Cold Nights in San Diego

I awoke this morning to the sound of heavy rain.  Didn't really want to get out from under the covers.  Last night was warmer (48 degrees) than it had been for over a week.  I should have realized that something was up.  The dark skies gave way to sunshine in the afternoon.  But it was still chilly.  The nightly news showed pictures of snow on Mount Laguna.  My apartment was freezing this afternoon.  The Weather Channel showed the temperature as 54 degrees, but it certainly didn't feel like it.  My daughter told me that as she left work, she was wearing a sweater, a bulky sweater and a raincoat and was still freezing.  My grandchildren were wearing their winter jackets with the hoods up.

Later in the day, we had showers.  When I ventured out I had to wear my "New York" coat, a jean jacket that has a faux fur lining.  Tonight it is supposed to rain again with a low of 46 degrees.  As I'm sitting here typing, the temperature is 52 degrees.  I don't heat my apartment since I usually can just wear a sweater and feel fine.  Not today.  Right now, I'm wearing three sweaters.  I guess this sounds like "whining."  But, this is San Diego!

While the days in San Diego are usually warm in the mid-sixties, at this time of year the nights are sometimes very cold.  Of course, it is a matter of perspective.  If you live in colder parts of the nation or world, 46 degrees is not really that cold but for San Diego it is.  All last week, when the sun went down, the chill set in with clear night skies.  Earlier in the week, when the overnight temp reached 42, I had to pull out another bed covering.  That makes two quilts and one blanket.  My daughter, who lives about 8 miles northeast of me, was waking up to 36 or 37 degree weather in the morning.  She lives a few miles inland from the coast and I live about 1 1/2 miles from it.  That probably accounts for the difference in temperatures.  

Two nights ago, I saw birds flying silently overhead.  I immediately thought they looked like the green parrots.  However, I've never seen or heard these parrots in the winter.  They usually arrive almost exactly on March 9 and leave in late August or September.  This evening I did see them and definitely heard them.  They are very loud.  Don't know what they're doing here now.  And, I suspect even the vacationers are wondering why (Oh, why) they picked these weeks to come here.

It seems like a very strange year here in San Diego.

Please feel free to share your comments.

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Weathering the New York Cold

Yesterday, I was in Beacon, NY. The weather was -11 degrees when I woke up. My grandchildren went off to school like hardy souls. I cowered under the covers in a warm family room.

Closer to noon, I braved this cold, cold air and went to the Yankee Clipper Diner in Beacon to prepare for my trip to New York City. After a hearty breakfast meal (even though it was now afternoon), I proceeded to the Metro North station long the Hudson River. Fortified by a good meal, I was beginning to adapt to the cold air and before long the warm train came. I spent the time doing a few crossword puzzles and about an hour and twenty minutes later, arrived at Grand Central Station in New York City. When I got off the train, I stopped by Starbucks for a tall Cafe Mocha to fortify myself against the cold air. Remember, I live in San Diego, CA, where the weather is much nicer.

Then, came the trek to Jackson Heights in Queens, just about a twenty-minute ride on the No. 7 subway (mostly above ground). It gave me a view of the neighborhoods and I was pleased to see that some of the high mounds of snow had lessened. Just in time for some snow showers which fell today, followed by another snow storm coming on Wednesday. Thankfully, I'll be gleefully staying indoors for a few days, playing with my granddaughter.

By the way, did I mention that the words "cold" and "snow" enough?

Return to San Diego

On Saturday I returned to San Diego on United Airlines. The first leg of the trip (Flight #7009) from Westchester County Airport was delayed almost three hours due to snow in Chicago. When the plane arrived in Chicago at Gate F1, we deplaned on the tarmac. I estimated that the first 100 feet was wet with occasional patches of icy slush, followed by approximately 500 feet on ice and slush. I actually had to hold on to the cement wall as I inched along very carefully, step by step, to reach the building, because I was concerned about falling. The snow had stopped but I guess no one bothered to clear that pathway. After I entered the building and made my way to the shuttle bus to go from Terminal F to Terminal C, I found the pathway to the bus clear, as well as a clear pathway when I arrived at Terminal C. There was an elderly couple on my flight who used wheelchairs to board the plane. I hope they were not too inconvenienced by the situation.

I contacted United to alert them to this fact, since it is only the beginning of the season. Hopefully, they will ensure that this pathway is cleared in the future.

The second leg of my trip (Flight #651) on United left 40 minutes late. After we were settled in our seats, we were informed that we were waiting for the crew who had just arrived from Providence. Before long, the captain apologized for the delay stating that they would do their best to quickly perform necessary preparations for the flight. I heard some men make comments about the words, "do their best," and I assumed it was because the captain was female. After a while, the captain announced that we would be delayed another approximately 15 minutes while the plane was de-iced. I certainly didn't mind that. I wanted a safe flight. And, I was so tired at that point I didn't have a reaction. By the time I arrived in San Diego, I had been traveling for 13 hours.

By the way, I like Westchester County Airport, but you don't really want to experience a delay there. After screening, you stay in one large room with a little snack stand. I had already purchased O Magazine at a stand when I arrived outside the screening area. I enjoyed reading the articles but I didn't need several hours to read the magazine. A few years ago, while flying to San Diego from Westchester County Airport, a plane to Florida was delayed. We seemed to have at least 200 people in that one room. Very uncomfortable, in my opinion. On Saturday, however, all the other flights were for the Eastern Seaboard so they didn't have delays. Just my plane.... :)

While I love New York and had a great time with the family, I was very happy today. I went out to the food store in a sweater set and immediately went back inside to changed to a short sleeve shirt. What a wonderful feeling. I obviously enjoy the warm sunlight as opposed to ice and snow. The San Diego weather forecast for the rest of this week is 68 and 69 degrees, and in the 70's on the weekend. I'm displaying my photographs of San Diego to show how inviting it is.