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Show romance and friendship Caught between r urougnt nisi;oiy in the West tah Withering Under Years of Drought." "Utah's Worst Drought in 60 Years Depleting Aquifers, Grazing Lands." "California is Suffering the Worst Drought Since the 1930s, and Cities and Farms are at War over Water." ' We've all seen these or similar headlines of late. It's no news we're in a drought cycle. ; But the abovei headlines are not part of the recent situation; they come from Utah newspapers dated Nov. 8, 1990, and March 4, 1991, and a Newsweek article on Feb. 19, 1991. And we'll all sense the irony of one from the Oct. 9, 1990, Salt Lake Tribune: "Utah Dry Spells Often Hit State Three Years in a Row, Study Shows." That is mighty little comfort since we're now in our sixth straight year of drought. And, frankly, as bad as ours has been, we've not experienced drought nearly as extreme as some in recent years in Africa or Australia. Thankfully. And let's hope ours is 'U , Wednesday, November 17, 2004 DAILY HERALD B2 ' over. Duane Jeffery Science & Society to trace drought back through history, beyond that formally recorded the past couple of centuries? Possibly. A team of U.S. scientists has just published a study of such (Science, Nov. 5), with the wonderfully dry title "Long-TerAridity Changes in the Western United States." Their first two sentences set the tone. "The Western United States is experiencing a severe multiyear drought that is unprecedented in some hydrocli-mati- c records ... we show that this drought pales in comparison to an earlier period of elevated aridity and epic drought in A.D. 900 to 1300 ..." Now, that's cheery. The team has utilized tree-rin- g records to examine drought patterns over the Western coterminous United States, southern Canadian prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba), and northwestern Mexico. v Trees in temperate (not tropical) areas show annual ' growth rings, of course. We remember that only the very outer thin layer of a tree trunk (immediately under the bark) is actually alive. Tree trunks tion. grow thicker each year by adding new cells in an outward direction. Cell division is I Duane Jeffery is a professor of zoology at Brigham very slow or even throughout the winter months, Young University. But is it possible " Only if they independently want to exclude each other. Touchy subject. If friends How can I go when she hurt me so much? Two Sides of the Coin whoever he is needs to understand that your great old friend was there first, and will remain before him in line for your loyalty unless and until he earns a higher place. And if he cari't accept his initial place in line, he doesnt deserve to move up. And you (finally ...) need to trust yourself to dole out attention fairly. Far better to stand by your choices, even unpopular ones, than to base all your comdecisions on plaints of neglect. True intimacy demands integrity. If one day you find yourself sharing more with a mate than with your friend, don't see it as rejecting her, see it as accepting nature. Nature loves to spend time with its friends it's just that afterward, it tends to want to go home. obviously. He Hi fit) but with the onset of spring and its abundant sunlight and (usually) water, cellular .. growth kicks into high gear. The cells are big and fat, and several layers are typically laid down before late summer brings fewer resources. Then cell growth slows down; the new cells are much smaller, and the tree goes into a some-- : what senescent state again for winter. So each year's growth is marked by a band of big, fat cells coupled with one of little skinny cells. Annular increments are very easy to detect. But those cells live for only about a year, then die and are replaced the next growth season by a fresh series. Drought years make for much thinner annual rings of growth, and these are quite identifiable when we examine a slice of tissue cutting through the trunks of older trees. The present paper in Science uses tree-rin- g sequences that run clear back to A.D. 800. And the four driest periods during that time center on the years A.D. 936, 1034, 1150, and 1253. These are roughly 100 years apart, but not in any tight cycle. And conditions became significantly wetter after A.D; 1300. The authors try, without . clear success, to tie this climatic record to other data sets: La Nina or El Nino events in the Pacific Ocean, for example. But their summary sentiment is that if the present drought is part of a natural response to climate warming, this "could inlead to a serious long-tercrease in aridity over Western North America." Climate warming, then, is a matter demanding our atten- Carolyn: Do you think a friendship can threaten the intimacy of a romantic relationship? I'm extremely close with my best friend since childhood. In fact, we're so close that I often think of her as a sibling rather than a friend; she's my most trusted confidant. Whenever something happens in my life, my instinct is always to call her and tell her about it, to get her advice, to vent, what- - ' ever is needed. But whenever I start dating someone, I either do a bad job of keeping that , regular contact with her and she feels neglected, or 1 don't do a good fob of letting my S.O. into my head by sharing those same kinds of details. She is an amazing friend, but sometimes I worry my dependence on her keeps me from reaching real intimacy with a romantic partner. Do you think the two