If you woke up to 2012 with your mouth tasting like an ashtray, as we're sure many of you did, you can take some solace in knowing it wasn't entirely due to overconsumption of cheap champagne and Parliament lights. The rare air in the Bay Area is literally clogged with the soot of a smoldering 2011. While we dig the idea of saying goodbye to the old year with a blazing Viking funeral it's not exactly making it easy to breathe around here.
Despite yesterday's deceptively clear weather, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District called for another ban on wood burning on New Year's Day, marking the eleventh Spare the Air day of the winter season. Making it an even dozen in 2012, the Air Quality police have declared day to be another day free of wood-burning. Luckily, today's spotty clouds will give way to more sun and temperatures in the mid-60s, meaning January 2012 a nice time to seek out more ice cream.
