Friday, January 31, 2003

Cold It's a cold day here in Tunisia. It's probably 45 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Cry me a river, right? I'm sure that's the reaction of anyone in the US right now. My parents were just here for a couple of weeks, and they were thrilled to have this kind of weather since the wind chill was 15 below back home in Kansas. My Minnesota friends are undoubtedly miserable every time they step outside.  It's been snowing on the East Coast. I've lived in enough varied climates to have learned a lot about weather relativity. After a year in southern California, I felt wistful about the concept of "seasons". And after a few years in St. Paul, I learned that it is, in fact, possible for 25 degrees to feel toasty warm. The climate is idyllic here; the hottest days of the summer are maybe 90 absolute tops, and right now is as cold as it gets. Usually it's somewhere in the middle, averaging in the 70s, and it is sunny most of the time. However, I must admit that I'm missing winter. Really. I read that it's snowing in the States, or I see pictures of people walking in the snow, and I can feel a little catch in the back of my throat. This was my first warm weather Christmas, and it certainly felt odd. These are the cold months, and I suppose I have some sick desire to experience that cold and all the attendant hassles of winter. I'm a little sad. It will pass. Probably by tomorrow morning, when I'll be sitting on the patio, drinking coffee, wearing shorts, watching the Mediterranean Sea. Have fun scraping the windshield, suckers. 3:39:39 PM    Let's hear it. []