Weather

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I’m surviving (?) Dronepocalyse 2020.

Published January 11, 2020 by Malia

If you don’t live smack dab in the middle of the United States, you may or may not be aware of our current mystery drone situation. It started shortly before Christmas in Colorado, and has progressively worked it’s way into Nebraska, Kansas, and Wyoming (they’re probably in other states too, but these are the three I currently know of). Every night people are reporting seeing very large drones, usually in groups (the drones, not the people), zipping through the skies, hovering over towns and farms. Honestly, the whole thing sounds like the paranoid ravings of someone who is on a really bad drug trip.

Up until this week, I’d shrugged off the reports, because as previously stated, it sounds crazy. At the beginning of the week, a friend of mine, who lives in the middle of the state, posted video to Facebook of a drone over her home. And since I know she’s not high, I realized there might be some credibility to the massive pile of drone sighting reports. Tuesday, another friend added me to a group on Facebook dedicated to sharing eyewitness accounts, theories, and humor. I would say 92% of the group is made up of genuinely curious, amused people. The remaining 8% are seriously paranoid and get mad when jokes are made because the situation is clearly not being approached with enough seriousness. By this point, I’m in two of these drone groups, and both have turned into a serious dumpster fire of insanity. I’m only staying because I’m equal parts amused and terrified by people’s response to the mystery.

The drones made it to Omaha on Wednesday. I got home from work, right at 2200 (10 pm) and as I was getting out of my car, I noticed lights in the sky rapidly headed my direction. I ran to the backyard to get a better view. Soon enough, something flying too low to be a plane and too quiet to be a helicopter passed by, almost immediately followed by another.

I couldn’t make out anything more than the lights on the bottom. Was way too dark to make out the size, but based on placement of lights, was definitely larger than a drone you’d buy off the shelf.

There was something a bit eerie about the whole thing. I’m used to planes flying overhead, and at least once a year Able-1 (the police helicopter) buzzes over my neighborhood. Those are explained things. I see and/or hear them, and I know what they are. Unlike those things, the drones genuinely are a mystery.

Why do they only fly at night? Why hasn’t anyone come forward and explained their presence? Why so many?

I’ve read a ton of theories at this point that range from plausible to completely ridiculous. Here are a few:

-They’re documenting wildlife migration patterns. I don’t really buy this because I’ve not seen a good explanation for why they’d only be out at night.

-They’re coming to take away all the guns. I don’t even understand how this would work. Maybe they’re scanning for guns? Another one that I’ve not seen a viable explanation for.

-They’re mapping the Ogallala Aquifer. I’m a bit intrigued by this. The drones have been spotted flying grid patterns and they’ve been flying over the aquifer, so I guess that’s possible. (For those who don’t know, the Ogallala Aquifer is a giant body of water under several states here in the middle of the country. Google it, it’s pretty interesting.)

-Tracking the weather patterns. Unless they’re getting sucked up in a tornado, I’m not sure what they’d be tracking that satellite and radar can’t. I’m not completely discounting this one, but I do feel it needs a better explanation.

-It’s the government/military. This, friends, is the most likely.

Personally, I think it’s the military doing training, learning to fly drones at night. So far, it’s the only theory I’ve heard that has a valid reason for them only being out at night.

Whatever the truth, I’ll be surprised if we ever get an actual answer to this mystery. I anticipate that soon the drones will disappear, and it will become a story that turns into an urban legend. It’ll get exaggerated, and in fifty years kids will be telling stories about the alien drone invasion that their grandparents fought off single handed with a fire truck full of Head and Shoulders. No matter what, it’s made for an interesting start to the year.

(And kudos to everyone who gets the Head and Shoulders reference.)

Whether the weather is hot, Whether the weather is cold, We’ll be together, whatever the weather, Whether we like it or not.

Published January 29, 2019 by Malia
close up of snowflakes

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Hello, Polar Vortex.

Something’s been bugging me today.  What is it about weather that makes us all so competitive?

