Blame it on the Rain

News Channel 2 WKRN, otherwise known as my local news outlet of choice, airs the weather forecast at exactly 18 minutes after the hour. That would be 4:18 a.m., 5:18 a.m., 6:18 a.m., 4:18 p.m., 5:18 p.m, and 10:18 p.m. Those clever broadcasters suck me in the first 18 minutes, knowing full well that I'll stick around until I get my daily dose of meteorology...or maybe just a portion. Admittedly, I keep weather.com open on my desktop during my workday, and am constantly plugging in my home zip code and my work zip code--which are only three miles apart. It gets even worse during winter. The sheer mention of precipitation incites me to study Doppler maps and pore over hour-by-hour temperature fluctuations.

So, it should be no surprise to you that when my mood changes or my health changes, I always blame it on the weather.

Ages ago, Amanda and I kept up a friendly debate concerning air pollution and its relation to weather. I am a longtime sufferer of allergies, and was often irritated by automobile exhaust and pollen, mold and ragweed during very hot summer months. When I would complain about my discomfort and congestion, Amanda would roll her eyes and tell me that air quality alerts were a big government conspiracy.

Fast forward to autumn 2008, and I begin to suffer from major allergy problems. I battled a 2-week long sinus infection, and was prompted to purchase a warm-mist humidifier to use while sleeping at night. I won't get into how much that little bubbler (which we've lovingly nicknamed "Uma") has revolutionalized my life. But I will say that during this dry early fall we've had so far, any artificial humidity is welcome in my bedroom.

Anyway, I haven't felt great lately. I typically don't feel well on the brink of autumn because of my allergies, and to contribute, I've been in a heinous mood for the past month. And as a result, I've been quick to place responsibility on the weather:

"I've got a headache. It must be the weather."

"I'm lethargic and sad. I think it's the weather."

"I've got achy hands. The weather must be triggering early onset arthritis."

"My tried-and-true tiramisu fell and never set. It must be the weather."

After saying it enough, my roommates began to catch on and took great delight in making fun of me. Laugh they will, but they know I'm right. Afterall, haven't we referred to ailment and illness as "under the weather" for more than a century now?