The First Monday in November

Awwww, the first Monday of November! By now most schools are through the first quarter of school, or at least half way through the semester. Time to sit back, reflect, and see where to go from here. The NFL is beginning its downside, and college football teams are lining up bowl bids. The World Series is almost done, and the NBA and college basketball are both in full swing. And, let's not forget hockey, even the national pickleball tournament is underway here in AZ. What a time this is! So many sports to choose from, so many channels to watch. I think I am getting carpal tunnel and thumb lock from using the remote.

At this time of year, most animals coats get thicker. Here in Arizona, a phenonmenon happens--people put on long pants, sweaters, and even mittens and down jackets! What is that all about? I live in AZ, where people come in the winter to stay warm and get away from cold, harsh weather.

The other day, I was filling up my car with petrol (gasoline for you midwesterners). I was in a shirt, shorts and flip flops. The guy watching the station at the Sam's Club was outfitted in a parka, a stocking cap, gloves, and a muffler! He looked at me and said, "You are new here, aren't you?" I was dumbfounded. How could he know that I have lived in the Valley for just a year? "Your attire gave it away..." I guess that once I live here for a while, my blood will thin out and I, too, will require winter attire.

I guess people who live out here full time do need winter clothes. Think about it. In the summer, the highs are around 120, while in the midwest, the highs may get into the upper 80s, lower 90s. Then in the winter, these folks experience temps in the 60s-70s for highs, while their Eastern and Midwestern brethren shiver in highs of 40-50. Both experience drops of about 50-60 degrees, so once you think about it, Arizonians do need winter clothing to keep their bodies warm. Having come here from the land of mist and snow, I am still having a great time wearing shorts all the day long. We fired up the furnace for about two hours total last winter. The rest of the time, we had the doors open. I must say, though, that my pipes did freeze out here last winter once. Our piping runs on the outside of our house over the top of the roof ( A story for another blog) and it froze until our solar energy kicked in about 9AM.

All of America changed time last weekend. Not us. We remain constant throughout the year like our sister states Hawaii and Puerto Rico. It just goes to show that Arizona is the center of the world and everything evolves around us. For my friends in California, this means we are now an hour ahead of you, while our Midwest friends are only one hour behind. Those of you on the East Coast are still two hours behind, instead of three. This lends itself to interesting math during sports weekends. Next weekend, the NFL games are earlier than normal to accomodate the troops who are watching overseas, here in AZ we will see the Bears at around 9 AM! The question is will I wake up to a nightmare or a beautiful dream? NFL pregame shows start at 7AM. I am going to have to go to bed early on Saturday just to be able to see the game.

I need my beauty sleep.

Doughnut