relationships are mutually exclusive? An Old Friend Carolyn Hax TeUVgautIt were ever tdunionize, . protect- ing their jobs against romantic competition would be among their top demands so by laying even partial blame here on your friend, I'm asking for it. But if she wants you to find romantic bliss, she needs to both shareyou, graciously early on, as you invest embar- rassing quantities of time being twitterpated, and, if the new relationship thrives, over the years, as you appropriately invest more and more of yourself. And she will want you to find romantic bliss, else she's not that great a friend. The burden's not all on her, ( Did you call her this past summer and mention something like that you hoped she'd attend your graduation? There are two sides to the coin, you're right, but there are also two coins. Just as you'd like her to acknowledge your milestones as you acknowledge hers, you also need to communicate what you want from people, as your friend just did with you. And if you feel she shouldn't have needed prompting, then the answer is to tell her she hurt not to boycott your feelings her baby. One infant here is enough. "Tell Me About It": tellmewashpost.com; fax: or write: "Tell Hi Carolyn: One of my friends failed to attend or even acknowledge my graduation this past summer. Now she just gave birth and telephoned me a couple of days ago and mentioned something like that she expects me to go see the baby. Me About It,"coThe Washington Post, Style Plus, 1150 15th St., NW, Washington, D C. 20071. Chat online with Carolyn each Friday at noon Eastern time, at www.washingtonpost.com. No thanks to announcements v DEAR MISS MANNERS My husband and I found out two ' years ago that I am infertile. Since then, I have undergone several extremely painful diagnostic tests, as well as two very expensive and unsuccessful rounds of fertilization treatment. One of these ended in a rare type of miscarriage, , eventually resulting in my having to go to the ER, in danger of bleeding to death. I also felt compelled to leave . my previous job after my supervisor threatened to fire me for taking two days off to recover from the miscarriage. So, to put it mildly, my husband and I have been through the infertility wringer. In the first year or so after I was diagnosed, I was still happy to receive friends' and relatives' announcements of their pregnancies and the births of their children, as well as baby shower invitations, etc. However, as our finances have been steadily depleted and our hopes of ever having a child even more so, it has become increasingly diffi cult for me to react with any- - If Judith Martin Miss Manners thing other than extreme sorrow and depression to others' "baby news," even thougH,TOr another level, I am genuinely happy for them. I know from reading comments on the Internet of other women who are infertile that I am far from alone in reacting this way to such announce? ments. I realize I can hardly avoid every pregnant woman or young child, nor do I want to at least not in the long term. However, in the short term, I am still grieving and having great difficulty coming to terms with my situation. I am wondering, therefore, jf it would be rude to send an to several friends and relatives whom I know are pregnant or who have recently given birth, politely asking them to please refrain from sending my husband and me birth announcements, Christmas cards containing pictures of their cherubic toddlers, etc. (We certainly do not expect anyone to go out of their way to buy or if make us a separate card they just leave us off their lists, that is fine by us.) While I believe these good friends and close family would probably be understanding, I am still afraid to cause offense to people. Would such a request be inappropriate? GENTLE READER With the greatest of sympathy for you, Miss Manners cannot condone your telling people that their happiness upsets you. Fortunate people have feelings, too, and it would be dreadful to insinuate that their children constitute some sort of affront to you. In the long run, as you know, you cannot avoid the fact that people you know will propagate. What you can do now is to get someone to censor your regular and electronic mail so that you will know who has sent you cards or greetings without having to see pictures that upset you. I have DEAR MISS MANNERS a casual friendship with a man I meet in the park. My problem is that every time the man and I part, he leaves with the saying "God bless." That's all, not "Nice seeing you" or "Have a nice day." How am I supposed to reply to "God bless?" Brown said his mother insists on calling her grandson Ethan, but she's the only holdout. Most people who know Cougar probably see it the way that Brown does: "The name fits him per- door until concessions workers opened it. "We'd tell them it was cold outside. As soon as they let us in, we'd go right to the student section." It was a great way to get front-rofor a while. seats Eventually athletic department policy was changed to mandate that students inside the building more than 90 minutes prior to tipoff be shown the exit. And the front row of the student section is now assigned seating. So who's going to be at Saturday's game? Only very lucky BYU fans. Cougar Club assistant director Greg Vehar said that BYUs allotment of tickets GENTLE READER "Good- bye." It means the same thing. your Feeling incorrect? etiquette questions to Miss Manners (who is distraught " that she cannot reply personally) at MissManners unitedmedia.com if you promise to use the black or k ink you'll save by writing those thank you, condolence and congratulations letters you owe. blue-blac- non-existe- Fans Continued from Bl she's passionate about. The two come together at BYU games football, basketball, volleyball, baseball where Thole keeps her hands occupied with a pair of long knitting needles while her eyes follow the action and her mouth cries encouragement. Thole estimated that she's produced cloth"thousands" of hand-mad- e ing items this way, all of which are given to a variety of charitable organizations. