Raining Finally

So the rain started last evening, late. Rained hard early this morning, 3 AM, and gave us 1.5 inches. In a wet year we'd have around 4 inches from a storm like this, there would be branches down and possibly blackouts from those shorting out the power lines. It is snowing up the mountain, around 5000 feet, just above Blue Canyon where 20 and 80 meet. There's snow plows operating through Yuba Gap and over the summit down through Truckee and towards Reno. This is a good thing. The ski resorts will be able to open.

Locals prep for rain by stocking up their pantries, filling their gas tanks, fueling and oiling their generators, getting a few movies rented and books to read, and cleaning out their gutters, drains, and ditches. Also, bring in firewood if you have a wood stove, which is the preferred method of heating during a blackout because a good wood stove really works. This is a huge downside of an RV. Their heaters suck or use lots of propane or electricity. A house doesn't care about the weight, and there's usually plenty of space so you can plant a stove in a good location.

There will probably be more rain today, though the bulk of the storm is south of here now. This is not a choice day for bicycling or motorcycling or scootering. This is a day for windshield wipers, heat, and defrosters on the ON position. I am glad I still have a car. Riding a scooter to my volunteer job in this iffy weather would seem a bit too risky. Yes, there are most of the months of the year that the scooter would be fun and just fine, but during rainy weather that's a NOPE.

I find myself baffled by the brave middle aged men who ride their bicycles when there is snow on the ground. True, most of those men live on the flatland, and clearly have chips on their shoulders daring cars to hit them when they ought to be more sensible rather than commit suicide-by-car. We all make choices, but try not to traumatize someone by killing yourself on some teenybopper's fender while you insist you have the right to take the lane. In the real world, that is a suicide, and the police will rule it as such. And then your family won't get the life insurance. Stop being such a rude pillock. Use your car when the weather is bad. Seriously.

I am off to the library today. It will probably be busy, which is great because I like it busy. Keeps me moving and happily distracted. I have decided to do the Cuesta College Library Assistant Certificate program after all, because even though there are no paying jobs now, by the time I finish I should be able to get one in Placer County or elsewhere which pays better. It will mean a commute, but for $10/hr more pay that is worth it. I recall a very nice branch in old Rocklin that would likely hire me once I have a certificate. I can't wait forever here, no matter how nice the people are. If I had a trailer, I could be cooped up in icy cold Truckee working part time at the library there and swap my wheels for spiked tires and steel wheels all winter. It is serious multi inch black ice up there. Reno has good libraries too, another option worth considering. I kinda like Reno. Its the last western outpost of the Great Basin, a huge and empty place where you are damned polite because there are too many places to bury you if you aren't. Also, it is run by mafia. Be very polite to the mafia. Unlike in movies, they DO own the police and politicians and courts. And its legal. They call bribes "campaign contributions". They themselves are "industry leaders" and "concerned leading citizens". You do not insult them, even by accident. It could be the last mistake you make. So, that's the downside of Reno. It IS pretty, and its a major hub to other places with good photography opportunities and I love being in quiet places. Its a thing. You do have to talk to folks in the library these days, but you use your inside voice, quietly, and ask the needed questions. With all my customer service experience, and no sales pressures, recommending books or assisting library patrons is a cake job. Super easy. I have trouble understanding why so many librarians get in a huff about this. The Masters Degree arrogance is really not impressing me, but I have personally chewed out PhD's for academic incompetence back when I was a physics major, using choice questions about their math while asserting magical girl levels of results without offering a real test to see if this outcome is valid. Physicists like coeds and scotch too, so they fake results with the best of them. This is a reality of academic life everywhere. Even Princeton and MIT have bozos. Its this truth which is why I caught onto the academic fraud behind most climate "research" which is really just fundraising and trolling for morons with cash, booze, and hookers to keep the game going, like all confidence artist games. Climate change? Its winter. It rains and snows in winter. This isn't change. Its normal weather.