Russ Grimm

I don’t recall ever having made a New Year’s resolution but I am feeling a sense of desperation. Well, maybe desperation is a bit of a strong characterization to express my perceived need to change my physical capabilities and also a topic of conversation when visiting with family, friends and even strangers. I am sensing this desperation because of a feeling that I am closing in on myself and because of the “Here we go again”, just smile and nod type of response that I get from others.

My first resolution is that I need to stretch. For years I have intended to stretch before and after cycling but for some reason I just forget.  Perhaps a reason I forget to stretch before I ride is that I am so looking forward to cycling. Or perhaps it is that I am so fixated on deciding what music I am going to listen to that I forget to stretch. So, I need to follow through on making stretching part of cycling and part of my daily routine. I need to stretch because as years go by I am finding that my mobility is decreasing. My arms and legs seem to be closing in, not being able to reach around my back, touch my toes or bend my legs like I once could. I seem to becoming more physically drawn in as time progresses. So in the next two days, before the beginning of 2014, I am going to put together a plan, a regiment of stretching exercises to regain some of the mobility I have lost.

My second resolution is to stop talking to family, friends and strangers about the weather. I have become fixated over the weather today, tomorrow and yesterday. What the weather was a year ago, two, three or more. I have interest in the extended forecast. Precipitation to date, compared to “normal.” Did you know that the last time we had no snow for Christmas was in 2006? Now there is a stimulating question and who, other than me, cares? What do I hope to accomplish by following through with this resolution? I want to be the cool guy because of the sticker I wear on my sleeve and from my interest in music, literature, travel, cycling and more. Not because I know the date of coldest day of the year. I also want to be a hot guy; interesting, topical, imaginative. Not because I can tell others how hot it will get today.

There are obstacles for me to overcome. Today there are lures that attract the weakest of weather fanatics. “Weather Underground,” that sounds so intriguing. “AccuWeather,” that sounds so accurate. “Intellicast,” that sounds so intelligent. Then there was the learned behavior, the environment of growing up on our farm. “Quiet now, the weather is on,” was a familiar warning that the forecast was about to be predicted on Dad’s favorite radio station, WMT. Dad believed he needed to know the weather forecast so that he could plan his day for planting or harvesting. Dad’s warning must have stymied many conversations because the forecasters weather predictions took precedence over anything that was being said by any of us sitting at the dinner table.  I believed I learned from Dad’s warning how important weather was in day to day life. That must be why I have felt the urge, duty, and the compulsion to share. It’s important. I have thought that if Dad was now alive he would love having access to all the weather information from a cell phone, web sites and the Weather Channel on satellite. Prior to this technology the best weather predictor Dad had was a Galileo thermometer and a barometer. I remember my grandparents had a weather house; a miniature plastic chalet that hung on the wall in the living room. The weather house displayed a girl when the weather would be sunny and a boy when rain was imminent. That girl sunny, boy rainy weather predictor could have deep psychological implications that I will not get in to at this time. Looking back I recognize that I come from a long line of weather freaks and giving any of these as gifts to my dad or grandparents was tantamount to giving an addict a hit, an alcoholic a drink or a chain smoker a carton of cigarettes. I’m not going “analysis” on any of this, I take full responsibility for my obsession to research and share weather information with others.

For 2014 my resolution; I will stop collecting, sharing and asking questions concerning the minutia of weather. I no longer want to be known as the guy who can reminisce about the hottest day of the summer, the coldest day of the winter or anything in between. Weather forecasts will be used only on a need to know basis for safety, in planning travel, attending events and for proper clothing attire.

Sadly while writing this blog I stopped, checked the weather for the temperature and the possibility of snow. I can tell you that at this time it in -7F and there is a 10% chance of snow later today. I still have hours before 2014, one last hit on the Weather Underground web site so that I might share with others, weather information, if the opportunity arises, after all I have a New Year’s Eve party to attend. What’s the weather like where you are? Forget it, I don’t want to know.