15 January 2017

Strange Weather

A week ago Friday night (6 January), I went right after work to Helen Fitzgerald's Restaurant and Pub (http://helenfitzgeralds.com/) in Sunset Hills. I was attending a Lock and Key Dating Event (http://www.lockandkeyevents.com/) for singles in my age range. The men got a key and the women got a lock, and the men were supposed to find women and try to open a lock. After finding such a match, we would get a new lock and key and start the process again. I was able to open 10 locks in just over 90 minutes. I was able to chat briefly with the women taking part, but did not get anyone I would talk to after the event. It was fun, though.

I was at work the next morning at the rental branch, and we busied ourselves with getting vehicles prepped and rented out. It was a busy, but successful morning. I then chilled out at home for the weekend.

This has been one strange week for weather. It's been said, "If you don't like the weather here in St. Louis, wait a few minutes." The past seven days were proof of this statement. Early in the week, we got as warm as 60 degrees F (16 degrees C) and sunny at times. That changed drastically later in the week, as it went down to 15 degrees F (-9 degrees C) at night.

The week at work was busy, but went well. Finding space to park our vehicles on our lot was a major challenge at times, even with a backlot in play. Still, things were handled very well as expected.

My off day Thursday (12 January) saw me go to Berry Park in Eureka (http://www.eureka.mo.us/departments/parks-recreation/park-locations-amenities/), where I took a brief walk with a friend. It was brief, as the temperature got colder. Then, I got my hair cut at Great Clips (http://www.greatclips.com/) in Tenholder Plaza in Mehlville, followed by a hotc hocolate and bear claw at the nearby St. Louis Bread Co. (https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/home.html). I got home in time to beat a Winter Storm Warming for our area. Starting that night and into the next few days, we got freezing rain that started making travel most hazardous. At work that Friday morning, it was a rush to get vehicles prepped and spotted ahead of the worsening weather. Fortunately, many people stayed off the roads, which made it easier for the highway crews getting anti-freezing materials laid onto the roads. I was sent home early that afternoon, as the branch had all the vehicles ready that it would likely need that day and Saturday. After stopping for lunch at Penn Station (http://www.penn-station.com/) in Ballwin, I made it home fine.

I stayed in the house throughout the weekend, venturing outside only to get the mail. The ice storm came in three waves over the weekend, dropping up to 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) of ice by mid-Sunday morning. Fortunately, the temperature warmed up late this morning and the ice melted, so it should not be too bad to travel tomorrow morning.

Later.