A Season I can do Without?

So, I was just wondering how I’ll manage the next sunny day here in Pasadena? Since December 1, 2022, the Rose City has offered up Christmas weekend and the second week of February as the only decent weather days in the last 3-months. By decent, I mean at least a minute in the 70s, shorts and a t-shirt doable before noon, no sleet, no hail, and no snow. And I did attend dental school over at USC so forgive me if I sound a little arrogant, but what the hell is sleet anyway? I don’t think I’ve ever seen sleet. And snow is something best observed from a distance on a mountain top or a postcard.

I’ve now been out and about in hail for four straight days, and I’m not so sure I won’t be a little disappointed if/when the experience ends. I know hail doesn’t change the degree of difficulty that much from just driving in rain. But around SoCal, driving under any conditions not characterized by warm, windless days, dry surfaces, and the will to use turn signals can yield results expressed by JPL (just down Highway 210 in snow) as “unexpected outcomes.”

And here’s the thing; I hope colleagues, folks east of the central valley and north of Santa Barbara don’t take this personally (I really don’t care that much about Florida, Texas, or other SoCal haters) but I couldn’t care less about the dreaded fourth season. If it were up to me, we’d celebrate Christmas on August 11, National Align Your Teeth Day. College Football would end in September, not 40-freakin-degrees-every-morning January, and Ground Hog Day could stay exactly where it is, on the same miserable February 2 that produced a decent movie, an anthem to repetition, and the ability for someone to figure out what a rodent actually sees. I’d also move Temple City’s Camellia Parade (it was rained out yesterday) to a weekend close to my May 3 birthday , the flowers are in full bloom then and I spent 46-years in town providing dental care without ever being the parade marshal. I hated winter…until today. I’ve always thought three seasons were enough, but maybe I was just overthinking stuff.

In fact, I’m engaged in multiple overthinking online challenges, I’ve read two books by @jonacuff, a self-described goal nerd and an overcoming overthinking expert. I’ve sent copies of Jon’s “Soundtracks” to my friends, even the ones who grew up here but claim to “love” cold rainy weather. Ugh.

But I’m not so sure how my overthinking campaign is going. Our latest assignment is all about writing down at least 25-goals. Ideas for generating the goals include stuff like accomplishments within 90-days, necessary things we put off, and birthday milestone goals. Another possibility is transforming something we find annoying into something positive. Another suggestion relates to behavioral changes, like “I want to be a better listener” or “I’d like to be less competitive.” I moved both behavior goals into my ASAP category.

So, like I’ve already shared, I’ve hated one of the four seasons, not part of the hotel nor one of the guys from the group that sang “Big Girls don’t Cry.” And “Hate” is a strong word that begs for more thought, empathy, and less input from Philadelphia. In the past, I would’ve looked for a loophole, like when I used to give up broccoli for Lent. Instead of seeing the beauty in winter, I might’ve paraphrased W. C. Fields and went with, “Frankly, all things considered, at least I’m not in Philadelphia.”

And remember, I just wrote about wanting to be less competitive. But about 2-weeks into December, I got really frustrated with my walk to Peet’s coffee, sitting outside with a Havana Cappuccino, and reading for at least an hour (Hey! It took 46-years of dentistry to get me to Peet’s in the AM), and 10,000 steps back home…in long-freakin’ pants! I was a long way from feelin’ any winter love.

Because, after retiring, and living in Pasadena, California, and having graduated from The University of Southern California, I felt totally entitled to wear a t-shirt and shorts during my, now, expanded non-dentite time…like the weather owed it to me. My first solution was to compete with the calendar and its unreasonable weather. Up until a recent trip to Salt Lake City, I wouldn’t let 40-degrees Fahrenheit defeat me (15-degrees was another story). I was wearing shorts no matter what. On returning home to Pasadena, and now experiencing hail four -days in a row, I knew the universe, Acuff, and the American Dental Association (not necessarily in that order) were sending me a message. I chose “being a better listener” and achieved two of my 25-goals…yesterday!

When you live in SoCal and HATE the climate and compete with nature, it’s past time for some serious attitude adjustment, preferably without the aid of Mr. Jack Daniels. I pulled back the weather hate card and replaced it with gratitude. Shucks, most of the time, winter around here is as warm and dry as the Mojave desert. It’s no big deal seeing Santa wearing board shorts in public. Winter usually lasts a few days.

Tomorrow, I’m playing golf. My phone tells me it’s going to be 39-degrees when we tee off. I’m wearing long pants and I’ll enjoy the opportunity. I probably won’t even keep score or advance to double-figures expletives (Another goal!) But it doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward 85-degree evening walks around town or going David Goggins when I’m carrying my clubs and playing 4-balls when it’s over 100-Fahrenheit. That’s when hitting two more goals will be less challenging.

But sometimes, I do wonder how the citizens of Edmonton, Alberta Canada survive (I have friends there) …and if overcoming overthinking ever ends.