No one warned me (a few things from the first month in Alabama)

Still scared that the locals have told me it hasn't gotten hot yet. I burned my hand on the car last week. Not from looking at anything under the hood mind you, just from touching the outer shell of the vehicle while pushing it into position for the tow truck.

The weather here is somewhat similar to home thus far. Except that it doesn't change nearly as often. When its sunny and hot, its hot for days/weeks at a time. When it rains, it does it for two to three days before it stops for more than a day. And when I say rain, I mean rain. San Diego misted slightly, Minny/Sconny would have storms, this place hasn't had any severe weather yet... but when it rains its one drop... two drops... and then someone cuts open the clouds with a knife and it p-o-u-r-s out for hours. Deluge. Its kinda neat to watch.

But the heat/humidity is deadly. Unlike the Midwest where the sun seems to burn out most of the humidity by the evening and it might cool down a bit, the humidity here hangs like a heavy transparent fog. It physically hits you in the chest when you leave your home and weighs on your entire body until you can get to your next air conditioned destination.

Jean shorts.

In a classroom on campus. Someone sneezes during a lecture/presentation. I'm not only beaten to the punch, but there were at least five or six others saying 'bless you'.

After spending the past five or so years being the ONLY person in the room saying it, no matter what class it was, in either Minnesota or Wisconsin, I was so happy I nearly got choked up.

And I often find that while people will occasionally stare at my car when I drive by, its not quite as loud as some of the pickup trucks... but it is rusted. Midwest rust. They don't have that down here! I feel like my underpants are showing and people are staring. They don't have any rust.

And, because its worth mentioning twice: jean shorts.

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Kirk Coughlin
Woodbury, MN and River Falls, WI

Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est.

Kirk, ya'll know I done growed up all round da Guf Coast so that sorta drop...........drop. DELUGE!!!!! thing was sumpin I was all used to an stuff.. And the heat. The never-ending heat.....

You may understand better now why here in Sleezattle, I own a raincoat, but honestly I didn't know where it was for like 6-7 years (found it out in the second bay of the garage hanging on a peg--now how the hell it get there?)

And why despite the excellent climate here---as soon as I could I after turning 17 I emigrated to the far North of the world..

Endless heat. torrential rain..

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
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I'd give you a hug, but you are probably sticky and sweaty, so ewwww

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12xalt
I'd give you a hug, but you are probably sticky and sweaty, so ewwww

(I giggled quite a bit when I read this)

I didn't picture you as someone who found the general sticky and sweaty human condition to be 'ewwww'.

Worry not for you hon, I would shower. Repeatedly if necessary!

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Kirk Coughlin
Woodbury, MN and River Falls, WI

Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est.

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john vanlandingham

And why despite the excellent climate here---as soon as I could I after turning 17 I emigrated to the far North of the world..

If my first post doc or job happens to be in Fairbanks, I will not complain. I may dance.

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Kirk Coughlin
Woodbury, MN and River Falls, WI

Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est.

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darkknight9

Quote
12xalt
I'd give you a hug, but you are probably sticky and sweaty, so ewwww

(I giggled quite a bit when I read this)

I didn't picture you as someone who found the general sticky and sweaty human condition to be 'ewwww'.

Worry not for you hon, I would shower. Repeatedly if necessary!

that's why the

Quote
darkknight9

Quote
john vanlandingham

And why despite the excellent climate here---as soon as I could I after turning 17 I emigrated to the far North of the world..

If my first post doc or job happens to be in Fairbanks, I will not complain. I may dance.

I've lived in Fairbanks, hated it, however southern AK is pretty decent

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12xalt


I've lived in Fairbanks, hated it, however southern AK is pretty decent

Really? What did you hate about it? I honestly dream of squaring enough of my life away financially and living near the Brooks Range... only living in/near Fairbanks if I still had to work. There's a second set of Twin Lakes near Chandlar Lake that I think would be the perfect place to spend the rest of my life at. Just as long as I can get far enough north that year round there are no mosquitoes.... If I have to live without people, I also want to live without skeeters.

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Kirk Coughlin
Woodbury, MN and River Falls, WI

Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est.

I was pretty young, but it was filthy, garbage thrown out on the streets everywhere year round. I'm used to Portland where they clean up pretty regularly, and living up there was like living in a trash bin. I suppose it may have changed, dunno.

And, to talk about how lame it was in school, I got made fun of because my dad wasn't union of all things. WTF?

I had a mild allergy to mosquito bites, a bite would swell up huge like the size of figs or something. I got bit so many times when I first got there that I spent the first week or so in bed all puffed up like a red stay puft marshmallow man.

However, the otters are ftw, the dragonflies are the size of houses (and they swarm, it's cool, but kinda scary, and before you say I was a kid, I was 5'6" already) and sitting directly under the northern lights was one of the coolest things to experience ever (they are way cooler to look directly up into instead of see from the side the way most pics of them are taken). The AlCan was the most beautiful trip ever. I even saw Mt McKinley on one of the 2 days it is out per year on the day we got there (yeah, that's not FB, but it was on the way) and Denali Park was fucking amazing (long enough ago that we could drive through and not take a tour).

So, visit, hell yes.

Couple tips about alabama...

The goats are not pets

Feel free to tell any mom and pop gas station cashier that you just had the best fried chicken or boudin, or whatever just up the road - Leads to free samples.

Invest in baby powder, not goldbond.

Come halloween, trick or treating with shot glasses was pretty normal in Mississippi and Lousianna... never tried in 'bama but it should work.

Absolutely float the rivers, its amazing compared to the stuff up north. Don't get bit, don't spill the cooler.

Also I had the hardest time finding anything darker than amberbock. (that wasn't guinness) Good luck there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2013 01:27AM by aj_johnson.

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aj_johnson

Also I had the hardest time finding anything darker than amberbock. (that wasn't guinness) Good luck there.

Ah. I guess a less diluted gene pool leads to more diluted beer.

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Why do you even need brakes? Are you some sort of pansy or something?