Sunday, June 29, 2008

Schizophrenic Weather

Some days it just isn't worth the fight. Today was one of those days.

It was clouded up already when I got up. The forecast didn't give me any better news. The Doppler showed cluster after cluster of showers headed our way. The good news: the plastic-covered mortar was safe.

While I made no progress on the porch yesterday, I did get lots of things done. I got the yard mowed -- front and back, thank you very much -- and was really impressed at its performance without a bagger. (I purposely left it off when I did the back, planning to go back over and bag since I hadn't cut back there in two weeks!)

But once I'd cut, the mower had pretty well mulched it! Just a few little spots where the cut grass was strewn about. Impressive.

I went to two hardware stores (one where I purchased the mortar) bought 100 more bricks, hit Wal-Mart, grocery stores ... lots of running around. After coming home, unloading, putting everything away, and then mowing, I was beat. But I did laundry.

So, I'd hoped that today could be devoted to the porch. I really wanted the larger portion done, except for digging around the outside edge. But Mother Nature was not in a cooperative mood. The house was dead center of black clouds and blue sky. Dead center. Weather could go either way. Guess which way it went?

I decided I'd start out by cutting some bricks for the outer edge. I didn't get the first brick cut when Rain Round 1 began. I unplugged the RotoZip and put the cord under the carport. Twenty minutes later, the sun was out.

This set the stage for the afternoon. Schizophrenic weather: It's raining. Now it's not. Yes it is. Now the sun's out. Now it's pouring. Wait, here comes the sun.

After hours of this, I really thought it was done. I spent the next hour setting down a row and a half of bricks and loading up a new supply to within reach. Suddenly, the wind gusted, the sky darkened, and it poured. POURED.

Screw it. I quit. I put things away or under the carport and went in, completely and totally disgusted. I decided to hit the showers. It was great to get all the dust off of me. The sun was blazing through the windows as I got dressed. The sun has been back out for the last two and a half hours now.

Mother Nature, you're a real beeotch.

6 comments:

Jayne said...

I HATE it when that happens! At least your mortar didn't turn into a giant concrete slab. I played hooky today and went to the Royals game.

Ann said...

Oh now she's just totally messing with you, totally! And what's up with these dopplers? Can we not trust them just like the weather people?

Unknown said...

It's called a microclimate. Although rain clouds were hovering over your house, they were unable to dump their load and move on, so to speak, because of minuscule atmospheric changes probably brought about by your successful lawn mowing the day before. Or maybe it was that beetle you chased out from under the bricks, whose energy field was just enough to make the sun come out briefly, until he scuttled under the porch. But anyway I'm sure it was totally your fault.

MonkeyGirl said...

Mother Nature is clearly going through "the change"! You know one moment she's happy, then she's sad, one minute she's hot, then freezing.......

NV said...

Jayne -- You are SO right! I wondered about it all night and was so glad that the bag shifted when I touched it.

Ann -- Yes, she is being el supremo beeotch this year. Whaddup with her?!

KayO -- It was the lawn-mowing. Had to be the lawn-mowing since that back yard had been neglected for some long. Clearly, a power shift.

MG-- THAT's whaddup with her. Good call!

NV said...

Jayne -- Forgot to mention your outing to the ballpark. Glad you had good weather, and that the Cards came home winners. :-)