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints, Thole moved to Utah from the United Kingdom in 1954. Since then, she's missed seven home football games. One was earlier this season, when illness forced hereto stay at home and tick off the downs on TV. "I gave my ticket to a member of my bishopric," she Ah: V!!! !: ! i KKHi said. d 3-- half-tim- "'OJl9 IWWlfWltj "By the, end of the ball game, there were only about 50 of us UTAH POWER uuuu , e. vailed. Join i " 41-1- d BYU-Idah- It's a pretty good seat: Thole has been on the line, 20 rows up in the west bleachers, since 1981, when the current stadium configuration came into being. Thole attends games with the tenacity of a postal carrier. Icy winds and blowing snow didn't keep her away from last year's BYU-Uta- h game, which the And she's been Cougars lost through worse. During one game against Utah State, snow fell so heavily that plows were needed to clear the field at "t 4, hanging in there" Thole said. Two exiting fans came down her row in the fourth quarter and paused where Thole sat, hunched beneath an enormous waterproof slicker. "One of them said, 'Kick it, see if it's e 1 alive.'" Lindon resident Kurt Brown doesn't have a nickname, but his enthusiasm for BYU football probably warrants one. Brown, 35, found hislove of the Cougars in aiuinlikely place: War Memorial Stadium in Windswept Laramie, Wyo. As a young lad in rural Wyoming, Brown drove with his father to watch the Steve Young-leCougars put a 0 thumping on the University of Wyoming Cowboys in the fifth game of Young's senior season (the year was 1983). With Cowboys fans on every hand, Brown bravely and excitedly cheered for the team from Provo. Years later, he attended BYU stint at following a two-yea-r Ricks College (now and visited Cougar Stadium (now Lavell Edwards Stadium) for the first time. "I thought, 'I've arrived,' " Brown recalled. "Not growing up in Utah, you watch it all your life, but you don't know what it's like to actually be there." Though he attends BYU basketball games, Brown said that football is "the great joy." Another source of joy in Brown's life is Cougar Ethan Brown, the second of his four children. His wife, he said, initially resisted the idea of naming their second son after BYUs mascot, but Brown pre- software provider, has three classes remaining to finish up his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering Not that he's in any hurry. "I've decided to stretch it out as long as I can," Trionfo said. "I want to increase the opportunity of viewing BYU athletics." Trionfo, 28, has been a football season-ticke- t holder since coming to BYU from Maryland in 1998. He had to skip the 1999 season "I was poor" but has been at every home football game since, except for last year's thrashing at the hands of real-estat- e 1 l can stand to have missed, it's that one." Trionfo's enthusiasm for Cougar football is rivaled only by his passion for BYU basketball. For several years, Trionfo and a few friends would show up at the Marriott Center more than two hours before the start of every home basketball game and find a way to sneak in. "We would do whatever we could," Trionfo recalled. One popular ploy was to find a service entry and bang on the Kim & Robbie on Grapevine Radio Weekdays Noon - 2:00pm on i HP' P 5S$? P?" S?P r STAf? Yuur Tuwn Yttur Nrightan Yixif is completely sold out. "Every- thing that they've given us is gone." For years, Thole attended football game, every BYU-Uta- h whether in Salt Lake or Provo, but hasn't traveled in the last decade or so. She said the atStadimosphere in um is rowdier than it used to be too rowdy for a single woman. She'll watch the game from the comfort of her home, where the doorbell plays the BYU fight song. Brown is hoping for a miracle. "I'm trying to get tickets," he said. "They sold out so fast." The outlook is iffy for the Cougars. If fy enough that, much as he'd rather not say so, Brown thinks the Utes will win. "I think BYU is going to give them a game," he said. On the other hand, "Utah is just pheRice-Eccl- Boise State. "I was in New York for business," he said. There's a bright side: "If there's any one game I I n , fectly." Like Brown, Provo resident Mike Trionfo graduated from BYU. That is, will soon have graduated from BYU. Trionfo, who left school briefly in 2002 to launch Property Solutions, a , nomenal." Not that he's given up hope. "I would love nothing more than to see an upset," Brown said. "I will be cheering loud for BYU." As will Thole and Trionfo. "BYU is on a roll, and they really want it," Trionfo said, predicting a Cougar victory. Thole sounds like an assistant coach when she makes her call, also in favor of BYU. "Our kids have worked hard," she said. "I think they're peaking at the right time." Cody Clark reached at www.healthywealthywDw.com 2 or cclarkheraldextra.com. BBSS vmm Ntwiitt)HT can be 344-254- |
