Sprung

Spring has sprung here on the East Coast. Most of the trees are still barren, but the "early risers" have exploded in riotous bursts of blossoms. I don't have any idea what most of them are (cherry trees, perhaps?), but they are gorgeous. And then there are the daffodils. The George Washington Parkway, a charming strip of road that follows the water on the Virginia side of the Potomac, is lined with thousands of daffodils, the lush green stems and brilliantly colorful flowers virtually screaming "Spring is here!" Last winter -- my first East Coast winter -- the starkly barren deciduous trees covering the Virginia landscape had a depressing impact on me, so used to evergreens as I was. This winter, I barely noticed. Maybe I'm finally getting used to things out here. I can't wait for them all to leaf out, though. If it's one thing Virginia has an abundance of, it's trees. And when they're all green, they are beautiful indeed.

Pigeons

As I walked across the street for lunch today, I watched a large flock of pigeons fly in circles above the plaza in front of my office building. The weather was beautiful and sunny, just a slight chill in the air. Something about watching those birds against the backdrop of a bright blue sky made me think of seagulls flying above the sea, as if I were standing quayside on a harbor instead of curbside in a landlocked city. Let's be honest, pigeons look no more like seagulls than Arlington, Virginia looks like San Diego, California. But that perfect combination of birds flying through a vibrant, sunny sky and a bite in the air just-so, like a breeze coming off the ocean, brought subconscious impressions of the ocean to the surface. Though it's been more than a year since I moved, I guess deep down I still miss the blue Pacific. Something's going on in my subconscious, anyway, if a pigeon can make me think of a seagull!

Drivers

Before moving away from southern California, I felt like a minority as a San Diego native. Most of the people I met were transplants, having moved to San Diego from other places (usually for the great weather and variety of things to do). During infrequent rainstorms, these people would invariably complain about how badly Californians drove in inclement weather. Such complaints gave me the impression that people from parts of the country that experienced winter climates were skilled drivers in bad weather. I thought it was a fair assumption; otherwise, why would all the transplants complain? Much to my chagrin, it was a faulty conclusion. Here in the metropolitan D.C. area anyway, rain and snow bring out the worst in drivers who aren't that skilled to begin with. They slow down to a snail's pace, they brake suddenly, they lose all capacity to merge... in short, they give this transplant much more cause to complain than California drivers do to non-native Californians. Fortunately, I now live close to a Metro station, so most of my commuting is by train these days. And that generally moves at the same pace, rain or shine.