rain

I just spent a weekend in sunny Florida. Not my first choice for a summer vacation but a wedding put on by dear friends occasioned this rather unusual travel destination. It was hot! Not even so much hot as the combination of temperatures in the 90's and humidity in the 80's. The weather was predicted to be stormy and rainy (so much for the convertible) and indeed as we approached Ft. Lauderdale airport the pilot got on the horn and told us that the airport was closed to incoming traffic because of a thunder storm right over the airport. I already had visions of being diverted to Palm Beach or something like that. Being a veteran of diversions (see previous blog) I took it in stride, but, luckily, after flying a pattern for a half hour about 30 miles away from the airport, we landed safely and none the worse for wear.

The highlight of the trip was early Saturday morning. 6:20AM, a time when all sabbath observers ought to be in bed.

"Let's go for a walk on the boardwalk."

Not having anything better to do and being up anyway, I agreed. We passed from the hotel lobby's refrigerated air into the hot, steamy and oppressive half light of the Florida dawn. It was drizzling a few drops which felt good as we climbed onto the boardwalk. A large, dark storm cloud blanketed the sky to our south obscuring the light from an already risen sun. Almost deserted, the boardwalk did have its share of denizens even at this early hour in the rain. People coming in from a night at the beach, runners trying to finish their laps before the storm. We turned south, where the lush foliage on both sides formed a sort of tunnel over our heads, and into a cooler, refreshing breeze blowing a cooling rain into our faces.

Realizing that we were walking towards the storm, we turned around. The sun was visible only as a light smudge against thin clouds and as we turned we could see patches of blue sky; definitely the direction we wanted to walk in. Only, the storm caught up with us. When it storms in this part of the world it's apt to be violent but ephemeral. Luckily for us, this boardwalk is built with shelters every 1000 feet or so and we dashed into a nearby one as the rain came down in sheets.

We weren't the only ones. A few of the night denizens were already there, biding their time and making small talk with us and others. Some of them moved off, others came. One in particular was a woman with a blow-up mattress who grunted at our greeting, clearly unhappy that she had to come in from the beach. She even tried to monopolize a bench for her mattress. We couldn't get word one out of her, just wordless sounds of anger and discouragement.

It finally let up and we continued our leisurely walk. We left the boardwalk into the half light, behind a woman and two men who had come off the beach. We felt exhilarated.

I repeated the walk the next morning, but couldn't duplicate the experience.

Take That Rachel Carson

I feel a breeze blowing, ever so slightly, signaling a change in the weather. Only a whisper so far, a zephyr fraught with possibilities.

Lately, I've noticed that the people who run things in this country have become a bit soured on the nation's 50 year environmental kick. And it's not only limited to the United States. For all the lip service given to the philosophy, only hardened left wingers misguided do gooders journalists and the school children who are still the victims of the push to indoctrinate them into the Carsonian religion really believe that environmentalism is the greatest good and capitalism is the greatest evil.

Take for instance the court's decision to strike down Obama's offshore drilling moratorium. Such a decision would have been unthinkable 20 years ago, when all the leaders of our institutions were still under the spell of this evil dogma and those who weren't were too intimidated to put in a good word for economic development and modern comforts.

Admittedly, environmentalism did some good. It eliminated some very serious health and safety hazards and some very dangerous and destructive pollution of our rivers lakes and forests. Like every other all encompassing program, it gained a life of its own and when the problems were fixed, new problems were invented to keep those charged with protecting us, in business.

Some responsible business leaders and even the miniscule number of responsible politicians have turned their backs on mindless greenness. They are beginning to make objections to the world's governments' blanket bans of this or that process or substance, whose risks are so much less than the benefits.

China's torpedoing of the Copenhagen treaty, India's refusal to ban the safe use of white asbestos are just two of the cases in point. Daily, I have come across little stories poking their heads up through the soil of indiscriminate green boosterism. The public today is more worried about jobs and the economy than in climate change.

I think we've turned the corner.

Oh, Nothing

Got a call from Bug today. Here is the transcript of the beginning of the conversation.

Bug: Hello Dr. G, steri strips are one step under stitches, right?
Dr. G: Right. Why?
Bug: No reason, I was just wondering.


