Living with Miami Summer Weather Pattern

The floors are finally done and as expected we have forgotten all the hassles and the agonizing wait that we had to put up with. As the memory of the old dirty carpet starts to fade away, it almost feels as if this is the way the floors have been all along. And I’m sure in the big scheme of things; the aggravations of the first three months of residence will become a faint memory as time moves on.

We are also getting more familiar with the South Florida summer weather pattern. One thing is clear, no need to pay attention to weather predictions. As long as the prediction sticks to “possible thunderstorm in the afternoon” it should be safe, but if they predict a sunny, clear or low humidity day, take cover because the lightening will be hitting sooner or later. From the vantage point of the 31^st floor, the thunderstorms developing in the everglades become an interesting daily spectacle. We can now easily determine if the storms are falling on Key Biscayne, on Coconut Grove, on Downtown, Doral or North Miami. We can almost set up an alternate Air Traffic Control station to advice on the best landing and departure routes to/from MIA. Luckily the daily downpours don’t interfere with our routine since 99% of the time it’s perfectly clear in the morning, then the clouds start building up by mid-day and by early afternoon, quarter-size drops start to fall from the sky as if the heavens had decided to destroy the earth once and for all. In an hour or so it’s all done and the sun comes back again as if nothing had happened. In the late afternoon is the best time to head back to the beach anyhow so the timing works out perfectly.

Except if, like today, I decide to explore our broader surroundings by taking a bus ride to the mainland (Miami). As usual, when I left home this morning I thought I had picked the perfect day as it was sunny and breezy and not a cloud in the sky. I went to the Miami-Dade Transit Website to figure out which bus and where to wait for it and in no time I was waiting by the bus stop. And I waited, and waited, and waited. The memories of the city officials’ inspection of the wood floor started to come to mind but fortunately we spotted the M-route bus as it was turning towards us. I say “us” because as I’m finding, a bus stop is a good place to meet new friends. Well, not the kind of friends you want to keep for a long time, but friendly people anyhow. A girl that was waiting longer than me said that it never fails that as soon as she lights a cigarette, the bus shows up. I suggested that why didn’t she light one up, but she was just fresh out of them at the time. Just our luck. The good thing is that cigarettes are not allowed in the buses so we can all continue to be friends inside.

On the bus route map that I printed, I was able to follow the streets pretty well. This bus was ultimately heading to the Jackson Memorial Hospital, but on the way we drove through some rough patches of real estate, which I’m glad we were moving right along and not stranded there at night with an out-of-state license plate. Since I was just going for a joy ride, I decided to stay on the bus until it looped around. Well, there was not such thing as a loop, at least not a seamless loop. At the end of the route, the bus stopped, the driver announced that she was turning the engine off and stepping out. The few remaining souls stepped out of the bus God know where we were. It was a busy street but definitely a few notches down from SoBe although better than the rough patches we encountered along the way. I felt welcome, but still very discretely I pulled my wedding ring off and my wrist watch off to keep any bright metal from making it too obvious that I was not from around there. Even though the wait was going to be around 15 minutes, I ventured off on the busy commercial street to find something to eat. I found a little Hispanic restaurant that was just perfect for the occasion. Ropa Vieja (beef), white rice, black beans, fried plantains with a natural juice drink for $7. Shakira blasting on the radio behind the counter and the aroma of Cuban Coffee throughout. I couldn’t have asked for a better combination.

In the 40 minutes I was eating, the clouds that were notorious for their absence in the morning, somehow had congregated themselves to threaten to dump enough water to feed a continent worth of everglades. And as soon as I stepped out of the building, it started to rain. Luckily I brought a small umbrella but the wind kept trying to turn it upside down and I ended up as soaked as if I had just been to a wet t-shirt convention.

Waiting for the bus on the way back, I met a fellow that, like the others, was very friendly and easy to talk to. He volunteered to ask the bus driver when we would be departing, and he came back to report with a grin saying that at least he was going to be able to finish his beer, which he was carrying in a small brown bag. It was well after 12:00PM so I’m sure it was fine with everyone else. The shocking thing to me happened just before boarding the bus. He just looked over the curb and found a good spot to drop his bag with the can, right in the storm drain opening. Just two steps behind him was a big old trash can, but that would have required some thinking and maybe lifting the lid. I’m not going to be surprised if I see that can again sometime in my future and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about him again when I see it in the Biscayne Bay.

The trip back took about 40 minutes, but at least I was safe from the rain. The walk back from the bus station wasn’t too bad as the rain was already winding down. But it was like coming back from a safari. Glad I went, but happier to be back in one piece.

After an hour of drying off in the condo, I left again to a book club meeting at the local public library. On an earlier visit to the library I had seen that they were going to discuss the “Water for Elephants” book that I had read recently. Lucky for me, this one I had already read. It was quite a cultural experience, especially when compared to the company I kept during the first part of the day. All in all, another educational day in Miami.