The Cold

On my gosh but it's been cold. Temperatures have been as low as 28 degrees, with wind chill factors bringing it to the teens. Can't put Keely our dog in the yard for more than 5 minutes at a time, and she really makes short shrift of walks in Annunciation Park. No matter how many layers you have on, some part of our body is not covered up enough, and breathing is actually painful. Puddles end up shattered, with shards of ice sticking up like broken glass. Many people have had their water pipes freeze, and some burst. Almost everyone else is letting their taps drip, so there's almost no water pressure. The homeless are at risk, as are poor folks who try to use unsafe space heaters or even their stoves for warmth.

At our house, the central heat is working well, however, since the vents are up in the ceiling, the second floor stays cozy even with the heat OFF, while the first floor is probably comfortable if you could get yourself up into the 12th and 13th feet of the room. In other words, the thermostat can say 68-70 degrees, but down where you are, on the floor or the couch, it's A LOT colder than that. (Even though my siblings laughed when I got the Snuggie in the family Christmas gift exchange, I was darn glad to have it. But I need to find a way to fasten it at the back of my neck -- I don't like the draft.)

On Friday, I attended a party at a parishioner's house and the cold was brutal, just walking to and from the car. To my utter surprise, when I was leaving, I discovered a young black man sitting on the porch next door, practicing scales on his trombone! (Maybe his mama or someone forbade him blowing it in the house, I don't know.) I couldn't believe this young man was putting his lips and tongue in that cold metal mouthpiece in that awful freezing cold! What dedication! I hope he didn't hurt himself or anything.

Thank god it finally warmed up this week!