close

From palm trees to Purgatory

3 min read

I went away for a few days. I was in my old stomping grounds, Los Angeles. Of course, I was afraid to stomp too much; they just had an earthquake a few days before I arrived. They also had floods. I’m sure you’re wondering why I would go somewhere when the ground is shaking and the water is overflowing. The flight was cheap. I hadn’t been back to LA since I left in 2009. I was overdue for a visit. By the way, I didn’t feel any earthquakes or experience any floods, pestilence or plagues. All in all, it was a great trip.

When I got there, it was sunny and 60 degrees. Not beach weather, but certainly good enough to stroll around in.

The funny thing is, all the Californians were complaining about the weather. Some of them even wore mittens. Mittens! It was 60! I forgot how hearty we Pennsylvanians are.

I was at LAX at the crack of dawn. I looked out the window to a beautiful sunrise of turquoise, fiery orange, magenta and purple with silhouettes of palm trees swaying in the breeze. LAX also has these columns of light that change color every few minutes. It was a breathtaking sight. Everyone was lining up to the window and snapping photos with their phones.

Side note: Do we still snap? When you’re taking a picture with your cell is it considered snapping a picture or just taking a picture? I hate to think we lost a much more colorful verb through upgraded technology.

But I digress, like I do. I descended into Pittsburgh Monday night. I woke up to snow Tuesday. I forgot how I’m not as hearty as other Pennsylvanians. At 6 a.m., I was out shoveling the driveway, cursing under my breath like Muttley, “Rassa frassa razzamatazz.”

More snow fell by the time I left to leave the house, and it looked like I didn’t do anything. “Extra rassa frassa razzamatazz.”

It should be noted that I don’t hate snow. I just don’t want to drive in it. It’s lovely when you’re at a ski lodge looking out the window at it. I’d rather slide down the hill in an inner tube than in a PT Cruiser.

It was really hard to go from palm trees to snow in less than 24 hours. From 60 degrees to six is a shock. That’s a lot of degrees to lose in one day. I had to adapt to the weather and the time change.

When I was out in Los Angeles, I didn’t adjust to the time change, because I was only there for four days. However, when I came back, I felt the difference. I haven’t been fully awake all week. I’m nodding off at my desk far more than usual. If you think it’s boring reading this column, imagine writing it! Snooze.

I do miss living in Los Angeles, but I realized something. I really love my life here in Pittsburgh. I may never adapt to the temperature this winter, but there’s no place like home.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today