Climate is what you expect - Weather is what you get

Despite the combined wisdom of all the professors of climate science, who tell us that the annual mean temperatures are going up, Robert Heinlein came out right once again - he usually does! In fact, I think that the prediction that the weather will get more extreme as the mean temperature rises is a better prediction than the apparent expectation by most people that everything will just get warmer. As evidence I offer the last summer - nice, but not wonderful, and definitely rather muggy for quite a long time - and this winter - well, the last 6 weeks of it, anyway - with two snowstorms that have dumped around 40" of snow on me so far and look to be bringing more soon.

The snow is pretty - don't get me wrong - as some photos here should show.

The first is a footpath, not a road, and is only about two feet wide - about as deep as the snow on either side!







Where people leave tables, etc., out for the snow can result in some fun images











[Food]

I'm sure the AG will consider this in terrible taste, but both I and The Spawn considered her Spaghetti Carbonara (recipe from Ruth Reichl, the former editor of Gourmet magazine) really excellent. She always claims that she's incapable of cooking, and then produces something so good! Such a modest woman [grin]!









[Tech]
I'm nose deep in revising SSIS this week - re-learning all the bits I've forgotten over the last year or so - before starting to drown in a SQL Server DBA course. About half-way through these courses I always get to a point of thinking "what am I doing this for - I'd much rather be tucked up in a nice warm bed!" but it's always fun in the end.

[Life]
We stayed in almost all of yesterday - except for going out to sweep the car, which was a waste, as it was totally covered again in two hours - and so I had the unexpected luxury of getting to watch England beat Wales at Twickenham. BBC America TV was so nice to bring this to me, and should be doing a Saturday match every week for the next few weeks! I think it'll be France vs Ireland next week, which should also be great - no prizes for who I'll be supporting (sorry, mes amis!). Still, 30-17 was a nice score to see, despite the fact that Wales almost grabbed it ten minutes from time. I was amused to see the royal presence - Wills and Harry so obviously on opposite sides - well, you could hardly expect the Prince of Wales to cheer an English try, now could you? [grin]

More photos of snow next time, I'd predict!

TTFN