Saturday, April 21, 2007

weather.com, or note to self: notice the small things that make you happy

I used to leave home in the morning with no idea what the weather would be like outside immediately or for the rest of the day. It must have been years ago, maybe in college. Now I almost always check weather.com in the morning at some point before I leave, or before Alex leaves (if he asks). At one point I added the weather forecast for Los Angeles, CA (90066) to my bookmarks toolbar so that, at any given moment, information about the weather would be a mere click away.

But more recently I found myself checking the weather even if I wasn't planning to go anywhere, i.e., on days that I had intended to work at home all day. Or even multiple times during the day, just to see what outside is (objectively) like.

I think it comforts me that I have instant access to weather information. The information helps me feel calmer, more relaxed, even a bit more happy. Right now it is clear, 50 degrees Farenheit, and it feels like 50 degrees. Better yet, clicking over to the 10-Day allows me to believe that I know what the weather will be like for the next week and a half. On Sunday evening there will be some chance of rain, followed by just a 10 percent chance of rain for the rest of the week.

What else in life can you bet on with any degree of certainty about the next week and a half?