Notes from the cold:
- I'm taking some days off this week just to hang around the house. It turned out to be a smart decision, in one way -- better to be indoors this week instead of being out during the coldest week of the year. But I also have evidence of what a leaky old house this is. No matter how high I crank the furnace, the house never gets close to "toasty warm." The cats have been keeping at my heels, ready to huddle next to me the minute I sit down. It's starting to feel a little like "Groundhog Day" around here.
- With Fort Wayne Community Schools forced to close -- one building had no heat, the buses wouldn't run properly -- the cold snap has put more attention on the fact that some basic infrastructure needs have not been taken care of for a long time. But it also causes people to look at the things in the big $500 million rehab project that aren't aimed at those needs. Even WANE-TV did a piece last night on how much of the project might be "legacy building" (click on "FWCS spending habits" under Featured Videos).
- A lot of global-warming critics are saying, "Where's you're warming now, huh, huh?" But that's no more valid than the people who say this was the hottest year on record, and therefore we have global warming. Both confuse weather with climate and add nothing to the debate.
- Like most people, I complain when it is too hot and complain when it is too cold. At times like this, I am reminded to temper my hot-weather whining, because I hate winter so much more. The people who say winter is better because you can always add more clothes, but there is a limit to how many clothes you can take off in summer are nuts.
Comments
Amen, Leo. Winter seems to get tougher to endure the older you get. I guess thats why so many people retire to warmer climates.
Yes, I agree - cold sucks. Even down here in sunny central Texas it happens. 2 weeks ago, we had over 72 hours below freezing with inch thick ice over everything - and to make matters worse for most people, a 24 hour power outage where we live. They tell me this is a ten-year event here, but I certainly didn't move to the south for this, ...
My worst winter was the one about 3 years ago when the snow arrived in November, then laid there until about April, getting dirtier and dirtier. You could tell which neighbors had junk cars by the ones that had black snow on them in March -- even with the expired plates and flat tires covered up.
All I can say about this year is that we caught a big break on the weather until well into January, so I won't have nearly as much cabin fever by springtime. And the snow is mostly white.