Ok, this is not something that one contemplates along with the deep dark mysteries of the universe. In fact, the thought of steri strips usually NEVER crosses a person's mind unless there is a specific injury involving their use.

Upon further questioning ( actually, badgering) it turns out that there was a small need for their use. I insisted on having a picture sent to me to ensure that the damage did not appear to need additional medical attention, and then I let it go.

I wonder if this is specific to certain people, or if our kids do it to us to make us nuts. i know that getting information from Bug can be beyond difficult. to quote someone, I don't know who though the quote is apt here

"He wouldn't tell you your coat was on fire unless you asked him a direct question"

and even then, it usually involves a lot more than one question.

Sheesh

LOOK OUT!!!

One of the advantages of the summer at the Good Doctor's home is that the house is relatively empty, so the unlucky child who remains at home with the old folks gets lots of attention.

Good or bad.

The truth is, the child currently at home, my older daughter, is a pleasure to have around ( mostly). However, she is learning to drive, ( hence the name Ace, also for her academic achievements.) and this is scary. Without Boo around, who we don't like to terrorize by having her older sister practice, we have run out of excuses to not let her drive, and the usual standbys ( "its day" "its night" "its raining" "its sunny" ) are just not cutting it anymore. So off she goes, behind the wheel of a 3,000 pound weapon, blissfully enjoying her new found freedom while Lovey and I, whoever has the (mis)fortune to be with her, alternately cringing or crying out in sheer fear as trucks, buses and other assorted vehicles careen towards her.

You see, Ace believes that she has the right of way. Always.

Perhaps we should get her some lessons while we still have colored hair.

More Tales from Brooklyn

Its all about timing, folks. however, this time, it works to your advantage. Allow me to explain. ( "what else can we do, Mr. cryptic?" you wonder...)

I got to my office around 12 today about ten minutes later half the lights went out. I shut my computer as a precaution against a power surge ( trust me, the surge protectors only work up to a certain point). So I really couldn't do much except perspire and watch the mercury climb inside as the air conditioning was out as well.

Around 1:30 the power went out completely, in order to address the issue that had caused the brownout. I walked down the 12 flights to the ground floor, with the intention of heading into the local town for some lunch, and then depending on the power situation, I would return or more likely go home, as I had no desire to climb 12 flights in 100 degree heat.

I met someone downstairs, and I was in his air conditioned car chatting for about five minutes when I got a call from the office that the power was back on! Since I was merely in the parking lot, I really had no excuse to not return to the office immediately, which I did with great alacrity ( in case the boss reads this).

Others who had left right after me, expecting the power outage to continue, did not feel compelled to return to work (shame, shame). However, all is not lost, as I was able to get back on to my computer and dash off this entry, so that all of you out there in the blogsphere can benefit from my return as well.

It's Not WHAT You Know, It's WHO You Sit Next To

Two kids off to camp yesterday and one still in school leaves the house relatively empty. (my apologies to Ace, the new driver in training).

To mark this momentous occasion, Lovey and I decided to do the counter intuitive thing, and go out.

We decided that we didn't want to spend any money, so we went to a place where we had a gift certificate. We checked the menu, and decide to stay. They have a lovely dining room, but outside seating as well. As the weather was perfect for siting outside, we chose to sit there.

After they bring us the bread and water, eventually they take our order. I wash. So does Lovey. We nibble the bread, we nibble more bread, we finish the bread. We wait. We watch other diners come and sit. We start a conversation with a friendly couple on the next table. We wait. We see other diners get drinks, condiments, bread, water, some meals. We wait.

You would think that a hard nosed litigator might actually get up and say something, however, the night was lovely, we had no place to go, the remaining child at home was babysitting, and most importantly, I am a wimp when it comes to asserting myself for myself.

We mentioned to the couple next to us that we seemed to be waiting for a while. Then the waiter started coming out and giving us funny looks. Then the manager. Finally, the manager comes over to us and the couple next to us and apologizes profusely that there was a glitch in the computer and the outside orders were not getting through to the kitchen. I was willing to go with this. However, are fellow diners felt that something should be done, so they suggested that at least there should be complimentary wine. The manager agreed, but as I didn't need to drink, we opted for dessert instead. When it came time for dessert, our neighbors again reminded the waiter that it should be complimentary. Which it was, and delicious.

We asked the couple what they do. Turns out they are both lawyers.