A Robust Inland Influx

I don't know if you know, but I am obsessed with my Saturday morning tennis clinic, followed by my shared lesson.  Four the last four years, the same group of about 5-6 of us take a 7:30am clinic at the Hopkins courts in north berkeley.  it's fun and competitve and i really like everyone who goes, as well as our coach.  heck, it's about the only social activity outside of work that occurs in my life.  i'm pretty obsessed with it, i look forward to it all week and the excitement builds all day on friday.  this time of year is very difficult for me, because there is always the possibility of getting rained out, and missing class is a very depressing thing for me.  but there is an even worse thing than getting rained out:  the possibility of getting rained out.  if it is pouring rain all day friday, and rain is forecast all night friday and into saturday, i can resign myself to the fact that the clinic will be rained out, and at least look forward to the prospect of sleeping in, rather than have my alarm clock go off at 6:30am on a saturday morning.  but if there is a chance of rain for friday night or saturday morning, i spend all day friday stressing about it, looking up at the sky, checking the weather updates.  i wake up during the night, listening intently for wicked raindrops.  the alarm goes off saturday morning and i put my glasses on and go to the front window to check the street for wetness.  there is nothing worse than waking up saturday morning hoping to head up to the clinic only to see the streets too wet to play.

i monitor the weather forecast all week, and this week has looked good for a go tomorrow morning.  all week it has just been predicted to be cloudy/foggy friday into saturday, but this morning, they had to add HEAVY DRIZZLE to the forecast.  that makes the anxiety set in for me.  if the drizzle is heavy enough, the courts will be too wet.  and we didn't have a clinic last week because the coach was out of town.  i really can't go two weeks in a row.  so i did something that i normally wouldn't do, i emailed the weatherman at channel 2, steve paulsen,  to ask about the chances for a 7:30am tennis class were and he wrote this back to me within 30 minutes: 

Brad,

As a 3.5/4.0 tennis player myself, I commiserate with your hope of no drizzle.  Berkeley is definitely in the window for some drizzle tomorrow morning.  Let's say, at worst, you'll be delayed, but I still say you'll be able to eventually play.  Here's the officeial prognostication and I agree with it:

OF MORE SIGNIFICANCE FOR OUR AREA WILL BE A DEEPINGING OF THE MARINE LAYER AND STRENGTHENING OF ONSHORE FLOW AS THE TROUGH APPROACHES LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT.  THE RESULT WILL BE A ROBUST INLAND INFLUX OF LOW  CLOUDS TONIGH...LESS DENSE FOG AND DRIZZLE NEAR THE OCEAN .

So you might get lucky and only have thick fog!  I think you'll be okay.  Heck, I'm at 9 AM so I don't want any drizzle either!  Thanks for the note,

sp

I think that is most impressive, and even though Sal Castaneda is an annoying moron, I will continue to faithfully watch the channel 2 news every morning.