Irene: Should I be worried?

Well, as most east coasters know now, we are expecting hurricane Irene to strike sometime today or tomorrow. For those of us near the Philly region, the storm is supposed to hit us around 2p.m. on Sunday (tomorrow).

I'm not too sure. First of all, this morning I read on the NY Times that scientists/meteorologists or whoever is in charge of weather reports have downgraded the hurricane from a Category 2 to a Category 1.

Today hasn't been too threatening. So far, we've had some rain that started around noon and that's pretty much it. The storm we experienced on Thursday had more thunder and lightning than this. People are stocking up on food, being advised to stay inside and away from the windows, as well as seeking shelter/being prepared to evacuate if necessary. I don't know about anyone else, but personally, I'm not expecting much. I can't say I've ever been in a hurricane before, coming from California, but all I can anticipate happening is some wind/rain and maybe a power outage.

Just the other day, my roommates and I called maintenance on our campus because our thermostat has been stuck in the 50s for the past week! Yes, we've all been freezing and wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants inside, while it's in the 80s and humid outside. It's been miserable. But anyway, I called maintenance to come and fix our thermostat and they informed me that all of their dispatched workers were busy with the impending storm.... Really? This was yesterday!! It was sunny and hot out all day long!! Ugh! I'm so annoyed at them and everything. Blah. OK, rant finished.

Just, everyone be safe, be smart, and most of all don't do anything stupid. Like run around outside without clothes on in the middle of a hurricane. Please, for everyone's sake.

Stephanie, WWT

Spring Fever: The Groundhog Got it Wrong!

With spring here now, many of us have decided to take full advantage of the brilliant sunlight and 40 - 50 degree temperatures of March. I understand that the groundhog told you people that spring would be here quickly, but really? The month of February is still categorized as a winter month the last time I checked yet that's when I began to notice girls sporting dresses and skirts, dying to expose some skin in order to get some color back on their pale, sunlight-deprived legs. It's now nearing the end of March, and we're expecting snow in our forecast! The harsh winter just doesn't seem to want to let go. 

Growing up in California, spring was just a natural occurrence that didn't bring drastic changes in temperature. We had no snow to melt and the climate was always relatively mild. From where I'm from, it is unheard of to wear shorts below 60 degrees and most people panic when it drops below 40. When i came to the East coast, I was met with a class of people that seem to have an entirely different mindset about spring.  It's like, at the first sign or mention of good weather people start to dress as if it was summer. I asked myself whether these people had developed some sort of insulating skin layer or were just being anxious. My only conclusion is that these poor people who subject themselves to living in these awful conditions have developed something like a seasonal disease.

I began to realize that the cold, long, winter months here seem to exaggerate the false warmth of February and March.  Anything above 45 degrees becomes "nice" weather.  The sun starts to shine, yet it still remains freezing outside.  This doesn't seem to stop the rock hard determination of the people living here however.  They wear their dresses and shorts with pride, fighting the urge to shiver or grimace at the gusts of chilling wind.  So to all of you summer hungry people out there, I salute and applaud your enthusiasm! This truly is dedication...or foolishness.

This is what happens when you rely on a rodent for your weather forecast! Good luck and hang in there, summer is on its way...I hope.

-Stephanie, WWT

TGFS - Thank God For Snowdays!

As most everyone has heard, the northeast has been blanketed with at least a foot of snow, two feet in some areas.  This weather is a lot even for residents who put up with shoveling snow year rouund, let alone for someone from California. As I recieved a text Wednesday morning at 8:30 informing me that classes were cancelled, I was relieved.  That meant four classes for me were cancelled, including a three hour night class.

That also meant that my 10:00 hockey practice was cancelled, what was I going to do? Needless to say I enjoyed the day, relaxed, did some reading, and watched some tv. You can imagine my surprise as I woke up this morning at 6:00am to the text that said all classes were once again cancelled today. Now, I love a snow day as much as everyone else, but two days in a row? Now it was getting tricky. I have a blood drive donation scheduled today, what happens to that? I also need to schedule some appointments and talk to some people about housing arrangements next year, but when all staff are also taking the day off, I am left wondering if I will ever get these problems resolved.

When do snow days become too much? Sure it's fun to interrupt your daily routine for a while, but for more than a day? I get to the point where it almost throws my entire schedule off.  It can be difficult to maintain plans and arrangements that have already been made. Snow days continue to be a surreal experience for me, growing up in California my entire k through 12 education, I only had one snow day that downed a tree on the road to my school in the mountains, and believe me, THAT was exciting.

Now, it seems like a nuisance. Tell me your thoughts, have you always grown up with snowdays or never had one in your lifetime? How many is too many in a row?
To all of the students out there, enjoy your snowday, unless it interrupts something important for you. In that case, we can only hope for the plows to work miracles.

Have fun!

Stephanie, WWT