Storm Watch 2010

As I mentioned a couple days ago it's easy to forget what bad weather is like when you live in Southern California. Yesterday I got caught up in the whole "Storm Watch 2010" media blitz and left the office 2 hours early. After all, the local news anchors Chuck Whatshisface and Carmen Ismyhairok had some pretty grim faces on as they reported on a commune of hippies who refused to leave their canyon homes despite imminent doom. So I grabbed a few extra extra AA batteries (really?) from my desk and mobilized. I am usually immune to media hype, but according to FEMA, I live in a one hundred year flood zone. So that little crack of doubt you get in the back of your mind started to spread. I wanted to make sure my house was still there. The reward for my prudence? Sitting on a closed freeway for two hours due to flooding. My house was fine, the freeway not so much. But at least I finally ended up getting in a swim workout in a fairly empty pool.

The day before I went running in the rain, only to find out later that a tornado was concurrently touching down not a mile from where I was. I was having the time of my life hitting every puddle and testing to see if my trail running shoes where waterproof as advertised (they are not), totally unaware. Forget the macho stuff and all the things I was saying in my January 18th post - I'm not really up for taking on a tornado. It's a good thing I took a left instead of a right at the corner of Warner and Pacific Coast Highway. It was the Jack In The Box sign that had fallen over into the middle of the street that steered me south.

So two days and two examples of the unintended consequences of well intentioned thoughts.

Today I snuck out between storm cells. Plus :30 mile splits into the wind, negative :30 mile splits back. My shoes where still wet. They where also advertised as fast drying. Go figure.

I had dinner with a business associate tonight that is in California for the first time. From The State Of California, Dianne Feinstein, Governor Schwarzenegger, a couple of random character actors that live in The Valley and me - Sorry. But don't worry, the next time you are back, odds are it will be sunny.

But now it's still raining.