I'm going to come across all polite conversation with strangers and distant relatives and have a little chat about the weather today.
The most pleasant weather has been happening down here in my part of the world. 'Pleasant' is a much underrated word, I think. This weather is very pleasant, in that it's nice and enjoyable and makes you feel all happy and summery and like skipping down the street singing Beach Boys songs. This kind of weather is one notch up from the 15 - 16 degrees that was the norm in October, yet not the nasty sun crashing down like it wants to kill you manner. I haven't seen the weather report for the past week, but I would say (in my oh-so-weather-wise manner) that it's been about 22 - 25 degrees each day. Hot enough to get a tan if you lie directly in the sun for about half an hour, yet not so hot that you get burnt the moment you poke your newly-exposed trouserless legs in their winter coating of white in the direction of a sunbeam. Today it was 28 degrees by 10am, which usually feels a bit hot for comfort for me, yet it was a little cloudy taking the edge off the sun's heat. At 1.45 pm I decided to go off in search of some lunch, and strolled off down the corridor of my uni building, stopping first to visit the ladies. (Not the nice office ladies, or the reading room lady, I'm trying to refer in polite terms to the loo so as not to offend any American readers, who I have been informed shudder in horror at any direct mention of the toilet and consider it the height of rudeness to call the loo the loo). While washing my hands and happily contemplating my wander across campus to the ref (short for reflectory, what we call the cafeteria for some unknown reason) in the joy-filling sun, I realised that the view from the window was dark, and that noise I could hear wasn't a heavy truck rolling past outside, it was a torrential downpour. This downpour lasted for only 45 minutes, and while it did make my feet all squelchy in their summer footwear of slides, luckily I had my umbrella in my bag and was able to acquire my much anticipated vegetarian quiche from the ref. I thoroughly enjoyed my quiche, main ingredient eggs. Yum, chicken ovulation! Given that I have no problem eating the actual bodies of chickens, I don't think I can object to eating their periods (check out Léonie's page if you are completely befuddled by this talk of chicken periods and ovulation and don't see how I can jump from talk of pleasant weather to quiche to ovulation).
Anyway, the downpour is over and at least two types of birds are making happy little chirpy noises and celebrating this. I have returned to the computer lab and am attempting and failing dismally to do some work that I need to have done by tomorrow. All this pleasant weather is distracting. It makes me want to lie outside with the very good book I have just started. Bring back the frost, I say! Who cares about the uplift in mood the sun creates? In the interests of a productive working environment, it needs to be about 10 degrees and overcast. Or maybe I'm just using nice weather as an excuse to do no work, rather than just accepting that I generally do no work regardless of the weather. No, it's definately the weather. Shut up, stupid happy birds! Oh good, it's started to rain again. Maybe now that I have no excuse to want to be outside enjoying myself and will do some work. Yes, I know, not likely. But I can only hope! |
You know, you're an odd bod :)
I agree, though. The weather has tippy toppy fantabulous the last week or so. And despite the rain and wind and general overcast-ness, I went to the beach for a swim tonight. That makes 3 nights in a row - BLISS!