New Windshield

The weather has been gorgeous for the last few days. And when the weather is nice, I prefer to have a nice clean car. Unfortunately, when they put in my new windshield the other day, they said that I couldn't do a car wash for at least 24 hours. Something about how the glue needs to set, and the possibility that a power sprayer would blow the new glass clean off the car, I guess. So, since I always follow directions, the car is still grimy.

But the windshield is completely invisible! It's a bit odd to drive down the road and see everything so clearly, without any of the little imperfections that scatter the light all over the place. Wonder how long that clarity will last?

Probably until tomorrow. It's supposed to snow then, which means that I'll get road slop, sand, and all sorts of caustic chemicals thrown up onto my pristeen glass in the next 24 hours or so. I guess that means that I shouldn't bother washing the car, either, even though the glue should've set by now.

How often does your behavior change based on a weather forecast? Obviously, activities like tennis, running, and biking will be affected by the elements -- but how often do you re-arrange trips to the store, dining options, or hanging out with friends...just because some guy on the radio said that precipitation was pending? Do you choose the day's clothing based on the such prognostications? Is your music selected for its compatibility with the climate?

Not me: I'm usually oblivious. I pick my clothing based on whatever happens to be closest to the door of my closet, and choose my coat based on whether I was cold or not the day before.

But in addition to my obliviousness, I have a healthy dose of skepticism; I don't have a lot of faith in weather forecasts—In fact, one year, I kept track of weather forecasts on a daily basis, and compared my own predictions to theirs. (I looked out the window and predicted whether it would rain or snow based on what I thought the sky looked like. The meteorologists based their predictions on radar screens, maps, and those funny little metal trees with the spinning ice-cream scoops on them.) For that year, I was correct about 65% of the time, and the professional weather dudes got it right a little less than half the time. I concluded that I no longer needed to rely on them at all.

Anyway, as I was filling my gas tank, it made me smile to realize that I didn't have to squeegee the windshield. I still needed to remove the duct tape that the glass guy stuck on there, but otherwise, I could just stand there are watch the numbers fly by on the pump. But this puzzles me: when I inserted my Sooper Card for the 10-cents-per-gallon gas discount, the pump asked me "Do you want to use you 10-cent discount?"

I don't think it does any good to spit out a sarcastic "Well, DUH!" to an inanimate machine, but I was still tempted to do it. Seriously, why would I have inserted my customer card if I didn't want to use the benefit? Are there people who actually respond by saying "No, I'd prefer to pay full price, please!"? Or is that little extra question on a timeout system, so that if you don't answer within a certain number of seconds, you just don't get the discount on grounds that you refused to accept their offer? If so, then I can see it -- because some folks probably jump right into washing their windshield or are telling the kids to behave or pondering their grocery list or something...and totally ignore the gas pump's little screen.

Not me, though. My windshield was clean, no kids were in the car, and I was proceeding directly to work after filling up, so I pressed "Yes" and got my discount. I'm not gonna throw my money away. Instead, I went over to the booth and bought a lottery ticket.

So, with pride in my fiscal responsibility, a full tank of gas, and a clear view of the world, I intend to enjoy the rest of this warm weather. I hope you will, too!