Jeebus. I say this every April, I know, but still, damn — this wind is insane. Right now it’s barreling out of the south-southwest at 29 mph with gusts to 48.
Sucker flat pile-drives the pollen up the snotlocker, let me tell you. Feels like some evil plumber is ratcheting down an extra-large hose clamp on my brainpan. I should be out logging miles on the Jamis for review purposes, but I’ve been wrestling this accursed wind all week and I’m kind of over it. For now, anyway.
Still, could be worse — Flagstaff is under about a foot of snow, I-17 is closed, and the white stuff is still coming down. This is why we keep cross-country skis and snowshoes around. April showers, don’t you know.
Mad Blog Media 
Our current spring weather has me remembering why I was so happy to by in Italy this time last year! And wondering why the hell folks live here unless they have to — which is true for us — when the wife graduated with her PHD and wanted an academic job teaching philosophy — it was “go anywhere they offer you a job” so we did. I figured we’d be able to escape after a year or two (or three) but the academic world has only gotten smaller when it comes to tenure-track jobs – so we’re still here. The weather here is really rotten — cold and snow in winter (but rarely enough to ski on) windy and full of thunderstorms (we’re under a watch right now in fact) in the spring, followed by summer days with 90-90, that’s both the temperature and the humidity. Then it’s fall for a week or two before the leaves fall from the trees and it’s colder’n hell again! But at least it’s CHEAP! So cheap we can afford NOT to be here anytime college is not in session and cheap enough that our retirement savings should let us escape to Italy forever in 5-6 years. I gotta hand it to the folks who grew up here and are cyclists — they’re hardcore — I would NEVER have gotten into cycling in a place like this! I’d probably be like most people, “into” watching other people play sports on TV while consuming cheap beer and greasy snacks.
“…the academic world has only gotten smaller when it comes to tenure-track jobs…”
No shit, Larry. Politicians and even University presidents pander to low costs by minimizing tenure track slots, raising teaching workloads, and paying part time faculty to do lots of drudge work, i.e., lots of teaching and no research. Its the McDonaldization of academia. We fought those wars when I was on the faculty union, and even the tenured faculty were selling out in some departments–they could minimize their own teaching workload by hiring lecturers. Of course, they were slitting their own throats. Pols don’t understand research. If lecturers are teaching, why hire tenure track professors?
We left Honolulu because it was getting harder and harder to stare at the checkbook at the end of the month with me on soft money and my wife doing hard time in a community college. When I got the job offer from BombTown, my wife was packing the house before I could say “surf’s up” and I was looking at maps of good rides through the Jemez Mountains. I guess we will stay here till retirement. There ain’t many options.
Academia is in jeopardy in part because the public, lied to by Rush Windbag and the Gov. of Wisconsin, now believe they are better off stupid and powerless, waiting for the Lottery check to come in. Yeah, sure. Keep waiting.
Turkish: 1. Cat Toy: 0
It’s starting to look a little ragged. Better get him a new one before he starts looking at you funny.
Bibleburg sounds like SacTown at this time of year.
I made the “brilliant decision” (read as: complete mistake) of going for a 30 mile jaunt this morning. It was cool (mid 50s maybe), slight breeze out of the SSW and sunny. About 15 miles into the loop (ostensibly the furthest point from homesbase) my snothousing became congested. Needless to say that the remainder of the ride was more about surviving than actually getting exercise.
Upon posting it up at home, a nice four hour siesta ensued.
I love spring….and I hate spring!
Cold, damp, and blowing here in Duluth. The weather, that is. One cool thing was getting to watch the home town Bulldogs win the NCAA college hockey title. The Mrs. was torn, having live near Ann Arbor for many years. Michigan has won it enough in the past, so it was nice to see the little guys take it for a change.
Could be worse … that howling wind could be doing it’s best bellows impersonation on half a dozen forest fires like it’s doing up north.