duck-shaped pain

3 May 2001
Peach Alert

It is May 3rd. Which means, naturally, that it's icy and raining and totally fucking freezing outside. It sort of just happened -- today started out nice and mild and kind of wishy-washy, and then it turned gray all of a sudden, like we were all living in a box of smoke or something. I do not like it one bit. The only consolation we have is that it's not snowing at least, like it is in other parts of the state.

The sudden cold means that right now, much of the valley is on Peach Alert. Any snap of harsh weather between late March and mid May can spell doom for the peach crop, so when one comes in, concerned parties are out there in the orchards with smudge pots and fans and whatever else they can find to help keep the little budding fruits from freezing to death. One ill-timed storm can completely wipe out the entire crop. This happened two years ago, when a couple of days of near-zero weather took out 98 percent of the peaches, plus sizeable amounts of the cherries, apples, wine grapes and other crops. Last year, there were no freezes, so everyone had peaches busting about everywhere for awhile.

I hope nothing happens to the peaches. Last week, there was news that they were all clear for the season, as no storms were forecast to blow through for the next few weeks. Guess not. Anyway, it's really not summer around here without the peaches. [1]


Feeling out of sorts the last few days. No reason, really, none that I can think of. Yesterday I left work early because I just felt mentally exhausted. I just could work no more. I was starting to forget things and put things in their wrong place, so it was time to go. This whole week has been like that. I've just felt off, but without anything to blame it on. I'm so tempted to take today or Friday off, and I really think I need to, but I don't know if I can manage to arrange it. Everyone else is out this week, whether out in the field or at a convention, so it's just me holding down the ship and making sure things get done. Garrgh.


(Something like this doesn't help, either�)

Strange phone call at work: I answer the phone with the usual message, and there's this gruff male voice on the other end, near-yelling, "You can't do that to me! YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME!"

I was like, "Hello?" One, two, three hellos, and no answer, which means someone deserved to get hung up on.

Three seconds later, he calls back. "THIS IS NOT A PRANK CALL!!!"

It turns out he had dialed the wrong number. He had called the fax line (strange: it's unpublished) instead of the main line and got an earload of click and whirr instead of someone helpful. Not like I was being voluntarily helpful to this guy after he answered the phone like that. Not like I was being any more helpful than a long shrill buzzing would be, really. But I like to imagine I'm better to talk to on the phone.


Weird mail day. One offer for a special TITANIUM Visa (will it stop bullets for me? I don't think so) and an offer for a free deck wash. I'm sure there's a catch to the deck wash, but it's one of those services you don't even think exists until someone offers it to you for free.


Today, I realized that it's been four days since I wrote in the paper journal. My longest hiatus since I started it nearly a year ago. No wonder I feel so out of it.


[1] More peach-related entries here and here. Update on the first one, for those who wonder: nothing has happened about that. Total impasse. Either it's not going to happen at all and the zoning will stay intact (which would be a Good Thing) or it's the sort of thing that will be changed covertly and no one will notice until it's too late.

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