What do I mean by competitive?  Try telling someone who lives at least one state north of you that it’s cold.  You will be met with a response along the lines of, “Really?  You think it’s cold?  Try walking to class when it’s -20.  Your sweat will literally freeze.  You have no idea just how cold, cold can be.”  Mention that the weather is miserably hot and you’ll get, “It’s not really that hot.  Right now, in Afghanistan, it’s 120 in the shade.”

I have lived all over the mid-west.  I’ve lived through tornadoes, blizzards, and 100% humidity.  I lived in North Dakota and walked to class in -20, and, yes, my sweat did freeze (it was super weird when I got inside and experienced the thaw of the sweat.  I know, I know, tmi.).  I lived in southern Illinois, and remember school getting cancelled for what, once I lived in Nebraska I learned, is considered a dusting of snow.  I lived in Kansas, and while everyone else spent the winter bundled up in heavy coats, I was perfectly comfortable in a hoodie (there was only one time that I agreed that it was downright freezing).  I live in Nebraska, and every year the weather gets even weirder.  Right now it’s -5 outside,  this coming Sunday it’s supposed to be 50, and a week from now they’re saying it’ll be 25 and snowing.

Personally, I prefer the cold to the heat.  You can always put on more clothes, and throw an extra blanket or two on the bed.  When it’s hot, you can only take off so much, and even then it’s still too hot.

I don’t know why weather brings out the competitive side of humans, but it always does.  It’s like we’re determined to prove that we’re the toughest because we’re surviving a particular weather condition.

The only thing I know for sure, is that it doesn’t matter if you live in Florida, North Dakota, or anywhere in between, once it rains or snows, everyone forgets how to drive.

Stormy Weather

Published July 7, 2016 by Malia

The clock just chimed four, and I’ve been wide awake since 2:30.  I counted 10 Mississippis between the most recent brilliant flash of lightening & the roll of thunder that followed.

 The boy is sleeping deeply beside me.  He’s completely exhausted.  In a few short hours he’ll be awake and gone; a 14-16 hour work day ahead of him.  These are the times I’m glad I don’t currently have a job, because if I did, I wouldn’t see him at all.  

I’m so tired and anxious.  I hate the Metformin.  I get that it’s supposed to help my health, but it also amplifies all my negative emotions and thoughts.  It makes everything feel so scary and overwhelming.  I hate it.  

More lightening.  7 Mississippis that time.  Storm’s getting closer.  

This Is The Stuff News Reports Are Made Of

Published June 22, 2014 by Malia

So, last night (Friday) we had a bit of a gully washer here in Omaha.  I was at work, and as my shift progressed, I noticed the sky getting darker and darker until it was pitch black.  That’s about when the torrential downpour began.  By time time my shift had ended, the rain hadn’t let up, and the basement at my work had flooded.  I didn’t think much about this because it’s prone to flooding, as is our parking lot.  Before I left work, I checked the weather warnings, and all I found was that there was a flash flood warning for a county in Iowa.  Thinking I was safe, I decided to head home.

Now, have you ever seen those new videos where they show people, stranded in their cars, while the roads swell with flood waters?   I’ve always watched those videos kind of judgmentally.  I’m usually wondering what kind of idiot would go out in that weather in the first place.  Now I know, because it turns out I’m that kind of idiot.

Honestly, things weren’t going well from the minute I left work.  Like I said, the parking lot at work was flooded, but I’m so used to that I didn’t think anything of it.  However, when I got out on the road, I noticed that the water seemed to be a little higher than was comforting.  Plus, I kept having water go up the tailpipe and the van would fill with gas fumes.  Which, is apparently a not so good thing, and probably should have been a big sign to me that I was probably in trouble.

And at this point you’re thinking, “You did the smart thing, pulled over, and waited it out.  Right?”

Didn’t I mention before that I’m an idiot?

I did almost pull off at Village Inn near my work.  My thought was that I could just wait out the storm there, but then I began wondering what I would do if the storm didn’t let up anytime soon.  So, I pushed on for home.  Such a huge mistake.

Most of L Street was under some water.  There were actually multiple times that I found that the appearance of a road had completely disappeared.  When I saw cars stranded I went from worried to really scared.  I just began praying, “Jesus, just get me home.  Please just get me home.”  I didn’t make deal any deals with God, or anything like that.  I just asked to get home safely.  As soon as I could, I got off of L, and headed for Q Street, thinking that would be a better option.

