At 43, I don't like icy weather any more...
Category Everything Else
This last weekend was an interesting one weather-wise in Portland Oregon. As often happens when we are getting out of a cold spell, we ended up with freezing rain over the Portland area. That's when a warm wet air mass overrides a cold air mass that hasn't been pushed out. The precipitation falls as rain until it hits the cold air (around 500 feet or so) and then freezes on contact with the ground. Pretty but treacherous...
It hit on Saturday morning around 7 am, and it was supposed to turn above freezing around 1 pm. But the winds coming out of the Columbia River Gorge (which provide the cold air) are unpredictable, and Sunday morning wasn't much better. By 11 am or so, it had finally jumped above freezing, and Ian was able to drive to work by 2 pm'ish with no problem. Everything was just wet ground by then...
Except for our porch... which was still icy... and I didn't know it...
Cam and I went to leave the house to go to his hockey game. I stepped out on the small porch which has two steps to the pavement. Within moments (and completely by surprise), I ended up on the pavement butt-first, laid out over the steps, with the back of my head serving as an ice-breaker. Cam, his usual observant self, summed it up quite well... "That looks like it hurt." And of course, he was right. If I could watch it on video, I'm sure it would be funny.
So, I'm taking a sick day to let the body complain about the abuse I put it through. At 23, body would have been amused at the whole thing. At 43, it's gotten a bit more pragmatic and cranky. And it's *definitely* not amused this morning...
This last weekend was an interesting one weather-wise in Portland Oregon. As often happens when we are getting out of a cold spell, we ended up with freezing rain over the Portland area. That's when a warm wet air mass overrides a cold air mass that hasn't been pushed out. The precipitation falls as rain until it hits the cold air (around 500 feet or so) and then freezes on contact with the ground. Pretty but treacherous...
It hit on Saturday morning around 7 am, and it was supposed to turn above freezing around 1 pm. But the winds coming out of the Columbia River Gorge (which provide the cold air) are unpredictable, and Sunday morning wasn't much better. By 11 am or so, it had finally jumped above freezing, and Ian was able to drive to work by 2 pm'ish with no problem. Everything was just wet ground by then...
Except for our porch... which was still icy... and I didn't know it...
Cam and I went to leave the house to go to his hockey game. I stepped out on the small porch which has two steps to the pavement. Within moments (and completely by surprise), I ended up on the pavement butt-first, laid out over the steps, with the back of my head serving as an ice-breaker. Cam, his usual observant self, summed it up quite well... "That looks like it hurt." And of course, he was right. If I could watch it on video, I'm sure it would be funny.
So, I'm taking a sick day to let the body complain about the abuse I put it through. At 23, body would have been amused at the whole thing. At 43, it's gotten a bit more pragmatic and cranky. And it's *definitely* not amused this morning...
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Comments
Posted by Jerry Carter At 11:59:15 On 18/01/2005 | - Website - |
Posted by Duffbert At 12:03:23 On 17/01/2005 | - Website - |
Posted by Duffbert At 11:48:30 On 17/01/2005 | - Website - |
Posted by Jerry Carter At 11:54:22 On 17/01/2005 | - Website - |
Not as funny as it sounds, Tom. Last time I managed that trick, I landed on what used to be an IBM Thinkpad (just post-warrantee/insurance) and wrenched my back "just so". Come to think of it, I'd just turned 43 at the time. Maybe that's what 42 is all about -- "What is the oldest you can be and still survive a pratfall?" That would answer a lot of questions....
Posted by Stan Rogers At 11:34:59 On 17/01/2005 | - Website - |