Our newspaper weather forecast always has clever little pictures of the weather right next to the day in question—just in case you can’t grasp the concept of “Partly Cloudy” without an illustration.
So for three days out of our four-day swim meet, the little weather picture looked like this:
It was warm and pleasant and our snack bar sold plenty of snow cones. Getting my feet wet while timing was actually a refreshing experience.
And then on Monday—the day I was supposed to be working our swim meet’s snack bar—the clever little weather icon turned into this:
So you can’t say I wasn’t warned. I got up at 5:30 am, pulled my California rain coat out of the Hefty trash bag box, and drove to the pool, where I found our outdoor snack bar kitchen in this state:
It was only light sprinkles while we set up under our tarp, but by the time we buttered the first skillet the heavens let loose again. And while we parent chefs argued about whether rainwater was sterile or not, the Ark took off without us.
And yes, I know that if I was in New York, we would’ve been scrambling these eggs underneath a tarp weighed down by one hundred feet of snow.
All I can say to that is that you east coasters build INDOOR pools. We west coasters believe all that PR bull-puckey about it never raining in southern California and for the most part build outdoor pools.
Heck, sometimes we don’t even build concession areas with our pools, so we end up operating snack bar kitchens under tarps with a gazillion extension cords plugged into two or three electrical outlets. Turn on that crock pot over there and the microwave and coffee pot go off—and you might blow out the pool lights, too.
Yup. Our pool planners may be shortsighted, but hey—they’ve got better tans than those east coast pool planners, so there.
And I can SO just see you sticking out your tongue on that last comment of yours! So… tell us the important stuff. How did the kids do?
btw, Bonnie… try Mystery Case Files on MSN Games. I think the subtitle is Ravensclaw or something. It’s a super game. Just plan on having HOURS to play.
“The Ark took off without us…”
I get the picture.
I think I’d take a few days of Southern California weather, even with the rain. We haven’t had a threat of snow, being too far south and all, but the weather’s been gloomy anyway. 🙂
Are you glad it’s over?
Indoor, outdoor, any pool would be fine with me. And even though it’s rainy in the pictures, just seeing a warm pool without snow, if I concentrate really hard I can imagine the warm air.
I’m freezing. Just freezing.
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Oh to be standing under that tarp with you in San Diego I would be soooo happy! I grew up there and I miss it soooo much!
Sorry about that last one. Bonnie. I’ve been having trouble commenting on your blog – a problem with my browser- and the computer shop man had just been and I was trying to see if all was OK now. I didn’t mean to press the publish button! Sorry, sorry again. Anyway, I love this post because it’s so – well, American! Glad you’ve got better tans!
Hey, there, Judy, thanks for asking. I guess they did okay. From my vantage point of Saturday’s timing chair most of the kids seemed to be adding to their times.
A few kids made personal bests (not mine!) and as it turns out, a couple of things got stolen—like our team’s digital timers (about $1500!) That’s a big setback, for certain. Why do people do such things?
Say, thank you for the tip on the game! I’m going to check it out after I post here!
Bernita, Sabbath School definitely left its mark on me.
Honey, I think I’m more glad that this cold finally seems to be letting go of me. Yesterday I could smell the food I was cooking for the first time in weeks!
Ah, Michelle, in thinking about New York, I totally forgot Alaska. You poor thing!
Squirrel, I bet San Diego has changed a lot since you left. It’s gotten so crowded. You can’t beat the weather, though.
That’s okay, Welshcakes, don’t worry about that one bit. I used to have a spam plugin that I removed when I realized it not only kept people from commenting, but it kept them from even visiting this site!
I like your posts because they are so European. You’ve inspired me to post more pictures, too.
Oh Bonnie, that picture of you cooking up a storm, OUTDOORS, in February(!), cheered me up like you couldn’t imagine. It reminds me that Spring is just around the corner, even for us Canucks!
By the way, I’m visiting lovely warm San Diego (well, La Jolla) next month for a conference… any suggestions on things to do/see? (Feel free to email if you like.) Thanks muchly!
I’m looking outside at 2 feet of snow. It’s 30ºF and I’m going for a walk in a few minutes. I am NOT going to swim outside and I almost smacked Mulletman when he hinted at me standing outside in the evening gloaming to BBQ steaks for him.
I’m with a lot of the other commenters: warm rain and wet feet sound nice.
Not so sure about warm rain, wet feet, and overloaded outlets, though.
You have my vote for Mom of the Year.
Ha…don’t give me that…LOL…you poor thing…snow cones and wet bare feet..
Yea, I got them too but the snow cones are nine foot tall, and the wet feet are from snow going down my boots!
I hope it warms up for you, Glitterati. Today’s hi and low are 57/37, kind of cold for us So Cal babies! (I answered your question here.)
Hey Groovy! We’re almost there! Tonight’s low will be 37 degrees! Heh.
Nope, Robin, the mom of the year goes to the gal whose arm you see stirring the eggs above. She was at that snack bar three days in a row!
No bare feet here, Bonnie! Not yet, anyway. They’d go numb. But heh, those New York snow cones sound SCARY. And I am ever so glad I don’t live where it snows!
Oh, it’s like, “Welcome to Washington”, only with more outdoor pools. We don’t bother with pools, we just throw the kids into Puget Sound.
Parents who work hard at their kids’ events are all the World’s Greatest.
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