I didn’t even realize this until today, when I noticed how the skies had turned a little hazy over the past day. There have been fires sweeping across the northern part of the state, a few big ones being around Napa Valley and some in the Santa Clara area. It doesn’t help that during this time of the year, it does not rain here; it stays very dry. There’s sunshine all the time, but yes, a lot of dryness in the air causes for the fires to occur.
Category: My San Francisco Chronicles
Well, the warm temperatures are gone from the city as of today: when I woke up, there was fog (typical of San Francisco), and the temperatures were chillier, around 50 degrees in the morning. The afternoon did not seem to change much, staying around upper 50s/lower 60s.
This type of weather seemed to keep the crowds in today since the carts were all very slow with business; I actually only worked 3 hours today since the second vendor had already come in at noon and we definitely did not need two vendors at the cart. We made measly tips as well.
This got me wondering: What is the “perfect hot dog weather”? When do people feel the most in the mood to eat a hot dog? The warmer temperatures did not seem to draw the crowds in, at least not to the hot dogs; people more so ordered drinks or the soft frozen lemonade. The cooler temperatures do not bring in the customers as much as we’d like, either. So I don’t understand–when is the best time (weather-wise) to have a hot dog?
Today, for some reason, the Powell-Mason Cable Car line was not working, so that equaled crappy business for the hot dog cart. As a result as well, I got so many questions from frantic tourists who were wondering “Why or why were the cable cars not running?!” The MUNI Cable Car workers had a small sign up by the waiting area, but it was not noticeable enough. They kept their ticket booth open until 4pm, but that was that.
In many ways, they could have done more. Sure, perhaps these breakdowns happen frequently for them and they feel they do not need to answer tourists when tourists ask “Why is it not running?” But it’d help if they made the news more noticeable/public so people would not be left either standing there stupidly waiting for a nonexistent cable car to arrive or asking the same question over and over and over.
It became irritating near the end of the day; people wanted to know why it was not running, and you know what, I didn’t have the answer to that, and I probably never will since I do not even work with the cable car people. I feel like tourists assume that I gain this sort of information via osmosis, but sadly I have to burst their bubble on that idea.
The first official day of summer, and the temperatures in San Francisco are around 90 degrees. It’s insanity! While working today, so many people bought ice cold drinks from me and kept complaining about the heat. San Francisco rarely becomes so warm, so people are not used to it.
It’s amusing to see how fickle people are about the weather in San Francisco. I have become one of those people–if it gets above 70 degrees I complain that it’s a bit too hot, and if it goes below 40, I’m chattering my teeth. Since when did I become used to such moderate weather? After all, I’ve been in over 100 degree weather (with humidity) before, and I have been in below zero degree weather as well (could feel my nose freezing up right when I walked outside…).
I suppose when people grow accustomed to one area, one climate, they tend to forget the other climates they had lived in before.
Hmm, when I arrived back from Sacramento a couple days ago, I thought I was glad to be back in good ol’ San Franciscan weather (mostly 60-degree weather during the day, a little cooler during the nighttime). Well, when I stepped off the bus, I realized I felt pretty warm already, despite it being nighttime.
Yesterday, wasn’t outside too much, but I found the temperatures up in the 70s most of the day. Today, I worked outside, and man, despite the fact that it is only 78 degrees, for some reason I feel like that is too hot these days!
You don’t understand; I’ve dealt with more extreme weather in the past–been in negative degree weather in Montana, scorching, humid weather (up in the 90s and 100s) in Virginia–you’d think I would be able to handle this kind of weather here.
But it feels unusual, to have to walk outside with no jacket on here in the city. I guess we San Franciscans are too spoiled with our moderate weather year-round; winter rarely dips below 40 degrees, summer rarely goes above 70.
At least there’s still sunshine in this weather; makes good days for tanning (for those who enjoy it).