Sunday, March 12, 2006

Reaching the bottom of the blog-topic barrel in 3...2...1....

So, the weather here in San Francisco has been really weird for the last couple weeks. I blame global weirding.

We've generally been seeing gloomy, and sunny, and rainy all in the same day. It's been this way for about two weeks now. There has also been sporadic thunder, lightning, and hail.

On Friday night, for example, it started to hail a lot. Normally it hails for one or two minutes, and then it turns into rain. This time, however, it hailed for quite a few minutes, and amazingly enough, it stuck. Roads, rooftops, yards, and cars were all covered with a layer of hail.


All the kids in the neighborhood streamed out into the street. Soon there were hail ball fights and some small hailmen were built. Bits of the ice even managed to stick around until the next day. I've been in San Francisco for about a decade and I've never seen anything like it. This is what my front "yard" looked like.

Meanwhile, other neighborhoods in San Francisco saw none of this. We have friends who live about a mile away and didn't get any of it.

Kooky.

(Update: After I wrote this post yesterday, I looked out the window at the backyard because it was suddenly sunny again, and I noted that it was raining in my neighbor's yard, but not in mine.)

16 comments:

zelda1 said...

I live in the Ozark mountains, well the foothills, and last night, we had tornadoes rip through our area doing no telling how much damage. About twenty miles from here, a train was lifted and tossed onto the highway, the planes at the airport were tossed around like matchbox toys, and the highschool was pretty much demolished. Mr. Zelda, my son, and I awoke to hail hitting the windows and all the car alarms going off in the parking lot. We went downstairs and waited the storm out. At one point, I opened the door, and the huge tree that I love to watch was pulled up by its roots and tossed to god only knows. We had softball sized hail, winds up to a hundred miles an hour, and a tornado that had tiny ones spining around it as it ripped through our mountain. As quickly as it came, it was over. My son went out to survey the cars, we have hail damage, the car next to ours, has no windows and has dents all over it, in addition, it was rolled back about six feet. This is the time of the year that brings beauty and destruction almost at the same time. Yesterday, my tulips bloomed, today, the tress are sucked right out of the ground. As we were going back to bed, my husband, who is not from Arkansas, says, I think we need to go to cellar. I say, it's over. He says while patting my back, Toto, we're not in Kansas. Ha. it would be worse there.

Mike said...

Zelda1, that is just nuts. Makes our earthquakes seem warm and fuzzy.

Unknown said...

That doesn't look like a yard. Are you pulling our collective leg?

That might make Hank jealous.

Mike said...

jr, that's why I put the word "yard" in quotes. There is about 5 feet of space between the front of our house and the sidewalk. On either side of our front door, we have these little raised gardens. I wrote about their creation
long ago
.

Unknown said...

Oh, I see it know. The picture doesn't do the feng shui justice.

I see your plants are alive, too. That's always a good thing.

Mike said...

Well, the remaining plants are alive, yes. You'll notice that the front half of the planter is somewhat barren. It was a tough year for the front half.

TheTart said...

Strange the weather... out here all the twisters have gone to the midwest.. gone are the good ole Kansas OK dust ups.

End of the world, yikes!!! Stop by my blog. If you are a pal of Just Thoughts, you gotta be cool.

BTW, no Jaws/War of the Worlds or any movie like that at my place, natch!

SMooch,
The Tart

Yup, quite a tiny cup o java!

Mike said...

Hiya Jody, did you just say I was cool? Hooohooo! Ever since high school I've been waiting for someone to say that to me. Congrats, you're the first!

Unknown said...

I think Jody was saying that I'm cool. (Thanks, Jody!)

OK. I admit it. I wanted to be the first. Damn. Not that I think you're cool. Well, maybe you are... just a little.

So, what is it about that cup? (In case you are/were confused, it was first mentioned in a comment on my blog.)

Mike said...

jr, Christ, woman! Jody and I have been blogmates for several hours now. I think I understand pretty well what she's saying. Don't come between us.

Unknown said...

Funny, I was coming back to your blog sight to say how... what's the word... amused, I guess... that you left a comment on Tart's blog.

Damn, that Tart's good!

I'm here for you, Mike, to provide that jealousy thing you're looking for.

Jody--Stay away from my blog guy friends!
;)

How's that? Pretty good, eh?

None the less, as you were... I've got another drama thing of my own I'm trying to deal with.

zelda1 said...

A warm and fuzzy earthquake by Zelda1 for Mike.
When I lived in Bakersfield, I know, don't say it, but when I lived there, my children, who were babies, and I were driving across town and suddenly the road felt like I was driving over these little speed bumps and I put on my breaks and the car, well it didn't stop. Even the cars on the side of the road, the parked cars began to move too. It stopped, and I drove home. Still not aware that the earth quake had happened and was going to continue for another hour or so. I went into my humble abode and suddenly, the glasses began to fall out of the shelves and my sofa began to dance across the floor and my children and I stood in terror before I realized, oh my god, this is an earthquake and I took the types out side, away from structures and I swear to you, I saw the ground roll like ocean waves. It passed and we went inside and I called home and told the folks back in Arkansas that I had just been through my first earthquake and Nay, they were nothing like a tornado.

Mike said...

jr, thanks! I crave jealousy.

Zelda1, now wasn't that better than a tornado? After a while, as long as nothing important falls down, or on you, earthquakes are almost fun.

TheTart said...

CLEAR THE ROOM, JUST LEAVE MOI, JAN & SMALL CUP BOY!

First Jan you got the hot car & in the world of play fair the least I can do is TICKLE your bloggy boy toys, natch!

One moment, WHO SPILLED THE CHERRY JELLO?

Ok, what I mean is this... cup boy knows Wanda... so you have to think cup boy is all about his cup n such!

No harm done, right? Jan, you are picking me up at the airport? (Please, F...THE JELLO!)

Smooch,
The Tart

TheTart said...

Enlighten me, who is HANK?

Glorious SMooch,
The Tart

Mike said...

Jody, I read your comment and thought "Wooo hoo! Threesome!" and then I thought, "Hey, small cup boy doesn't sound good!" and then I thought "Wooo hoo! Threesome!" and then I felt insecure about my cup size, but then I thought about the threesome again...

"Hank" is my nom du blog for my wife. It's the name I use when I can't think of another name.