Whither the snow in Pasadena?

About this time every year (late January - early February) I go through a lengthy and useless rumination about the wisdom of leaving Southern California to return to Indiana, which I did in 1993. After all, the original name of Pasadena (where I lived for nearly 20 years) was the "Indiana Colony," as it was founded by frozen-out Hoosiers shortly after the Civil War. (By the way, Pasadena came within a few civic votes of being named "Hoosier." Can you imagine New Year's Day media hosts enthusing: "Now, live from Hoosier, it's the 110th running of the Hoosier Tournament of Roses!") Faced with a wind chill in negative digits earlier this week, I drifted wistfully back to when I was on the faculty at Pepperdine University, conducting marketing classes in January outside in full view of the Pacific Ocean.

I did take some solace when I learned that it SNOWED in Amman, Jordan earlier today. In fact, it dusted snow in Baghdad on January 11, the first time "in living memory" as one MSNBC writer put it. Apparently a highly unusual cold snap has engulfed much of the Middle East, wreaking frigid havoc as frozen drafts swirl through open buildings designed to dissipate withering heat.

Snowballs among the mosques somehow makes me feel better, but I don't know why.

Oh well, 45 days until the tulip season!