social security

The day is still young, I suppose. I woke up extra early to make it to the Social Security Bureau place before the doors opened, so it feels like half the day has gone by already. This morning was one of those rare days when I roll out of bed and wander over to brush my teeth and notice delightedly in the mirror that my hair looks like a 30's movie star rather than a bird's nest. So I skipped showering for fear of losing those magical waves and body that mysteriously appeared overnight.

We got to the S.S. government building (stereotypically although NEVER inaccurately recognizable as the drabbest, most poorly designed, butt ugly building inside and out within a three mile radius of the vicinity) and there was already a line about 18 persons long. Ryan, being the kind soul he his, accompanied me on this joyless expedition toward the back of the line of shivering stressed looking people in 14 degree weather. The windows of this building were lined with those floor length grey cheapo blind things, and as we all stood there freezing with 6 minutes to go till the grand opening of a Wednesday day's work, there was an undulating disturbance in the blinds that rippled its way to my periphery. Some government worker was peeking at us through the blinds and as soon as we all noticed they whipped back into the confines of the mysterious, well hidden, no doubt well heated building.

We were finally admitted indoors and waited an additional 25 minutes or so while Ryan and I explored the real reason behind the proverbial 'INVERSION' that graces all us Utahns with its notoriously smoggy presence every winter. See, I'm very aware of the inversion. I've been painfully aware of it ever since I moved here and all winter long every person I encountered informed me with a knowing look and a sense of superior knowledge, or perhaps just an attempt at establishing camaraderie and furthermore their affirmed residency, that in the winter here, Utah valleys experience something called an inversion where bad air and pollution gets trapped.

Since then I've been plagued by vague references to the inversion every winter, and haven't really encountered any legit, solid explanation for scientifically why it happens. Yeah, the pollution gets trapped. Yeah, the cold air sinks....or doesn't....or something. Yeah we get gross hazy air and red alerts that warn us to stop breathing....but whhyyyyy? So we looked it up on the interwebs right there in the S.S. office because we had the time, and the curiosity I suppose. And do you know what? Even the explanations online were too vague to give us a goo comprehensive idea of the reason. I gleaned something about warm fronts interfering and messing with the natural flow of convection currents and upwelliong, and how that causes the pollution to be 'capped' below stagnant air....but that's all. So....does anyone actually know why this happens?

Switching gears: I had a bit of time to take picture when I got home...and I should be doing homework right now..... but I've wanted to document everything I'm passionate about in here: cooking, baking, sewing, creating, antiquing, clothing assemblage and ensembles, photography, and film included. So here is my outfit for today. The boots were a great find from DI, I made the flower in my hair, and I believe the cardigan and jeans were an online purchase somewhere....