Headed down hill on Q Street towards the intersection with 96th Street, I saw something I wasn’t at all prepared for.  The entire intersection was completely underwater.  Cars were stalled, and the rushing water was coming up to the hoods of large pickup trucks.  Fortunately, there was a parking lot on the hill that I could pull in to.  Sitting there, I felt trapped.  I knew I couldn’t go back to L Street, and clearly I couldn’t get through the intersection at the bottom of the hill.  It was late and dark and I was terrified and I was alone.  Because I’m a drama queen, I had a brief moment where my mind seriously darted to the thought of, “What if this is it?  What if I die here?”  I briefly considered contacting those people in my life that are most important and telling them how important they are to me, and how much I love and appreciate them.  Fortunately for them, no one received a phone call from a unnerved, terrified me, because as I sat there I decided to head back and try going a more roundabout way to get home, one that was likely to be less flooded.

Long, long story shorter, I did make it home.  It took me an hour, compared to the normal 15 minutes.  I did not make any embarrassing phone calls, or send any embarrassing texts.  Not that telling people you love them is embarrassing.  However I do believe you shouldn’t have to be wondering if you’re going to die in order to be prompted to let people know you truly care about them.

Also, I’m thankful that my stupidity didn’t actually end up on the news.

I Think The Weather Needs Some Mood Stabilizers

Published January 21, 2014 by Malia

The weather over the last 24 hours has been truly bizarre.  Last night, I was able to sleep with my windows open.  Tonight, I’m wondering if I should use my Pac-Man blanket along with my TARDIS blanket.  The day was fairly nice when I went to work, but in the middle of my shift it suddenly got very dark (like it does before a thunderstorm) and there was a large amount of snow getting blown around.  When my shift ended there was no snow, but the temperature had dropped to near zero.  By the end of the week it’s supposed to be back up in the forties.

And, I’ve now achieved the lowest point of blogging.  I’ve actually started a post dedicated to the weather.  Okay, maybe not the lowest point, but not one of my best.  I guess I’m feeling a little frustrated tonight.  No guessing about it, I am feeling frustrated.

I love my job, and I would be devastated without it.  It’s one of the few jobs I’ve ever had that I’ve actually enjoyed.  Physically, it’s not a difficult job.  Mentally, though, it’s exhausting.  I spend over 8 hours a day doing my best to be 100% accurate.  I read and match names and dates and tests and tubes all day long.  By the end of my shift my brain is usually working on the same level as those stupid “Doge” memes.  (Very tired.  Much thirsty.  Such driving.  If you don’t think that makes sense, you’re right.)

What’s frustrating me is the fact that by the time I hit the weekend, I’ve got about enough energy to sit in a quiet room and make a scarf while watching PBS.  I’m young!  I’m healthy!  I hate that I seem to be turning into the little old spinster lady (complete with cat).

I don’t know that there’s really any point to this meandering post, and I’m not sure how it went from boring to depressing so quickly.  I guess I just needed to get it out there in the universe.

 

 

Books and Such

Published September 13, 2012 by Malia

The days are starting to get cooler.  It’s inevitable, of course.  North Dakota is land of much cold.  Apparently, we were spared from having a super cold last winter; there was really only one day I remember it being completely unbearable.  Much as I dread the cold, after such a hot summer I’m treasuring the chill the in the air.

I’ve mentioned before that I really love my job, and today was no exception.  Things were a little slow this afternoon, but that was okay because I got to do shelf reading.  Basically, I have a row of books that I get to go through book by book and make sure they’re all in order.  I realize that this probably doesn’t sound terribly fun, but I find it to be a soothing activity.  (Yes, I’m just that weird!)  Working in the library, I frequently find myself feeling very small (and not just because I’m so short I have to have a stool to reach some of the books).  It’s a marvel to me to be surrounded by the words written by so many people.  Thousands and thousands of people who all wrote something that will outlast them.  Today I encountered something written hundreds of years ago.  The author is long gone, but they wrote is still needed by someone now.  How amazingly epic is that?

Speaking of books, here’s something delightful I found on Pinterest: