August Weather: Big Bucks, No Whammies

Weather was a big gamble in the grand scheme of things when we decided to move here for one year. We both love sunshine. California is the place for us. We enjoy running in December on our lunch breaks without wearing a stocking cap, gloves and winter jacket. We both grew up in the Midwest; we escaped the world of long winters years ago. Ireland's reputation as a very rainy (hence beautifully green) country is known worldwide.

During our research last summer, however, lots of web sites and colleagues living in Ireland said that June, July, August and September were the best months for weather. Best in our world is 90 degrees and sunny: all day long. Sure, we knew we wouldn't get weather like that, but we at least thought summer in Ireland could be similiar to a California spring: cold mornings and evenings; warm afternoons; sunny most days; rainy days here and there. This country had a really rainy summer in 2007; when deciding to move here, this seemed promising to us. "Maybe a rainy summer last year means they'll have a mild summer in 2008 while we're living there!" I'd declared to Damon.

So, we rolled the dice. We knew we could make it through a rainy winter and spring because we always had summer to look forward to.

All summer, we've been acting like contestants on that old game show "Press Your Luck." We wanted "Big Bucks." Great weather. "No Whammies." No rain. Hell, we'd be happy with less rain and a sunny day once or twice a week.

When it rained most days in June, we told ourselves this: July will be better. Then a crappy July came and went; we said: it least we have August. Whammy, Whammy, Whammy. I swear that pint-sized red villain with the cape and big grin has body-snatched Mother Nature just to screw with our vitamin D- and vitamin K-deprived minds!

Now it's mid-August, and we spent all weekend surfing the Internet and packing for our return because there were gale-force winds and sheets of rain falling. No more Whammies, please. We can't take anymore rain. We have only three weeks before we go home. "Come on, Big Bucks!"