Rain with a chance of more rain

1 minute

Friends,

It’s raining again.

Why this is surprising to me is a mystery. I live in the PNW. In a state known for being eternally green. What no one mentions is that the green is so brilliant because the backdrop of the grey skies matches the mood of the people.

I feel like our mock winter has lasted for years, and there is no end in sight.

Just more rain in the forecast.

Seasonal Depression is in full effect.

I’m not alone.

Ironically, most people around the world deal with seasonal depression. Well, at least anyone who has decided to lay roots in an area that experiences the four seasons.

Winter, Pollen Season, Summer, Mock Winter.

For six months a year, we live in total grey intermixed with snow storms. No sunlight. No grand expeditions to explore the unknown or leisurely picnics by the river. There’s no need for suntan lotion or fashionable sunglasses. Hell, Walmart doesn’t even sell ‘summer’ clothing until closer to July.

It would be a waste. We are all just looking for the newest rain jacket, warm coffee, and a new Netflix series to binge-watch.

Rain equals money.

I have decided I have learned the key to living in Washington.

You have to be rich.

Like Richey Rich.

Because the only damn thing to do here is shop.

Everywhere I look, everything revolves around shopping. It’s raining outside? Go to the mall to get your steps in.

Cloudy and drizzling? Go to the cute little towns and walk around the shops that all display overpriced specialty clothing or imported wool from halfway around the world.

Grey with the possibility of rain? Go to the local brewery.

Tourists who can afford to come to Washington love it. They walk away with all kinds of Bigfoot souvenirs and new candles. They take the ferry across to the islands and find the slow way of life ‘cute’ and ‘endearing.’ In the middle of summer, they have a reason to cozy up to the fireplace and drink hot cocoa.

Tourists never pick up on the fact that the reason it’s ‘slow’ is because the locals are refusing to leave their homes.

Not that I am hating on tourists. All my adult life, I have lived somewhere in the world that relies on ‘tourist season’ to survive. So bring them on.

It’s just nothing I can afford. Nor can I escape.

Unfortunately.

World’s most expensive paperweight

Here’s the real reason why I am complaining.

I just bought the world’s most expensive paperweight.

My 2023 Heritage (Harley) is sitting in my garage, just begging to be let out onto the open roads. It is yelling at me to do more than start its engine. It wants to be put into gear and released into the wild.

But I can’t. Not with the eternal soft rain of the PNW. Not with drivers not sure if they are turning on the windshield wipers or telling Jesus to ‘take the wheel.’

It’s not safe. Not to mention, there are so many potholes covered in water that with one wrong move, my bike is on the ground, and I am swimming to safety.

I need inspiration

The hard part of being a writer in a household of artistic people (my son paints, and my hubby is learning how to tattoo) is that we need inspiration.

We need to go out into the public and interact with other people. We need to overhear conversations, see what other people are creating, and talk to anyone other than each other.

Hell, I’m a writer, and I’m having a hard time coming up with something to blog about. Which is ironic because I write fantasy. Which means I’m great at making shit up. You would think I could come up with something!

But no. My days are limited to home, work, and an occasional trip to the grocery store. Even the conversations at home have become grey and predictable.

Unless it’s about the rain. We can talk for hours about rain.

No end in sight

Is there any end in sight for us poor, soaked members of the PNW? Sure. I have a lot of things planned for June. My mother’s retirement party. I am hosting the very first writers meeting at the Bellingham Barnes and Noble, and then the following weekend, I am doing an author’s event there.

My son will be finishing his first year at the college this June and I want to take him out to dinner to celebrate the achievement. For only being 16- this is a big deal.

I think somewhere in this, we are going to dinner with some friends who are also in the reptile world- so that should be fun.

But you know what I didn’t mention? Riding my bike.

Riding = happiness

My motorcycle is among the top three things that make me happy, right behind a good cup of coffee and a good day of sales for my books.

It allows me to hit the open road with fresh air on my face, music in my ear, and not have to talk to anyone as I explore the hidden gems of backcountry roads.

Just me and my thoughts for mile after mile, blowing away the cobwebs of my past and making room for the potential of tomorrow.

Without the roar of the exhaust and the zoom zoom of passing people on the highways, my demons are able to catch up with me. That’s never good. My shrink went on vacation to escape the grey skies and never-ending tears of the gods, so I can’t rely on her to up my medication levels.

Conclusion

When the seasonal depression hits us hard, what do we do? We vent! I share my frustration on my blog.

And, of course, we take advantage of Amazon’s sales and buy a happy light because the gods know that the four I currently own are not hitting the mark.

Then we pray the weatherman got it wrong.

So, my friends, if you live somewhere that has already been visited by that big, beautiful, red star in the sky we call the sun, can you send me a picture?

I wrote her a letter to ask her to come visit, but she hasn’t gotten back to me yet.

Until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If tales of legend, myth, and fantasy topped with a cup of coffee interest you, I suggest checking out my book, The Writer and the Librarian. A historical fantasy about a middle-aged woman who must choose between accepting what is written in history books or seeking out the truth behind the tales. Limited edition copies are now available on my website

Signed Copy of The Writer and the Librarian (Book 1) – R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author (rlgeerrobbins.com)

Amazon: 

https://a.co/d/flQhakX

Barnes and Noble: 

The Writer and the Librarian by Rose Geer-Robbins, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Target: 

The Writer And The Librarian – (the Raven Society) By R L Geer-robbins (paperback)

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