Happy Holidays everyone! I have survived my holiday ER shifts and am now half done with my ER duty! It will be a thrill this summer when I truly will be only doing surgery all the time. All in all, the holiday wasn't too bad, I saw a record number of ER cases on Christmas Eve day, and Christmas day was a bit more manageable. The amazing thing to me was the amount of euthanasias we did on Christmas Eve day, most occurred in the morning. Did they come in because they finally decided that the pet couldn't make it through one more holiday? or the kids came home from college to say goodbye to fluffy? or the in-laws refused to be in the house with the stinky old dog? Maybe multiple reasons. But we sure did a lot of them that day.
And while I complain about the weather, so does everyone else so I sort of blend in. It seems to be that weather small talk reaches new heights here. Maybe there just isn't as much to discuss with California weather as here. I mean, people will seriously discuss the weather, yesterday's, tomorrows, the weather at their sisters in Cleavland, the road, the conditions, the traffic, the accidents, their backyard, their street and the timeliness of the snow plows...the list is endless. It is pretty much agreed upon that there are a lot of bad drivers when it snows, since it is an infrequent occurrence here, so again, I can blend right in.
We had a big snow storm a few weeks back, by big I think we got 1-2" of snow. But it was cold enough to last for a few days. Everyone says it is fun at first, but then gets really frustrating. So far, the snow hasn't been around long enough for it to matter. The rain comes and washes it away. And we had no snow for Christmas, which everyone was hoping for. Instead it was 65 yesterday. I loved it. Last weekend, it was 3 degrees when I left work at midnight. After spending 15 minutes scrapping my car, I could finally safely drive home. And thanks to my new iPhone, the weather channel app told me that with the bitter cold wind, it really feels like -17!! I never thought I would live in a place in which 30 degrees starts to feel warm! Or at least pleasant. I must be acclimating to Ohio as this whole blog is about the weather! Seriously, I could keep going...
I think my friend Sarah (who moved to Michigan for her residency) said it best when she said she is "experimenting with layered clothing--right now I am on about 4 layers typically". That is it exactly. Going out to check the mail or take out the garbage becomes a much larger project as you put on sweatshirt or vest, scarf, hat, jacket, and of course gloves! Once I am all bundled up, the only thing that can get cold is my legs under my jeans. Long underwear would work for an extended period outside, but really for me it is the walk from the car to the hospital and then hospital to car that I need the warmth. Maybe I can track down some great 80s leg-warmers and just pop those on when I go outside and then pull them off at home...something to consider.
In about November, I realized that my "winter coat" would not be sufficient. That warm black jacket just wasn't cutting it in teens temperatures. After much discussion on the values of Northface vs REI and down vs synthetic, I ended up with a black poly-synthetic (but supposedly as warm as down without the puff) jacket from REI. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Its a long jacket that stops at mid calf. This jacket is like walking around in a warm sleeping bag. I mean, I have a lot of jackets for a Californian: red peacoat, faux sheepskin, raincoat, zip-up sweatshirts, etc. But this jacket may be the best. It is not the most stylish but the warmth is heavenly as I walk out of the hospital and nearly collapse as I take a breath of COLD air that seems to snap all my alveoli shut and kill all of my nasal mucosa. At least the rest of me is warm...except the calves-where are those leg warmers?
WISHING EVERYONE A JOYFUL NEW YEAR!!
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I was amused with your description of weather as the mainstay of conversation. That's the talk in the Ohio River Valley. It's not only winter. It's all the time! It's easy to start a conversation mentioning the weather or complaining about weather predictions. It's as indigenous to the Ohio Valley as Mexican food is to California!
I discovered leg warmers for the 1st time this winter and they are a godsend! I bought 2 pairs at Sears.
I've also learned to wear two pairs of socks at all times and anything fleece -- pants, jackets, socks.
I never enjoyed snow and could not understand people who could. Now, that I'm taking "Angel" out in the backyard a zillion times a day, I have gained an appreciation. First of all, I can if he has pee - ed (ha,ha!). Then, he loves it. He's about 6 inches tall and he has to bounce up and down to get through the snow. He loves it! (It was the same for my Susie, my Chow mix. I discovered they are both descended from the Spitz family!).
Angel doesn't love what's out there now. It's like a snow cone. It's hard for him to move; he gets stuck.
Angel does love playing tag with one of my cats. He chases Ms. Cleo behind the couch and then she comes out from behind the couch and chases him! I suppose you've heard these stories!
Good luck with your marathon ER duties.
Jane O.
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