If You Don’t Like The Weather...

There is a saying here: “If you don’t like the weather in London, wait five minutes, it will change.” What a deep and profound aphorism! It gives me pause for thought, however, that everywhere I have ever lived... they have had the same saying. It kind of struck me as strange when I moved to Memphis, Tennessee and was treated to the local wisdom: “If you don’t like the weather here in London, wait five minutes, it will change.” What an extraordinary thing to say! (Practically everywhere else I have ever lived, they have substituted the name of the local city for London in that sentence: “If you don’t like the weather in [say your city name here], wait five minutes, it will change.”

And change it does! The weather is mutable, almost everywhere... okay, even in the desert the weather changes! In the eight weeks I lived in Phoenix, I learned that desert weather really changes.

“If you don’t like the weather in Phoenix, wait five minutes, it will change.” Yeah! Right! But it did! It went from “Hot and Sunny” to “Sunny and Hot,” then it went on to “Frigging Hot and Ridiculously Sunny.” Later in the day, the hot and sunny weather changed to hot and slightly overcast weather. Even later in the day, after I had recovered from the stupor that the heat of the day put me into, it became dark and hot. But that was after sundown. And then it changed (around midnight) to pleasant and dark.

The point is, weather changes. Take today, for instance. It is a lovely day here in Thames Ditton this morning. When I got-up this morning and got my bike out of the shed, it was about 34 degrees and absolutely clear skies! Sure, it isn’t raining, but it is cold as a well-digger’s tush! Riding in this morning, I decided it was time to hit REI when I get home to make sure I have a mask and a toque and a ski-mask to keep warm on the ride in. Perhaps a pair of gloves as well. According to the BBC, it is going to be a biting, bitter, cold winter. So if, and I have no actual knowledge that this is the case, I am coming back for the next few months, I’ll want to make sure I have some more protective gear for the winter.

Now, those of you who think I am being a wussy about this, (I’m thinking about people who live in places where it gets really cold. - I’m talking to you Minnesota!) please remember... one of two things is true there. Either you leave you nice, warm houses, enter a nice warm car, drive to your nice warm office building and spend perhaps five minutes outside all day; or you have the proper clothing for being outside.

Traveling here at short stints, I have the clothing that is right for the period predominantly in for any trip. Since that would be summer for this trip, I have a few pieces of warm clothing, but not a lot. With the baggage restrictions, it is not as if I can move my entire wardrobe here. (Which is fine because, not only do I not have room to store it, I have been losing enough weight that it would soon not fit me anyway.)

I guess I should quit complaining about the cold and look for the bright side. At least the pollen counts are low in winter! Besides, this weather too will change. Soon I will have rain, or heat to complain about. Oh well, there are people who have real problems, I suppose I should shut up and enjoy life. After all, I’ve been living in London for most of the last year! How cool is that?!?

I hope that wherever you are today, you have a bright side you can look at.

Don Bergquist - 02 November 2006 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK

Editor’s Note:

REI (mentioned above) stands for Recreational Equipment Incorporated and is one of my favorite stores. They have such wonderful sporting clothing and equipment. The main store in Downtown Denver is at the sight of the old Forney Transportation Museum and has a three-storey-tall climbing wall. The branch out near my place in Lakewood has the friendliest staff who are always ready to help decide what I want to spend my money on next!

Visit them online at: http://www.rei.com/