Twas A Week Before Christmas

OK, so there's really only five days, not a week, left before Christmas.

It's raining here - and not just a little bit.  The meteorologists refer to our current weather condition as a "Pineapple Express."  That means, all the tropical moisture that is supposed to stay in the tropics is here instead, dumping copious amounts of rain.

On ME.

Thanks a lot, Hawaii.

Orange County (vs. Los Angeles or San Diego) is getting the worst of this particular set of storms.  Since I live by the mountains, I'm getting even more rain at my house than the rest of Orange County.

* Puddle and raindrops in my (very flooded) backyard *

I've got family in town and quite honestly, I don't know what to DO when it rains.

Rainy weather, when it lasts for more than a day, mystifies me.

What do you cold weather people do all day?

I'm restless and stir crazy.

I cook, I bake, I do some gift wrapping.

I get up and pace a lot.

I read for a few minutes and then feel a need to stretch my legs.

I pace again.

I look out the window and wonder at the fact there's still rain falling from the sky.

I grumble about my arm hurting more in the rain.

I do some arm stretches and exercises and then I sigh.

I play Angry Birds until it makes me angry.

I take a lot of bokeh photos because I'm surrounded by holiday lights, so why not?

(Some of you have asked for a post explaining how to create pretty bokeh and I'll try to have that for you soon!)

I pour a glass of wine, start a fire in the fireplace (even though it really isn't cold because it's a tropical storm), and stare at my computer screen while thinking I should be writing.

I consider opening a Netflix account but I realize I rarely sit still long enough to watch a movie except, once every several years, when a Pineapple Express comes to town.

I scratch the dog's ears.  She loves me for it and wags her tail.

I consider running out to pick up the last few stocking stuffers I need, but veto the idea because it's raining.

Orange County people hunker down in the rain.  We don't go out in it for God's sake.  Not unless we absolutely have to.  

We might get wet or something.

Also?

People here do not know how to drive in the rain.

You're taking your life in your hands if you get on the roads.  Literally.

On Saturday I took my youngest son to the mall to shop for his girlfriend.  We saw three car accidents on the way.  Once we got there we barely survived rabid OC women doing last minute shopping.  My son looked around in astonished fear as women pushed, and shoved, and elbowed him as they frantically bought everything in their path.

At one point, we sat down on a bench.

"Just watch them," I said.

And he did.

Nipped, and tucked, and frenzied in their quest for the perfect holiday gift, crazed shoppers scurried around us.

"They're ridiculous," I explained.

"Yes," he nodded.

And then we left and came home.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Comments

[Freda]

Shopping Centres are why I do my Christmas shopping mainly online, but I've been caught out this year with deliveries being delayed by the snow. If we stayed in when it rained, we'd never go out. It seems to rain for three-quarters of the summer. Hope it stops raining for you soon.

[Jan]

Amen to the shopping online. I braved the masses at the mall this weekend, too, and was thankful that the majority of my purchases came via Fed Ex and those guys in brown.

Las Vegas is getting hit with rain, too - not as much as y'all are, but enough to have my daughter calling me on a daily basis going, "Really? Rain for nearly a week now?" Just wait till she gets here tonight and is confronted with all this #@$%ing SNOW.

[Michelle Pixie]

I love rainy days but I am not sure I would love all the rain you are getting. I hope you stay dry and don't float away!

After reading this I am so happy I don't have anymore shopping that needs to be done. I loathe crowds especially the ones that have lost their minds!

[Erica]

I hate the mall at Christmas. I can't people watch and I can't appreciate the merchandise. I just want to get out of there.

I hope your rain stops soon. It's not really the same as too much snow. You can't build a rain man, make rain angels, or rain ski, and lighting a bonfire at night to sing carols around in the rain would just be silly.

[sandi]

I sat here and watched about five movies yesterday, made english toffee, ate everything in my pantry, didn't dare go out to replace everything because I can't get wet. I watched the rain from my windows while sitting by the fire and wondering if the weather would ever change...

What a dreary dreary week it's been. I may have to increase my medication.

[Jason]

"Nipped, and tucked, and frenzied in their quest for the perfect holiday gift, crazed shoppers scurried around us."

What a fabulous descriptive sentence. I think I will share it with my first and second graders as an example of vivid descriptive language.

Great post, friend!

[Amy_in_Stl]

When you live in a cold snowy climate you go out in spite of it. When I lived in the Southeast where it rained every day at least once; I learned to just wear a rainjacket and cute wellies and go out anyway.

[Alexis (MN)]

Well....it's 20F here....and snowing....again. I work outside in it so the thought of being able to stay home sounds YUMMY to ME! Or, being able to stay in a mall and people watch - AWESOME! People forget how to drive in bad weather here too, I think that's a pretty universal thing. I guess there ARE worse things than snow.

I remember the rain. I remember the MUD. I remember the fires. I remember the earthquakes. I prefer to simply think of the palm trees and the beaches! LOL

One thing is for sure, the rain will stop (eventually), the snow will stop (eventually)...at least until it starts again, eh?!

[Life with Kaishon]

You would go crazy in Pennsylvania with the snow I think : )
Have a fun week with your family!

[Taobao.com china]

nous allons louer une voiture pour le week-end*_*