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Written by Felix Wong - View Profile
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Tuesday, 16 January 2007 |
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The other day I was talking with a friend from the Bay Area of California, who was complaining about the weather in the Golden State last weekend.
"It's so frickin' cold!" I heard on the other end of the phone. "The governor declared a state of emergency. I don't even want to go outside!"
Her angst seemed so heartfelt that I was about to commiserate by offering my own experience with the recent arctic blast out here in Colorado, about how it was so frigid that one could probably have spat and seen his saliva solidify into ice before hitting the ground.
However, she then said something that shattered any notion that I could truly sympathize.
"It's 34 degrees right now," she said as if to present evidence that California was turning into Antarctica, "and tonight it will go below freezing, like 28!"
Freezing temperatures in the 20s. So this is what caused the macho, muscle-bound governor of the Golden State to declare a State of Emergency, citing "conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property." The National Guard even turned its armories into "warming centers," saying "it's SO COLD!" No word if Arnold had asked any of his favorite tanning salons to provide "warming UV rays" too, although considering how Southern Californians' tans were now at risk, that may have seemed like a good idea.
Additional Highway Patrol officers were dispatched in case motorists were stranded in the cold. This was especially critical near L.A. as some citizens reported some mysterious white powder falling out of the sky that some midwesterners call "snow," accumulating maybe an eight-of-an-inch and causing a region-wide panic not seen since a white Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson traveled down Interstate 5 at 50 mph.
Then there was the issue of sweet-tasting citrus fruit. Yes, oranges! The poor oranges! The oranges were absolutely freezing their peels off! Hopefully, warming centers were set up for the oranges!
Never mind that California's 28 degrees were still, oh, 27 degrees warmer than what it was in Fort Collins on Friday, and one day last week -- when the high was 30 degrees for the day -- I went bicycling for two hours wearing only two layers and was still comfortable. Or that there have been days when temperatures were in the high 20s during the day, but if the sun was out, the convertible top remained in the "down" position on my car.
Hmmm, are Californians wimps?
All kidding and sarcasm aside, I do realize that the "warming centers" out in California were set up for the homeless, and not because a few people there (e.g., Nicole Ritchie) don't have enough fat on themselves to stay warm even if it was 80. It's also too bad that so many crops were devastated as it creates the risk that this year Americans will be eating even fewer fruits and vegetables than they already do, if that is even possible.
So to all of my friends, homeless, and other citizens of the Golden State, I wish you good luck in staying warm. And may everyone be able to eat oranges tomorrow. | |
It's not that cold here...
Written by Drew on 2007-01-16 20:13:17
Well I bet the Californians have been throwing on the parkas, but this Minnesotan has been wearing shorts to work during this Colorado 'cold streak', again, it's all relative
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A Breath of Fresh Air (60)
writen by: felix
Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. |
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
| | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
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|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
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