An Open Letter to WRAL's Meterologist

A friend emailed the following letter last night -- it cracked me up, so I asked him if I could post it on my blog today (in lieu of the usual Friday's Five) as his blog is currently on hiatus. Thankfully he said yes (because he's a lawyer type, I couldn't publish without permission for fear of legal action).

The post is all the funnier because of the big, fluffy white flakes currently falling outside my window. Better luck next time, my friend -- last night, I was sure you'd be right!

________

Dear Greg,

I am on to you. It's a twisted little game you got going on, and I will not let it stand. See, Fishel, we've been down this road before, you and me. And as our former president famously said, "Fool me once, shame on — [pauses] - shame on you. Fool me — You can't get fooled again."

Here is the deal. You played this wintry weather scare game on the night of my wife's baby shower. Your dire warnings of 'frozen precipiatation' scared all my native southern friends from venturing outdoors. You made it sound like a flake of snow was akin to the ebola virus. Your 28 years of experience freaking out the natives might get you some street cred with the bread-buying, beer-hoarding locals, but I am not from here and I am hip to your reindeer games.

So, anyway, on that faithful night two years ago, me and my poor wife were just sitting at friend's house, alone, in the dark. No friends to wish our new arrival well. No cute baby clothes. No silly games we have decided here in the 21st are somehow an acceptable way to wish a couple well. And the worst part? The roads were dry. Bone dry. Yancey County dry. Dry enough for even the most southern of my friends to drive safely on.

So this time, Fishel (if that's your real name), I am choosing to ignore your doppler 5000 and your accuweather predictions.

I am going to the Raleigh Times at 11:55 tomorrow. I am going to enjoy my [monthly lunch group]. And when I hear your dire predictions of wintry weather, I will spitefully laugh and ruefully think of my young son and how he was forced to go without shower presents, all because you couldn't get your shower predictions right.

Yours in accurate forecasting,
Damon

Image from WRAL.com.

Friday's Favorite Five: Spring

Harbingers of spring take different forms for different people. For some, it's the start of baseball practice or the panic of tax day. For my dad, it's probably the spring football game in Blacksburg this weekend (go Hokies!).

For me, it's the fact that the forecast for next four days is sunny and 90 (sorry for those of you not reading this from the South). Although the temps might feel more like summer, I'm so relieved that it finally means we've turned the corner away from winter.

In honor of this sunny Friday, here are my favorite five signs that Spring has truly arrived:

1. Pollen: Okay, not so much the sneeze-inducing, car-covering yellow mess. But I do love what it does to my yard, especially this year. Front and back, our garden is filled with blooming azaleas (see photo), irises, tulips, camellias, dogwoods and more on the way. It's absolutely gorgeous.
   
   
2. Outdoor concerts: The only thing better than a good live music show is a good live music show outside with a picnic. We just reserved our tickets for two shows at the N.C. Museum of Art amphitheater -- Pink Martini and a kids show with They Might Be Giants.
   
   
3. Gin & Tonics: I discovered the G&T when I was living in the UK, but I fell in love with it as a warm-weather drink when my husband first made one for me. He's a great bartender, and you know it's spring when he puts away the whiskey and brings out the limes.
   
   
4. Top down: I am a convertible girl -- have been since my father bought a 1972 Fiat Spider when I was 10. Nothing heals my spirit faster than driving with the top down on a sunny spring day (while wearing sunscreen, of course).
   
   
5. Post-dinner playtime: With longer daylight hours, the kids can go outside and play after dinner. There's just something lovely about listening to my children laugh as they run around the yard with Daddy in the evening.
   

So how do you know it's spring? And what little things do you do to celebrate the season?