Cathy, I want to try to write a column for the Beacon Journal (or, if they won't buy it, one of the smaller papers. Read and tell me what you think.) How are you feeling? I took a tumble yesterday myself. Face it, girl, we're getting old and fragile. B
FISH OUTTA WATER
HELLO, AKRON!
I moved back to my hometown again after being away (this time, at least!) for about seven years.
Here’s what I discovered.
Reasons I’m glad I moved back:
1) Family and friends. None better.
2) Marc’s (love that store.)
3) Barberton chicken, fried or the paprikash. Can’t get that in Florida.
4) Love the libraries here – the new downtown one and the one on Aster Avenue. Outstanding!
5) Bingo. There must be 3,000 places to play.
6) Great sports: the Cavs, the Indians, the Browns.
7) The water comes out of the tap ICE COLD (when you want a drink.)
8) You don’t have hurricanes here.
9) Arthur Treacher’s. I’m sure there must be AT’s in other towns, but I haven’t found any.
10) You have hills! Florida is flat, flat, flat!
11) You don’t have palmetto bugs here; at least, I haven’t seen any! (For those of you who don’t know, palmetto bugs are bigger, uglier, ubiquitous cousin of the cockroach.) My niece calls them “Foot-long roaches.”
FISH OUTTA WATER
HELLO, AKRON!
I moved back to my hometown again after being away (this time, at least!) for about seven years.
Here’s what I discovered.
Reasons I’m glad I moved back:
1) Family and friends. None better.
2) Marc’s (love that store.)
3) Barberton chicken, fried or the paprikash. Can’t get that in Florida.
4) Love the libraries here – the new downtown one and the one on Aster Avenue. Outstanding!
5) Bingo. There must be 3,000 places to play.
6) Great sports: the Cavs, the Indians, the Browns.
7) The water comes out of the tap ICE COLD (when you want a drink.)
8) You don’t have hurricanes here.
9) Arthur Treacher’s. I’m sure there must be AT’s in other towns, but I haven’t found any.
10) You have hills! Florida is flat, flat, flat!
11) You don’t have palmetto bugs here; at least, I haven’t seen any! (For those of you who don’t know, palmetto bugs are bigger, uglier, ubiquitous cousin of the cockroach.) My niece calls them “Foot-long roaches.”
Reasons I’m not so glad I’m back:
1) Ice, snow, cold (THREE-WAY TIE)
2) $500 heating bills
3) Bingo. There must be 3,000 places to play.
4) Where oh where is spring? Those long gloomy days make you want to jump out a window.
5) I know I’m going to miss the beach.
6) That ice cold toilet seat. Do they make heated ones?
7) The water comes out of the tap ICE COLD (when you’re washing your hands. Ouch.)
8) You do have tornadoes here. But so does Florida.
In any event, I’m glad to be back. Except for the snow, ice and cold.
##########
HURRICANES VS. TORNADOES
“If you don’t like the weather here in Ohio, wait four months. It’ll change.”
R. Novak
When I talk to Ohioans about moving to Florida, they often broach the subject of hurricanes. They’ll say, “I’ve thought about Florida, but I hate the thought of those darn hurricanes.”
Can’t say I blame ya. I’m the veteran of FOUR, count ‘em four, major hurricanes, including that beast, Andrew, 16 years ago. In 2004 I was living in the charming seaside town of New Smyrna Beach and we went through three in rapid succession, Charley, Jeanne and Frances. That doesn’t even count Ivan, who came all the way up to Pennsylvania that same year, and then went back down and smacked us again, but not as a full-fledged hurricane! I (and other hurricane aficionados) consider Ivan one of the weirdest hurricanes of all time.
How weird was 2005, the next year? Well, there were so many named storms that the Weather Service had to resort to using letters from the Greek alphabet. That had never happened before. And 2005 was the year of Katrina and Wilma. There were 28 tropical named storms that season, and15 of those became hurricanes.
So, laugh at Al Gore all you like, but it does seem something has changed as far as the weather goes.
HURRICANES VS. TORNADOES
“If you don’t like the weather here in Ohio, wait four months. It’ll change.”
R. Novak
When I talk to Ohioans about moving to Florida, they often broach the subject of hurricanes. They’ll say, “I’ve thought about Florida, but I hate the thought of those darn hurricanes.”
Can’t say I blame ya. I’m the veteran of FOUR, count ‘em four, major hurricanes, including that beast, Andrew, 16 years ago. In 2004 I was living in the charming seaside town of New Smyrna Beach and we went through three in rapid succession, Charley, Jeanne and Frances. That doesn’t even count Ivan, who came all the way up to Pennsylvania that same year, and then went back down and smacked us again, but not as a full-fledged hurricane! I (and other hurricane aficionados) consider Ivan one of the weirdest hurricanes of all time.
How weird was 2005, the next year? Well, there were so many named storms that the Weather Service had to resort to using letters from the Greek alphabet. That had never happened before. And 2005 was the year of Katrina and Wilma. There were 28 tropical named storms that season, and15 of those became hurricanes.
So, laugh at Al Gore all you like, but it does seem something has changed as far as the weather goes.
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