Sunday, May 16, 2010

Whither the Weather

If we are all going to spend time complaining then let's at least make those complaints about something that we can do absolutely nothing about. Yes, the current weather pattern in the NY area is unfair, seemingly with no logic, and seems to be targetting frum Jews. There, doesn't that sound sane and logical?

For the last 4 weeks we have had rain/storms/thunder/lightening arriving on Shabbos at some point, usually just when someone has to be walking to or from shul. Wet coats drying around the house give the house a damp-dog smell. In addition, let someone even whisper that they have to go out and shop for Shabbos, no matter what day of the week, and outside temperatures raise or drop inhospitably.

Every week is an amalgam of the four seasons, bringing heat, cold, wet and wind. We've been blessed with a record 93 degrees on a Monday only to be reduced to 39 at night a few days later.

Shavuous is in a few days and, sure enough, they are forecasting rain storms for yom tov, with almost a 20 degree spread in temperature across Tuesday to Thursday. I've got about 100 people coming for Kiddush to the house on the first day of yom tov and the weather is making me nuts. Where are wet coats for so many people going to be put? And with that many people in the house, plus an oven and stove that is staying on over all of yom tov, keeping the air conditioning on seems like it will be necessary, only we might need to dress for winter indoors given the temperature spread.

So there you have it--we can't control the weather, can't predict what season will show up tomorrow or even this afternoon. Anyone looking for safe dating or mealtime topics of conversation can easily spend hours discussing the weather this year.

It does, however, make for a welcome change to be discussing the weather we can't do anything about instead of all the other problems abounding in Klal that get plenty of heated complaints with very little action taken.

You'll have to excuse me now. I need to go grocery shopping while it's still fall and before winter decides to come back and visit or summer comes along and melts the frozen items.

1 comment:

Lion of Zion said...

"Where are wet coats for so many people going to be put?"

if they are already wet, just ask your guests to leave them outside.

we're going to a camp for the chag and really hoping it won't rain. not much to do indoors.