drizzle, downpour, and the Live Mega Doppler 7000 HD

it's raining right now. actually, i believe the technical term is 'drizzle'. coming from Seattle, there are a dozen different terms for the varying degrees of precipitation in the air at any given time; rain, sprinkle, showers, downpour, fog, flurries, and drizzle - to name a few. so, considering it rains once every six months here, it's always amusing to watch the local news when there's rain in the forecast.

once the leathery-skinned meteorologist suggests a hint of rain, every news promo 48 hours prior to the big event go something like this:

"a dramatic change in the weather! your family's life could be at risk. tune in at 11!"

the entire city is thrown into red-alert mode as if were an impending tsunami headed right for us! high wave warnings are immediately put into effect (which incidentally only affect the stoner-surfer demographic) and reporters are put on location wearing rain slickers and bright yellow ponchos that are normally reserved for crab fisherman in the north atlantic.

i look out my window, see a light drizzle, and yawn. but when i turn on the news, it's a completely different picture. they are in complete lockdown mode. STORMTRACKER '07! we are shown minute by minute updates on the Live Mega Doppler 7000 HD; which sounds like some cheesy futuristic device from a classic episode of Star Trek.

what a joke. give me a call when there's enough rain to actually wash the bird crap off my car (pictured on right). until then, simmer down LA and enjoy your trace amounts of acid rain.

but to my astonishment, it's actually been a little chilly lately. this evening i exhaled and actually saw my breath, although that just as well could have been a mini smog cloud hovering perilously close to my lips. that would explain the burning sensation when i inhaled.

i was pleasantly surprised to find that it actually does dip below 96 degrees in the wintertime.

i can't wait for christmas eve and palm trees. stupid california.