Can we pick the days I have off?

Lucking Out

I am, by nature, not a lucky person. What can go wrong typically will go wrong and I'm still learning to roll with it.

So with that big ole hurricane aimed for my beloved Jersey Shore, you bet I was worried.

I thought that this would be "the big one" for two big reasons:

1. Since February, I've called the top floor of a Victorian home built in 1890 home
2. My mom has been lusting for an outdoor shower at our family's beach house for at least 1o years. It was installed Wednesday

But I am SO glad that if this is "the big one", we are well-prepared.

Riddle me this, though: All over Facebook and Twitter, I'm seeing updates expressing that people are upset and disappointed with the strength of the storm and the lack of damage.

Um, hello? It's called being grateful that my apartment still has a roof. Thankful that the bay across the street from my beach house didn't flood. Happy that my childhood home isn't near a river and is now under seven feet of water.

It's called luck: we lucked out. The big one will come and I hope that we are as prepared for a storm as this one.

Photos from the Jersey Shore Hurricane News Facebook page, the best source of news and pictures of the hurricane and proof that social media rules.

In a Path of Destruction

Now, I love myself a good weather story to follow.

Snow storm? I'll track it. Thunder in the background? My BlackBerry's weather tracker is up.

But this one is heading a little bit too close for comfort.



New Jersey has already declared a state of emergency and many towns are ordering evacuations. My town hasn't made it mandatory yet, but I'm peacing out tomorrow.

Seven Days of Rain and No Motivation

Ever have one of those days where you just can't get yourself to do anything when you're at home? When you're out, it's all good. But the second you walk through that door, the motivation is left outside? For some reason, I just could not bring myself to open up my laptop after I left the office.

Well, that some reason could have been the long week of rainy weather. The rain came in Saturday afternoon and didn't leave until Friday. Gross. April showers brings May monsoons.

BUT I'll admit that it was worth it. Saturday was, finally, the beach day I have been waiting for since I moved to the beach in February. Sunny skies, cool air made warm by the sun and no breeze. My present for surviving the week:

Winning. Finally.

I got to enjoy my sweet new ride (details to follow) and plop my ass on the beach. Which I did from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. With SPF 8. I know, I know. Far from the smartest idea, but, hell, if they world was coming to an end at 6 p.m., you bet I was gonna get that last tan.

So yeah, I'm still here. A little sunburnt. No regrets, though, because it's cold and cloudy again. I guess I'd be greedy to ask for two nice days in a row.

I didn't know I was living in San Francisco

Weather forecasts with 80 degrees and sunshine are the days that I live for. Sunday was perfect: warm, sunny, not too humid. The forecast for most of the week showed more of the same.

Inland, that is.

The weather at the beach was much, much different. I work less than 15 minutes from my apartment, which is a few blocks from the beach. Each day this week, I've gotten in early so I could spend some time outside enjoying the sunshine before it got dark.

Fail. Big, big fail.

Warm, sunny mornings have given way to cold, foggy afternoons.

5 Things that Make a Day Go Sour

1. Upon making it down to my car to go to work, I realize why my load seemed so light walking down two flights of steps: my left hand was missing my cup of coffee. Said cup of coffee is up two flights of stairs sitting on my counter.

2. About an hour into the day, I realize that the words on the computer screen are a little fuzzy. I look up from my itty-bitty computer screen to realize that everything is a little fuzzy. Hmm. Oh great, week seven of my contacts? Oops, they’re good for 2-4 weeks. Guess it’s time to re-order. (And see things a little fuzzy for the next 5-7 days because there is no way I’m wearing glasses all week.)

3. Remember that cup of coffee I walked up two steep flights of stairs to retrieve? I’ve had three sips of it since getting to work. It’s 10:30 a.m. now and guess what? It’s cold. (And I’ve learned that travel mugs cannot under any circumstances be put in the microwave.)

4. 5 p.m. rolls around. Time for the gym, yay! Oh crap, where my iPod? Working out without music or at least being able to catch the news is just not worth it. Home it is. I’ll just stop in, change, grab my iPod and head back out to the gym. Right….

5. 6 p.m. It’s POURING out. Thunder, lightening, wind, monsoon rain. There goes the power.

One Reason Being an Adult Sucks

Sunshine and Warm Weather

One of my small obsessions is the weather. I need to know what it's going to be like outside. I need to know what jacket to bring, what shoes to wear and be warned with how cold I'm going to be. If there's a storm coming, you bet I can tell you how much rain or snow is coming and when it's starting. I almost cross my fingers for the ever-rare Jersey hurricane because I would love to see it and know everything about it. In college, my roommates would ask me before they got dressed in the day how it is outside. It's just one of those few things that I need to know.

So about ten days before a trip, you bet I'm on www.weather.com crossing my fingers for sunshine and warm weather. Last January's trip to Florida brought nothing but rain. South Florida was cold and miserable. The iguanas were literally freezing and dropping out of trees. I went kayaking in Key Largo wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. I didn't get to wear a bikini once. In fact, I bought a tanning package while I was there so I came back tan.

I was the only person wearing flip flops because hell, I was in Florida and it was above freezing, which it wasn't in Jersey at the time. Apparently when the weather is below 60 degrees, South Floridians break out parkas and Uggs.

I'm leaving for Florida tonight and the forecast is looking a bit different.Hello, flip flops, beach days, bikinis and old men! See ya tonight!