lurkerfromstoneage

lurkerfromstoneage t1_jdewnj8 wrote

Winters are super difficult for me here - ultra dark, ultra gray, low hanging clouds, feels like a big groggy chunk of time. There’s been years we don’t see the sun for 3 months… and locals know summer doesn’t start till July 5…

Seattle is ranked the most depressed city, and the most anxious lol ugh

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lurkerfromstoneage t1_jc9u4ai wrote

You’re young. You have SO MUCH of this incredible world to see!!! WA is one of endless gorgeous places in this country alone. Glad you enjoyed your trip. The beauty of travel is opening your eyes to awe worthy sites and then appreciating the more minor ones and what’s around you too. Gratitude is important and I need to remember that too in the midst of our own localized issues and disputes. I’m sure you have beauty around you as well, even if it doesn’t look the same :) (edit: ohh yah… those spectacular Florida beaches!) Get out there and see and soak in as much as you can!

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lurkerfromstoneage t1_jc0joef wrote

Same. “Finally” got it late this past January. XBB variant I believe. Think I got it from our gym. I may have had a mild case March 2020 but can’t know for sure. One day woke up, felt headachy and woozy, then by mid day BAM felt like absolute shit. Chills, muscle aches, nausea. Then that was gone the next day but turned to a bad cough. That chronic cough and chest heaviness hit me hard for a solid week. Lost taste and smell too. Difficulty with deep breathing, intermittent shakiness, minor phlegm… looked fine and felt fine otherwise. Got over it after one week but did not recover breathing and some scattered chest tightness for a good month. Healthy, fit, no health concerns, no “vices,” no genetic diseases at all. No, it’s not “mild.” Just because you don’t die doesn’t mean it’s not concerning. You don’t want it. It’s not a normal cold like people say it is (still). I can absolutely see how scary it would be for someone compromised already, not that I ever doubted that. Hope you fully recover asap

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lurkerfromstoneage t1_jbscggl wrote

And last year 2022 we in Seattle broke records for days 90F and above… plus the bolt creek fire and others that burned for like 2months…. Summers here are ultra short glory then they end down the shitter :( makes me nervous for summer too.

Good reminder for people to get a portable AC unit or 2 before they sell out in summer…

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lurkerfromstoneage t1_jbsc0jc wrote

No it doesn’t at all. It’s like flashbacks and loathing of wildfire season and how this makes you feel like complete garbage. So unhealthy. This is a reminder of how truly bad it gets. It’s not “smog.” It’s multiple wildfires burning in our region and up and down the west coast.

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lurkerfromstoneage t1_jbsbtrz wrote

Yeah and in addition to what other commentor said, last year 2022 Sept-Oct was basically TWO MONTHS of poor AQ too with some days being the worst AQ in the world as well. This 2020 photo is just one example of MANY years with BAD wildfire smoke air. 2018, 2017, 2015, 2013…. The list of years affected goes on…. I LOATHE wildfire season SO MUCH it truly is a hinge factor for me (aside from housing costs and mega dark minimal sun winters) for maybe not wanting to be here long term. For those of you here who aren’t aware, this is a very real problem and public health issue in WA/the US West. Breathing in PM2.5 fine particulates is extremely hazardous to your health. Smoke here makes you feel inflamed, fatigued, short of breath, eyes burn, coughing, cranky, sick…. Especially hard on asthma, elderly, children and pets. Businesses and schools close. It seeps in through every crack into your home. Air purifiers sell out. Really not good on many levels. Just FYI.

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lurkerfromstoneage t1_j9svqm9 wrote

Last time I did it in winter was almost exactly a year ago to the day. It was snowy, cold and VERY mucky muddy. LOTS of people totally unprepared for it, as in younger folks wearing flip flops with white socks, white converse no socks, etc. Slipping and sliding around because the packed snow turned into a slide at times. Needless to say, it was still busy but pretty dicey. At the top too, a slick snowy slide that gives me chills thinking about how easy it would be to lose footing and spill over…. Ah!! Wouldn’t do again in those conditions lol. Totally depends on the day. Your shot looks a LOT LOT clearer than that visit.

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lurkerfromstoneage t1_j6u2yfc wrote

As someone living in an area that experiences annual wildfire and smoke season (around September usually, here in Seattle/WA) the smoke can get so bad and into hazardous levels. The air quality is so poor with extremely high PM2.5 levels it can’t truly make you feel inflamed and ill.

Fine, inhalable particulate matter (PM2.5) is the air pollutant of greatest concern to public health from wildfire smoke because it can travel deep into the lungs and may even enter the bloodstream.

Here’s an EPA article about wildfire smoke health concerns

I know even at moderate levels I feel a noticeable difference in my breathing, quality of sleep, hydration, fatigue, irritability, etc. Just makes me feel like garbage! Without preexisting conditions like asthma or anything. And you can tell the whole community seems…more impatient, “punchy,” sorta dazed, people coughing everywhere… Blows my mind how many people just carry on with their everyday routines and exert a lot of energy/do outdoor high intensity recreation/hike/bike etc. without any breathing protection. Even here in Seattle when COVID masking was so widespread. It’s like the concept of smoke is something you “see over there” or claiming kids are young and healthy (when they’re at higher risk of impacts due to not fully developed organs).

I LOATHE smoke season SO MUCH. 2020 Seattle was up with Portland with the worst AQ in the world. As was last September-October, nearly 2full months of bad smoke in the Seattle region. From a human caused fire in addition to several others burning. Horrifying, sickening, preventable.

Wildfire smoke is a public health risk. Alongside industry, vehicles, etc.

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lurkerfromstoneage t1_j45jbuq wrote

The month always stays the same. The year sticker will be the only one to come at renewal. You need to renew before the end of your month sticker. And you can easily do this online. Mine came in like 3 days very quick! Other offices may vary in time it takes to process. Obviously both need to be displayed (on the back plate yep) and it’s clearly defined which goes where… yet people still don’t do it right, by choice or just plain dumb.

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