humanitarian relief

Do you ever think it's not if, but when, you will go crazy? A friend recently said this to me, and I laughed but agreed. This week, it feels like the end of my sanity is truly drawing near.

Last night, I suggested to my husband that we do a humanitarian trip to the place we last visited on our honeymoon (Playa del Carmen, Mexico). As that city is ravaged by Hurricane Dean today, I think of the days ahead. The sun will return, and the people will come back to survey the damage and try to move forward. Many, undoubtedly, will need help.

As altruistic as my idea sounds, this idea is not utterly selfless. See, I'm a weather girl - finding ways to integrate it in ways like here and here. Not that I predict weather (though I've been known to do that). It's just that... I'm affected by weather. I try not to be, but I am. I like sunshine - no, I really, really, really love sunshine. I love hot, sunny days of summer, but even in the winter I love the glitter of sun reflecting off snow.

This is a problem because I live in the veritable rain forest, also known as northwestern US. Yes, it's lush and beautiful here. It's like that because of the abundant months (9-10 each year) of rain we get. It's also green because of the relatively mild temperatures, cool enough to keep from scorching plants, but warm enough to avoid freezing their roots. It's also green because usually we get a few months where the sun shines and photosynthesis reigns.

This year is different. We have not yet had more than seven - ! - consecutive days of sunshine. We've had some sunshine, and we've even had heat, but no summer (by my definition). We've had many days where the sun "burnt off" the morning cloud cover around 3 pm. That is not a sunny day, folks, even if you want to argue that sunset wasn't until 8 pm. Mostly, we've had a few days of sun, followed by a few more days of clouds and "scattered rain" (different, in some weird twist of comedy, from "patches of rain." Don't ask my why. Someday I'll write a TT on all of the odd meteorology terms used in this area!) The clouds will clear, we'll get a few days where it gets hot - like, over 80 degrees - and then back comes another system of clouds.

I'm seriously creeping into crazy. What makes this most unbearable is the sheer volume of people who have loved this weather. Many of them don't think there's anything wrong - perhaps it's even one of their favorite summers in memory. These people, though I love them, think I am the odd duck. Some have very unsympathetically retorted, "but that's why we choose to live here. We love this weather." Maybe true. Maybe it's delusional. Maybe this is just an incredibly well-populated area of water-logged brains. Or perhaps, as they've implied (or said directly), I'm in the wrong place. I hope not, because Mr. Kenobi loves his work here and is very unlikely to move, and I'm not interested in living several states away from him.

If you are thinking, "buck up, little camper," or "sheesh, she's an ungrateful little gal," or "wow - that sounds like paradise," please keep your comments tucked away for a while. I need sympathy. I need prayers. I need a sun dance. I need some real, honest-to-goodness, sun-drenched heat.

So I look at the destruction of this hurricane, the despair facing those whose lives have been completely uprooted and blown across their city, the water everywhere, and I think it would be good to go help. Perhaps, in the midst of that service, I'd even get some much-needed solar therapy.