I awoke this morning to a room filled with oddly-colored sunlight, that still somehow seemed dark--like the sun that comes out after a storm, but the rest of the sky is still dark and cloudy. The light was almost bright red, though, and cast an eerie glow that made it feel even weirder. My boss later told me (only half-jokingly) that she wondered to herself whether the world was ending. It was also stiflingly hot. Really quite spooky.
As I got ready for work, I quickly discovered that my eyes weren't quite functioning. I could see, but I couldn't focus. I cleaned my glasses again and again, thinking that maybe I got something on them, but the problem wasn't with the lenses. Not being able to see is actually a pretty big fear of mine, and I was definitely scared out of my mind this morning. I figured it was my allergies, took a claritin, and pulled myself together enough to get to the office (albeit half an hour late), and tried to work on things that didn't require precise focus. Not easy in an office setting.
Just before lunch, a visitor mentioned the Lick Fire, and everything suddenly made sense. For those not in the area, apparently there's a gigantic fire about 200 miles from here, and the winds changed last night to send the smoke up this way. The smoke/haze makes the sun look red, and is definitely causing many people allergy-like symptoms. Given that I'm allergic to smoke and asthmatic anyway, this is not a good day for me to be outside.
200 miles from here, though? Wow. And apparently the winds moved it up really quickly. What's even weirder is that Jen, who lives in San Jose, wayyyy closer to the fire, says it's sunny and clear there. Perhaps not the apocalypse, but strange nonetheless.
At least I know what the heck is wrong with my eyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment