Ode to a Meteorologist

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved the weather. Well, maybe I can attribute this on my dad. I can remember him calling me in college. He was in Maryland and I was in Louisiana, and he would ask me about the weather. I'd tell him that it was a sunny day. He'd tell me that was impossible because he looked in the newspaper and saw rain. This is the same man, when I traveled through Europe after college, and would use my calling card to call him and check in, his first question would be, "How's the weather there?" His first thought wasn't whether I was okay or not, but what was happening in the skies above. Yes, my love of weather runs deep. Oh, and my dad is a lawyer and has no inate meteorological tendencies that I know of...

In fact, not to insult meteorologists, but I have always wanted to be a weather girl. That is one job where you can be totally wrong about your analysis and not get fired. I mean, it's Mother Nature, for goodness sake, and she is one testy lady who can change her mind at the drop of a hat! I always thought that if I could point well to the map, look good in front of the camera, and talk convincingly, I'd have a career. If I made a mistake, I'd just apologize and try again the next day. If there's one thing I know, there will always be weather! Hey, I would have meteorologists in the background to give me good information, like a good manager, but I'd be out there, makin' the calls! I can hear me now, "There's a low moving over the mid-Atlantic states that will bring rain to most of the area, but watch out, Northeast! I think this low is going to bring some icy conditions to your area tonight...maybe up to 3 inches of a slushy mix...but the temperatures should rise quickly overnight and change over to all rain by the morning rush hour!" Visual - I am swirling my hand over the DelMarVa area and slide right up to New York and Massachusettes!

I write this as I wait at my window to hear the icy mix that should be developing over my area this evening but should change over to rain by morning...