Give it some welly
(Looking down at the rain: Glasgow, Scotland)
Despite the undeniable reputation Glasgow, and indeed Scotland has for wet weather, this past week has been a shock to us stalwart residents. Mind you, I don’t ever remember a year when a mere three days away from December, there has been no frost – it has been very mild here. A strange start to the winter given that this was the scene on this day last year; six inches deep in snow and counting.
We haven’t gotten away too lightly though as rain has been positively teeming down for most of last week, causing rivulets at kerb sides, water features in every pothole and some seriously treacherous bicycle riding. Last night, in a fit of foolhardiness I cycled to a friend’s house. It was raining, but not enough to warrant any comment, aside from the usual “what a horrible night” type remarks as people greet each other. As I was returning home shortly after midnight, I’d describe the rain as moderate. It wasn’t raining remarkably hard at all – the sort of thing a hooded jacket would easily cope with. But then, one has to take into account the wind. It was a veritable tempest, whipping any standing water into eddies and swaying tree branches sickeningly. It was tropical in scale – in everything but temperature – enough to convince me to push my bike home rather than attempt any sort of cycling, which would have inevitably resulted in my face being submerged in a puddle. I had to hold the hood of my coat over my head with one hand and steer the unsteady bike with the other. In the darkness with the rain lashing me from all angles, I felt like I was being mangled in a grimy washing machine’s spin cycle.
Upon returning home, my wellington boots allowed me to be soaked only from the shins upwards. A massive relief, as you can imagine. My shoulders, arms, legs and much of the rest of my body did not escape the weather as easily as my feet; my coat was entirely saturated and is still drying out twenty-four hours on. My skirt was sodden, tights, saturated, and my cardigan was sopping; visibly dripping from the left cuff as I trudged upstairs to my flat. Luckily, the novelty of a hot shower in the ‘new’ bathroom has lost none of its appeal and I was glad of the excuse to have another go. I have installed colour changing LED light bulbs to give the place an edge. It was difficult not to as they were the same price as white bulbs, but at least three times as fun. Easy choice.
I’m afraid I have been a recluse this past week, getting my calendar ready for printing. The bathroom debacle has set me back several weeks in work and (as they should be relieved to hear) my work priorities lie with those of my clients, not my own projects. So the 2012 calendar is now officially off to print today and will be available to all by the end of the week! HOORAY!
– Today Rosie is drawing, going to the printers and making dumplings in Glasgow, Scotland –
[...] finally the cold snap has hit us – and with a vengeance. Last week it was a week of chilly rain and gales, this week the temperature has dropped, but the winds have not abated. I wore three pairs of socks [...]