Good morning! It’s Monday, December 18, 2017, a day that’ll bring rain and 48, to begin a week that’ll bring the Winter Solstice and weather to match. We’re in for a heavy rain tomorrow, likely obliterating our chance of setting a record for the driest December ever. And then: a cold spell by the weekend, with highs around 30. Might be a few snowflakes too. Winter, beginning on Thursday, will feel like winter. Santa’s going to be glad for all that padding. Today’s sunrise comes at 7:46 AM, sunset at 4:28 PM, and that’s 30 seconds later than yesterday.
What a mess! The nation’s air travel system will struggle for days to recover from an epic holiday snafu, as Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta was utterly shut down for eleven chaotic hours yesterday. The busiest airport in the world lost power because of a fire in an underground vault someplace, leaving passengers trapped in planes on the tarmac for hours, and thousands of others feeling their way in the dark in the airport terminals. Even the backup systems crashed. Latest word is that power’s restored, and agents are swamped trying to rebook thousands of stranded travelers. Delta has canceled hundreds of flights today, although most of the airline’s Portland operations–except direct to Atlanta–are on schedule, according to the PDX status board.
The city of Salem is operating on a backup groundwater supply after a truck hit a patch of ice on Highway 22 along the Santiam River, spilling almost 12,000 gallons of gasoline. That’s where Salem gets its water.
A Tigard police officer has been upgraded from critical to serious condition. He was hit by a drunk driver after having car trouble on the Sunset Highway last week.
A major recycling center at SE 100th and Foster erupted in flames, pumping toxic smoke into the Saturday night air.
Senator John McCain has gone home to Arizona. The man is going through chemo, and he’s 81. He’ll miss the vote on the tax bill.
The tax bill will pass. Chances are you’ll get a cut, but how much depends on individual circumstances. The more zeroes behind your taxable income, the more dollars will come your way. But you won’t notice it in your paycheck until 2019.
A family in Milwaukie had just settled in for a long winter’s nap when somebody came into their home, and it sure wasn’t Saint Nick. They stole all the gifts under the tree except one–and it was stomped on and crushed.
The one good thing that happened at Century Link Field in Seattle yesterday was the raising of the 12 Flag by this year’s Washington state champion high school football coaches, including two within our transmitter range, from Hockinson and Kalama High Schools.
Vanna White, famous for turning letters..turns a couple of numbers, today…a six and a zero. Stephen Spielberg was born this day in 1946. Brad Pitt is 54. Keith Richards is 74. The guy is indestructible. On his 38th birthday, this date in 1981, a fan rushed him on the stage in the middle of a song. So he took off his guitar, smacked the guy with it, then put it back on and kept playing.
Headlines for a Happy Heart! Just the heads…fill in the details with our minds..
–“World War II vet, 95, and daughter fight off burglar.”
–“Winnie the wombat: Australia’s oldest wombat celebrates 31 years.”
–“Wife gets wedding ring back after husband accidentally drops it in Salvation Army kettle”
–“Researchers have found an ancient shark in the North Atlantic, believed to be 512 years old, which could be the oldest living vertebrate in the world”
–“Ten year old boy to get bionic hand for Christmas.”
–“Salvation Army volunteer rings bell with pet goat”
–Little girl who had pioneering operation to fix her spine walks unaided to meet Santa. “Look Santa, I can walk.”
So—Yikes! One week until Christmas, a week during which the sluggards amongst us must shop and, God help us, wrap. I am the worst at that. Plus most of us have to wind up our year’s business at work, and some have relatives coming to town, so here comes Vacuum Claus, and we’re likely doing it all with extra sugar and alcohol in our systems. Add any individual dramas, health stories, financial pressures, and the National Mood, and we’re all under maximum pressure right now. It’s a good time to listen to the inner whisper that knows we should gently guide ourselves and our loved ones, for the sake of ourselves and our loved ones, to physical activity and hydration and things to eat that are actually good for us. And kindness has never mattered more than it does right now. Off we go to the radio shop. See you on 103.3!
Portland's Daily Drip 