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Vancouverites are Fragile Weatherwise

Vancouverites tend to whine about the weather a lot.  We whine when it is too rainy and cool as it was through most of May, June, July and part of August, 2012.  If it is below 15C or about 62F we think it is not warm enough.

This last week the temperatures soared to 30C or about 90F each day and we whined that it was too hot.  Now I can hear all of you who have lived through one of the hottest summers in North American sighing and thinking:  You had ONE week of hot weather, are you kidding.  No, I'm not.  We don't have much air conditioning in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia because generally we don't need it for more than one week per year.  But this was the week.  (Paul and I installed AC in our home years ago because we like to be comfortable.  So my only discomfort this last week was at work, not home.)  I lived in Fresno, California for years where the temperature can get to 40C or about 115F during the summer.  You'd think I could handle the current heat without complaint, but I didn't.  And since we, Vancourites know no one else will sympathize with us, we complain among ourselves.   We are particularly good at helping ourselves feel uncomfortable when it does get hot or cloudy.  I suspect it is appropriate that we do keep our own company, we are redundant in our complaining.  One radio station called Death Valley in California last week to talk to someone who informed listeners it was only 48C or about 130F the day the call was made.  The host indicated the motivation for the call was to help us all feel less sorry for ourselves about the heat.  I'm not sure it worked.



On Sunday the weather completely changed and now we're back in temps below 20C or mid-60F.  I'm having to dress warmer and just thankful it isn't raining.  Perhaps I'd be happy of we could just keep the weather partly cloudy with the temperature between 18-24C or about 70-80F without rain.  But then I'm sure I'd find something else to gripe about.  Oh, I'm a fickle weather fiend, but then I'm not alone.  Weather complaints are one of Vancouverites' specialities, I think.

So yesterday I did finish Baby Blue Boy sweater, but since we aren't on speaking terms right now, I didn't take another photo.  You'll just have to trust me it turned out fine.  And I added the red collar to the Dachshund.  I've been staving off knitting withdrawal and wrapping up those not quite finished projects.  Last night I even picked up the wallflower and worked on it!  It is good to stick to what you said you'd do, but somehow it doesn't seem like as much fun.

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