We don't usually get hard and steady rain here in San Diego. When it rains, I can usually run from the car to where I need to get without an umbrella, and not get too wet.
I woke up to the sound of steady rain and the waters running off the roof into the rain gutters. When I left for work, this was the scene.
You can't see the rain drops, but they were pretty big.
Of course, Todd and I are blessed that we can get to work by driving on the city streets. The freeways were a huge mess. When Todd got to work, he told me that he got a traffic email saying it was taking about 60 minutes to get across the 56 freeway. That's seven miles, people. I told him he could have ran it in 60 minutes, which is true! When I got to work, I was so glad to look back into my backseat and find that my trusty and never-used umbrella was still there. I sang the Rihanna "Umbrella" song in my head as I walked into my office building. When I left work at 6pm, it had turned very windy and blustery cold. On the way home, the radio said that we broke our rainfall record for December 7th. The old record of 1.15 inches was set in 1992. It rained 1.25 inches today. It may not seem much to you, but it was a lot for a city that gets less than 10 inches of rain per year.
Tonight is a good night to curl up with a good book and some hot tea! :) Speaking of books... Todd sent me a sad article the other day. Remember the fabulous Elliott Bay Bookstore we went to in Seattle in June? It may close due to its downtown location and not being able to compete with the big-box bookstores and the internet! I feel so sad about this. This bookstore was truly special, and it is one of the few "destination bookstores" on the West Coast. The store clerks there write little handwritten reviews for the books they've read, and they stick them right on the bookshelves next to the books. I truly love a unique local bookstore when I travel to different places. It is where you can find out about local folklore and culture. I really hope that somehow the Elliott Bay Book Company can stay open for business.
Oh I'm so with you about curling up with a hot cup of tea on a cold night. It rained here in Phoenix off and on all day, and now I can hear the very cold wind beating against the house.
ReplyDeleteI am always sad to hear how local businesses are shut out by the big box stores.
It was quite the panic on the streets today as the rain fell. Some of my coworkers had a 2-hour commute.
ReplyDeleteMine was 25 minutes on the city streets. Maybe 3 mins longer than normal. ::chuckles::
Only 10 inches a year?? Raleigh averages 3 to 4 inches a month, with January being the wettest. (I had to google that info, found it on the weather channel..see, your blog helps me to be smarter! :D )
ReplyDeleteIt's no wonder everyone is always smiling over there...no one gets cranky because of the rain dragging on for days.
That's sad about the bookstore. I remember the post and thought it looked like a great place to visit.
Well, I'm off to the dentist. Why did I schedule a dentist appt. during the Christmas season?? As if I don't have enough to do this week. See you!
Wow, you can actually see the water flood down the street. I always have an umbrella at work, if the weather has turned bad when it is time for lunch. And I definitely use it more than every other year! =)
ReplyDeletewe had much more rain during the year as you - and I always have an umbrella in my car or my bag!
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