We are all idiots

Well, at least me and 4 million other people that live in this frigid tundra.

We have entered into one of those things we here in Minnesota get every year.  A week (sometimes more, sometimes less) of frigid, freezing below 0 temperatures. (last Friday officially -37 degrees WITHOUT the wind chill and  they only made school 2 hours late).

I grew up in Minnesota and I should be used to it by now right?  I even lived in North Dakota for a number of years and that was almost worse, because North Dakota has NO trees to stop the wind, and the wind chill. You know it's below zero because the snow squeaks like Styrofoam. When you buy a car, the first thing you have put in is a block heater.   Winter has never bothered me in the past.   I used to love to ice skate, ride horses in the winter (great, because they kept your butt warm) and snowmobile.

But I moved away for a few years and got a little spoiled.  We lived in Chicago for almost 2 years and then moved to Omaha, Nebraska.   Chicago was wintry, but a little milder due to the "lake effect" and being farther south.   Omaha, I loved.  I have many pictures of us at Christmas time out in our front yard with no snow and only sweatshirts on.   A really cold spell there was a week or so when we hit the "teens" while everyone in Minnesota was about 30 degrees less than us. 

Before we moved away, when Savannah was little, my husband and I snowmobiled.   His family is very big on the "sport", I went along for the ride.   It became no longer any fun when his die hard family would go out in 40 below wind chills.   Also, they like to go for a whole day, I am talking at LEAST 8 hours.   Too long for me.   I can handle 2-3 hours max but I just don't understand how a person can sit on a machine for that long.  Your arms and shoulders start to hurt from the muscle it takes to steer, especially if there is a lot of powdery snow.   I get bored just riding along....nothing to do but think.   There is only so much thinking one can do.  This was pre Ipod days.....I think I could do it now....... as long as my battery lasted.  But, we sold our sleds when we moved to Chicago, and will not be buying any in the near future.   My husband has a big family who all snowmobile, so there are plenty to borrow if he wanted to go out for a ride.   As for me....those days are over.   

I am perfectly content to cuddle up with a blanket and a good book in front of the fire.

p,s.  the weatherman says it's going to be up in the balmy 20's by Wednesday. Yoo Hoo!!!