High Wind Day?

I'm used to Snow Days in MN, where there's so much snow that everyone stays at home. School is canceled, activities are canceled, traffic is a mess. Here in Hawaii, I experienced the seemingly equivalent to a Snow Day. I'm calling it a High Wind Day (due to the high wind warning). Today school was canceled all across the island and neighboring islands because 60 mph winds were predicted. Sideburnz and I spent quite a bit of time researching this on the internet before venturing out this morning to make sure we'd be safe. So far so good... well... Sideburnz hasn't returned from his safari to the mall yet... Everything in Honolulu is 'go' as usual- people are out and about, stores and coffee shops are open- I just don't have to teach today. In fact, I'm probably not supposed to be here because the email said "Only essential personnel should report to work." Alas, the demands of a new faculty member make me essential personnel.

I think this is awfully ironic, because yesterday in MN, it was terribly cold with the high temp well below zero. Minnesotans had to go to school. I had no trouble riding my bike around town today. The wind didn't make me fall over or anything. Unfortunately, my hopes of reading at the Waikiki Library were dashed because, like the public schools, it too is closed due to the winds. I had to settle for Starbucks and eventually my office. Drat. The weather is not particularly nice with intermittent sun and full-on downpours, so I'm content enough to work (and blog).

I'm hoping for good weather tomorrow so I can give the local canoing club a try. I have been pretty much hobbiless for the past 2 weeks and my pacing around the house is starting to drive me (and Sideburnz) nuts. One of my issues is the length of daylight. My brain is still programmed on Northern Climate temperature-day length relationships. When its warm and sunny, it should be light 14 hours a day. Now, I'm not complaining, because I'd gladly take 11 hours of warm daylight than 8 hours of bitter cold daylight, but at 6pm its dark here. Then what do I do. I'm still too daylight dependent for activities, so at 6pm I eat dinner and sit in my tiny apartment listening to podcasts of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me or Car Talk. Hopefully an active hobby like canoing will at least wear me out!

Well, I'm proud to say that I've made it through my first week of being an assistant professor. One week down, fifteen more to go until Summer!