upper-sixties temperature, partly sunny. People gathered in the kitchen like usual because for some reason they assume it's too cold outside if it's merely cloudy. But, Alicia came out and ate with me and we chatted quite amiably for a while. It's the only reason I'm not posting this at 12:30 like usual. I guess I should get back to work now then.
[posted 12:50 pm]