As far as this story seems to suggest, what people were hearing sounded like the wailing of the wind. There wasn't any weather projections for high winds or anything, so people were concerned. More than a few were worried about a tornado, which also seems to lead to some confusion as to the source location of the sounds. A tornado wouldn't be coming out of the mountains, of course I don't think we'd have to worry about a tornado this time of year anyway. Mostly what was alarming was how loud the sound was. Drivers coming over the pass reported shattered mirrors and cracked windshields. There's a church up I-70 heading west out of Denver that reported similar destruction of their glass windows, as well as other buildings in the area. Residents up there report the sound was so loud it caused them pain, a few people even had to go to the hospital. It seems most people were fortunate for the season, they had earmuffs at hand they could put on to mute the sounds.
Investigators are at a loss as to the cause. I think the current consensus is that there was a micro weather pattern producing high winds at altitude, but no one seems certain of that. The reporter seems to have been doing her job though, she's actually starting to go over the same stories that Max had brought up the previous week. So officials know this is not a new thing, that it's been going on for almost a month now. It's probably the biggest hole in their micro weather pattern theory. Oh, we are being reminded that some storm patterns can last for significantly long periods of time. And the other guy reminds his companion that satellites aren't detecting the high winds he is suggesting would be there.
I think the only thing we can be sure of right now is that no one knows what's going on.
Being on this side of Denver, I can't report having heard anything. My day was, well not the usual day. It wasn't just my dentist appointment, Candace actually called me up and asked if she could join me. She was hoping to go to the gym with me in the morning, but was willing to spend the day with me if I'd have her. I thought that was great and asked if Sam was okay with it. She said he was and had even gotten her a card of her own so she could buy lunch while we were out.
Normally I'd take my sweet time getting around, but after she called I needed to rush to catch the bus so I could get to her place. She even offered to meet me at the stop to her place, which made things much easier. She'd only rode the bus for the first time with me last week, and with as long as it'd taken her to get comfortable with her home phone, I'm pleasantly surprised at how quickly she's adjusting. In any case, since she could meet me at her stop, she was able to board the bus and we could keep heading toward the light rail and take that route.
I did text Sam just to confirm. As much as I would like to find out she's being all independent, I'd feel awful if something were to happen and he didn't know. Sam thanked me for checking in, and confirmed that he was aware. He said if we wanted he could try to meet us for lunch, but that he had a project he was working on and wasn't sure when he'd have the free time. In the end Candace was all mine today.
So we hit up the gym first, though we had to cut it short so I could make my dentist appointment. We did take the time to get Candace a locker of her own, and with a second bag she'd be able to switch out gym clothes so they can get washed like I do mine.
Candace hadn't realized that I'd have a dentist appointment today, and she found herself bored while there. She was very concerned about the sounds she was hearing though and I had to put her at ease that we weren't being tortured. (We being myself and the other patients.)
After that we made our way to the pharmacy so I could pick up my latest renewal. By this point we were getting hungry, and I had wanted to stop by the mall to find Efe a tie. So we made our way there and hit up the food court first. Candace was excited that we'd be going shopping again. I guess the only time she'd been out was with Sam and I, so I had to explain that I was only looking for a tie for my brother. Still, she made sure to stuff her gym bag full of things she found and wanted.
She found it novel that I was buying a tie for my brother though, and even more so that I was looking for the most hideous tie I could find. She asked if she should do the same for Sam. This lead into a conversation about how families from different cultures have different ideas about gift giving and celebrations. For my family, birthdays are celebrated, but we don't buy gifts for each other like most others. We do get gifts for each other, but as much as anything simply because we want to, not to mark any particular occasion. We also don't tend to celebrate Christmas in the same way. We come from an Islamic background, and as such don't celebrate the same holidays that most people in the states have. Living in a culture so separate from our own, we've acclimated to what surrounds us. We've come to celebrate holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween, just in our own way. That said, because my siblings and I grew up in public schools where kids celebrate their birthdays with presents and the like; my sister and I picked up buying gifts for my brother, and he us, in a way that isn't shared by the rest of our family. With his birthday being so close to Christmas, we kinda wing it and just get a gift for him around this time of year, and not for either day specifically. But we have always tried to find him the most hideous article of clothing we can find.
My suggestion for her was to ask Sam about how he and his brother and the rest of his family celebrated. From all appearances, his parents were very Christian, and I suspected that like most people they celebrate Christmas and Birthdays with gift giving. But she'd need to know when his birthday is, or with Christmas coming up, we could look for a gift for him now. She said she'd talk to him first and find out. And she'd give some thought to her present, she didn't like the idea of getting him ugly clothing.
We spent some time looking around, and talking and laughing. I did find the perfect tie for Efe, it's Rudolf's face complete with a red nose made with a ball of yarn that can be squeezed to play the song. Completely hideous. And then we needed to be making our way home so I could get her to her stop first and then I could get home from there. Candace is amazed at how well I know the public transportation system, and I just had to remind her that it's taken years of practice.
I did make sure to text Batel a picture of the tie I got for Efe, and she said she'll see about finding a matching cardigan. I'm so excited by this.
Candace did want to hit up the gym again tomorrow, I think she really enjoys getting the exercise. So I need to be getting to bed so I can meet her early tomorrow.
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