lord knows when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head aroundToday has been another windy day. It started yesterday afternoon, working hard to bring in the rain for today. I did get the last of my spring bulbs in the ground yesterday, fighting against the wind and time. I still have many planters and a few seeds to put in the ground, but those can wait for another day.
As of today, I have had umbrellas blow
out on me before, but never blow
in on me….until today. There is a gale warning issued for this area, so it is to be expected. Try as I might to be able to compare this wind to the winds of the Central Plains, there just can be no comparison. The wind from the mountains and the sea is just totally different. This is not to say that prairie winds won’t knock your socks off. Come to think of it, there are many types of wind and I firmly believe that none of them can be compared. They may be the same mph, but there is so much difference in
how they feel. Just like the winds of the city. Chicago being a good example – you can’t compare those Chicago winds to anything else. They just are. And you have to be there to know them.
Despite seeming to be in a thoughtful mood, what I really am in is a bad mood. I had to sleep with earplugs in last night so that the sound of the wind didn’t keep me from sleeping. (Yes, either the winds are
that bad or the construction of their housing here is
that bad – actually, it’s probably a combination of BOTH!) I woke up this morning and took out my earplugs. Just laying there listening to the wind and spattering rain against the window made realize today would be a day best spent in bed – however, there is no such holiday here. I walked to work in the wind and the rain (because it is only a block). I walked to and from the Junior High School in the wind and rain (because it is only a block). I walked to and from the bank and post office in the wind and rain (because it is only 6 blocks round trip). My umbrella threatened to blow out on me, then it threatened to blow in on me and then finally it did blow in on me. The umbrella is (surprisingly) not ruined. The built-in-flexibility (in other words: cheaply made craftsmanship) of the umbrella made it so that I was able to fold it back up and it should work for the windy and rainy walk home.
One thing is the same for all wind, I think. They all really take it out of you. One walk against the wind and rain and you feel like you could lay down for a bit. Walking against it is like instant exhaustion. I feel exhausted and grumpy. The only thing keeping me from being totally disgruntled is that my hair looks fantastic from the moisture and wind-blowing. I couldn’t style it this well if I tried. Too bad it takes a lot of energy and bad mood to get it this way.
Tonight I have a work party to go to. I had originally thought it was Monday, so I had worn a suit jacket on Monday. When it turned out to be today, I didn’t bother with the suit jacket. A skirt, turtleneck and cardigan will just have to do.
Labels: life in japan, weather