And now, the weather

Before i came here, my over-riding impression of San francisco from afar was that it rains here constantly.

Every time id see some image of the area on TV, there'd be umbrellas, rain-slicked streets and so forth.

Well, in truth - there is a wet season and a dry season.

During the dry seasons that ive been here, it hardly rains between march and october. So much so that the hills turn an ugly brown.

Then there are the wet seasons. It rains for days at a time, on and off as a stream of low pressure systems are swept in from the upper pacific by the dominant jetstreams.

The hills become a lush green.

someone once told me that the worst place to be in northern california during the winter is to be outside sleeping. He had done it for two seasons, vowing he would never do it again.

Cold and clammy, the rainy winter season here is no picknick inside or out. Except for overhead protection, the damp cold will always creep in.

Im on the lookout for a space heater.

In this weather, it is always a one or two fleece day or night.
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"I just started watching CSI, never got a chance to see it."
"OH! Then catch them on SPIKE TV!! Theyve got all the original episodes.."
"Dont have cable. :)"
"Oh, Im sorry."

Whoa. I swear, its like if you dont have cable, you might as well be homeless.

The average american has to pay 21 scheduled bills monthly.

My aim is to keep it to five.

cable can wait.
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With all the recent rain, the hills are turning green. From where I am, i can see most of the high points of san francisco, and apart from the fog-wreathed heights of Mount Davidson, the hills have been brown since early last year.

The marin headlands are green again. Even alcatraz, which looks like a guano covered rocky outcrop is greening up nicely.

When the sun comes out, its a gorgeous sight.