Growing Up in San Diego, I Never Knew!

I was born and raised in San Diego and I never knew there was such a thing as a snow sky. It's when the temperature drops, and the sky turns a light gray, you can't see any blue, no break in the clouds, it just looks like a silky smooth blanket. 

I never knew that there were different kinds of snow. There's a light, powdery snow that I hear is great for skiing. Here in the Seattle suburbs we mostly get the wet, heavy snow that's bad for skiing for great for building snowmen and having snowball fights!

I never knew you should pop your windshield wipers up so they don't stick to your windshield.

I never knew your pipes could freeze! When the temps dip down to the teens you need to open up the cupboards so your pipes are exposed to the heat of your house, and then turn your faucets on very low so the dripping water keeps them from freezing.

I never knew that it's really quiet when the snow is actually falling. There are no cars, no planes flying overhead, no birds... it's absolutely silent.

On December 26 it started to snow so I woke up early, fixed some tea, opened the blinds and sat at the kitchen table FOR ALMOST 3 HOURS and watched the snow fall. My world changed into a winter wonderland! It is so peaceful. I think it's one of the most peaceful things on the planet.

 

I ended up taking a walk later in the day to check out the neighborhood. It was so cold but so pretty!

The brown house is ours. Anyone who lives behind us we affectionately call 'our back door neighbors.'

I was getting ready to go to work a few days later when I saw this huge pile of ice next to my drivers side door.

Then I looked up to see this crazy icicle hanging right above my head! I ended up breaking it off when I got back home.

The temps dropped into the teens and everything froze. Our church was closed for more than a week so it was quite a few days before Beth and I finally ventured out to the store. Our refrigerators were getting empty so we were desperate!

 I went down to work one night to set the alarm and spotted this crazy frozen waterfall!

When I was growing up we'd sometimes drive up to the mountains to play in the snow and I'd wonder what it was like to live there. I never knew that one day I'd get to find out.

Aaaand Now the Ending

(I thought I posted this a couple weeks ago!)

Just a few more pics of our time in San Diego.

 We took one day and drove all over town. We saw where my grandparents are buried; I showed Chuck where my dad is interred; We saw the Unconditional Surrender statue that's right by the USS Midway (it's an aircraft carrier and that statue is 25 feet tall!) drove through my old neighborhood, by my high school... after all these years it still seems weird to have something so familiar feel so foreign.

There was a guy blowing bubbles and the kids were going crazy! It was a nice break for the parents. 😊

 

I applied for my very first job at that Wienerschnitzel! They hadn't opened yet and our training was held around piles of flooring and construction workers. Unfortunately about a week after they opened they let a bunch of us go. But a friend offered me a better job so it all worked out!
 

But the part of the trip that I relished the most was the view from the balcony in our room. I'd take my tea out there in the morning, I'd write out there, I sat out there a lot. I watched the sailboats go by, the rowing teams... it was peaceful and so beautiful. And I didn't even have to put on shoes!

Sea World was right across the bay and they still had a tree lit up, plus they had fireworks one night.

Woke up one morning to fog. Even the forecasters were surprised!

Oh you guys it was so nice! I wish everyone could take a few days now and then to just get away and do absolutely nothing.

When was the last time you had a little getaway?

Do you have one planned?