Restless Wind

The wind was blowing ever so slightly this morning here in San Marcos, only a 1 on my "Richter Scale of Wind Events!"   It sparked a discussion of our wind experiences and I thought I'd catagorize them here on my own Wind Scale.

Measurement #                 Wind Activity

    1          Gently blowing ears of my dogs as they proudly stick their heads out of the
                car window.
    2          Spring breezes scattering leaves across the grass.
    3          Whistling at the windows and doors;  leaves gathering in little piles
                around the plants.
    4          Currents extinguishing outdoor candles immediately upon lighting,  even
                in glass chimneys.
    5          Gusts  spreading trash around the neighborhood.
    6          Strong gusts picking up anything under 50 pounds; taking out every loose
                item in the car.
                upon opening the doors. Shaking a portable classroom; turning an umbrella
                inside out.
                Scooping out the contents of a cup; once a malt, another time, coffee.
    7          Rattling and sometimes breaking large windows; breaking branches
                from trees
    8          Catching any open door and slamming it forcefully;         
                knocking doors off their hinges,  breaking ribs of the person in the way.
    9          Uprooting whole trees, taking a metal shed over the wall,
                destroying the wall.
  10          Taking down all the utility poles for a block,  jamming traffic for hours.
                Catching the fire burning across the foothills, creating a blow torch effect.


When we first moved to Cucamonga in 1971, my memory didn't include many wind stories. However, within a few days, we began to discover real wind. All of the above activities of this weather phenomenon really happened to us or someone we knew well, during the years we lived in San Bernardino County. Don and I agreed we miss the wind and the excitement it brings; at least up to Measurement #6 on my scale. 

There's a real measurement called  the Beaufort scale; a wind of force 2 to 6 on the Beaufort scale (4–27 knots or 4.5-31 mph) is a breeze. A 10 would include"Very widespread damage to vegetation. Some windows may break; mobile homes and poorly constructed sheds and barns are damaged. Debris and unsecured objects are hurled about."  

Oddly enough, my wind scale and Beaufort's are similar, even though I just read the whole Wiki entry after creating my own. The bottom line is that not all wind experiences are as sweet as Rossetti's poem.

Sleep; The Elusive Dream

I used to sleep like the proverbial log when I was younger and would wonder about the occasional person I heard about who couldn't sleep. Drinking a cup or two of coffee later in the evening never bothered me, and my husband always said I was asleep within minutes of putting my head on the pillow. Only if it was within an hour of my actual alarm time would it be hard for me to slip back into slumber. Then, thoughts of the day ahead would overtake my desire for a little more sleep. 

Now that I'm retired, sleeping has become a struggle. Getting to sleep still seems to be a happy thought, and my comforter, crisp white sheets, and fresh air pouring in all the bedroom windows beckon me as I nod off on the couch. However, only one or two hours of unconsciousness is mine before my eyes pop open and my every-other-hour trips to sleeplessness begin.  Curiousity gets the best of me and then I check the clock. Yep, I was awake only an hour ago. 

Exercise seems to be a factor;  if I haven't gotten any exercise during the day my legs get the "wiggles" and I need to walk through the house listening to my iPod for an hour. Too much exercise causes my calf muscles to cramp up, sending me straight up and out of bed in an effort to stretch the offending culprits. And drinking coffee before bed? Forget about it and anything else after 3:00! You get the picture.

Other facets of my sleeplessness can include: I'm too hot, too cold, the pillow feels like a rock or a sponge depending on my state of mind; both of us snore and wake the other one up regularly; and irritating at the least, and a bit scary, is my inability to get a certain tune out of my head. It will be there when I wake up even if I haven't listened to it for days and have worked at getting other songs into my repertoire. Ugh. 

Not one for taking medications unless prescribed by the doctor, "the green butterfly" (Ambien)  and his associates won't become part of my pill taking. Melatonin, St. John's Wart, and the occasional Tylenol will have to suffice. Their effects don't last until noon either. 

Vivid in my memory is Michael J. Foxx in some episodes of Family Ties when he went sleepless for many days and was so miserable, and it reminds me that my sleep troubles are minor and don't interfere with my life.