Snowless Days...

It was supposed to snow last night. I was very excited about that. I've been in Los Angeles for seven years. It doesn't snow much there. It does snow in the mountains, sometimes out towards the desert. Yet, it never snows in L.A. It's propably for the best; even when it's supposed to just rain, it turns into STORM WATCH 2000-and-whatever. The newscasters on the local news talk of nothing but rain. When it does, indeed, rain, they interview people on the streets to ask them what they think about the rain. Most of the time, the people on the streets' reaction is pretty classic..."It's wet." Sometimes people have stories about the rain, how they were going to work and didn't realize it was raining and their car was all wet or how they walked their dog and they weren't wearing boots....the news isn't terribly thrilling when it rains in L.A. I suppose it'd be interesting to see what they'd be like if it snowed but since this would probably indicate some freakish global warming phenomenom that was all our fault because of all the Aqua Net hairspray that was used in the '80's, it probably wouldn't be good for it to snow in L.A.

Then again, it'd finally make sense for all those college students to walk around in their tank-tops, mini skirts, scarves and massive fur or sheepskin boots. Then again, will that ever make sense?

I can't say that I haven't seen snow in seven years. After all, I've been home to the Midwest for Christmas and Thanksgiving every year since I moved out west and it did snow when I was home. Yet, to me, it's not the same. I want to embrace the snow completely and not wave hello politely, enjoying it for a day or so and then hop on a plane to seventy degree weather. And yes, I just realized that by saying that, it probably truly labels me as being abnormal because most people would LOVE that to be the case. What can I say? I like weather.

So, anyway, I was looking forward to snow. I mean, I know it's October but that means I could have had a nice snowfall that probably wouldn't stick around. That's the best kind of snow. Except at Christmas when it's SUPPOSED to snow because that is just how it is supposed to be. I'm an old fashioned Monkeypants. I like Christmas with the snow-dusted holly and pine trees in the garden, the smell of sausage-rolls and mince-pies in the air (yes, I am hopelessly British) and the silent, muffling snow falling outside.

I can't say I inherited my love of snow. My mother despises winter. I think she'd hibernate if she could. When the weather forecast says snow, I can hear my mother groan, even from 100 miles away. I once bought her a snowman kit in hopes of enticing her outside to see the beauty and fun of snow. I ended up using it to build a snowman when I was home for the holidays and it snowed. My dad views snow as something to clear from the driveway though it does give him an excuse to get out his tractor and turn it into a snow plow. I don't think men ever grow out of the wanting to ride tractors and trains phase. They're Iron Cowboys, those snowplow drivers. At least while it's snowing.

So, back to my original point. It was supposed to snow. Maybe it did while I was sleeping and I missed it. When I got up this morning, there was not a flake on my poor, dented car. I am very disappointed by the failure of the weather to follow-through on it's promise of snow. I'm big on follow-through. I like people and weather to deliver on a promise that is made unless there's some unforseeable circumstance that means the promise can't be delivered. Maybe that's why it didn't snow. I can't pretend to know these things. I'm trying to be ok with the lack of snow-follow-through.

It didn't help that I woke up in a foul mood. I didn't sleep well. My neighbour has a noisy dog that was barking at 2 a.m. I also had the strangest dreams about the Heroes TV show. That's what I get for cramming six episodes into three days. So, when my alarm went off and those insipid "Two Angry Guys" popped on, I slammed my alarm off. My snowless drive to work made me irritable because a tractor-like thing pulled out in front of me and then proceeded to go, literally, 15 mph in a 35 mph zone. (Captain Monkeypants isn't on a first name basis with farm equipment; it looked a bit like a tractor and thus it is a tractor-like thing.) I know he's just doing his job but part of me was silently shouting at him for driving during rush hour. I mean, ok, fine, rush hour in my tiny town in Ohio isn't exactly on a scale with, say, L.A. but it's still the heaviest traffic time. Driving farm equipment during this time is frowned upon, at least by me. It's a traffic faux pas.

So, I'm hoping my mood passes. I put my iPod on and it seems to be in sync with me; Marilyn Manson is playing as we speak. Mr. Manson is perfect for bad moods. He's always WAY more angry and miserable than me. I'm already feeling better. I know in the grand scheme of things, I have nothing to complain about. But there are just some days on which it's hard to be perky and chipper even when there's nothing actual wrong. They're the days on which burrowing down at home and not venturing into society are probably best. I think all humans need that once in the while, days away from the world in which we get to recharge. Unfortunately, they're not always possible. So, I'll just sit quietly in my cubicle, drink my coffee and let the day wash over me. . I know if I read the news, I'll know, once again, that my complaining is insignificant and petty. The sun is peaking through the window already and I suppose the right thing to do is embrace it and be glad that it's trying to penetrate the gloom of my mood.

I think I may let it take a while though. I'm not quite ready to be chipper just yet.