Sub-Zero Weather Isn't Really That Bad...

The high for yesterday was Zero. The highs for today were in the single digits below zero. Tomorrow: -5 F. Sunday: +2 F. Welcome to Minnesota in the wintertime. The air is crisp, clear, and, of course, cold. There isn't a cloud in the sky, and the wind is vicious. The college had to send out an email warning people to make sure and dress warm, wear many layers, cover your head, and leave no square inch of skin exposed when you venture outside. The symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite were repeated many times. It’s nice to see that the college is looking out for the 30% of its students who are not from this barren Siberian wasteland, otherwise poor Texas wouldn't have known to cover her face up until her nose turned black!

My car started on the first try yesterday!!! Thank goodness for that new battery I had to spend $60 on last month. On the flip side, it took me four tries to start it today. Last night was substantially colder, and I had a substantially lower level of fuel in my tank. Good ole Gus, reliable as heck even if the windshield wipers don't work. I woke up this morning and there was ice on the inside of my window. Well, okay, there's always ice on the inside of my window since I never turn the heat on, (though that might change since I rearranged my stuff onto the cold side of the room) but there was a far greater amount than usual. Proof that Minnesota is humid, even in winter? Everyone had ice on their windows. It’s mostly gone now, but that might change again tomorrow morning. I'll let you know then. Well, not really, I have to go to work tomorrow, and I'm not getting up 'till the last possible moment, dust mopping the floor at basketball game half times doesn't require that much co-ordination. Ok, time to clean. I've been putting this off all evening, and now, its time to put my life back together after the move. {YES, our room has been rearranged again!}

Never Trust an Idiot

Never trust an idiot. You never know what road they may be leading you down.

An ice storm occurs when the ambient temperature is higher than the ground temperature. Usually this occurs when the ground is frozen and the air is not cold enough for snow. During an ice storm, rain or sleet falls to the ground without turning to snow or hail. If the ground is frozen (as it is in Minnesota between November and March) the sleet or rain will freeze and become a very obnoxious layer of non-translucent ice which is dangerous to walk and drive on, impossible to get off your car, and stays around for a very long time.

Broomball is a sport played on a hockey rink with slightly taller goals, a relatively soft ball about the size of a size 3 kids soccer ball. It is played with teams of about six, who wear helmets and whatever pads they can scrounge up. The really dedicated buy suction cup shoes, similar to the "shoes for crews" that custodians often wear. The bludgeoning instrument resembles a cross between a broom and a lacrosse stick. Its is about 3 feet long and has a isoceles rubber triangle at the end which is used to send the ball across the ice in the fashion of a golf drive. Pictures and more information are available at broomball.com.

If stupidity were genetic, I think there is cause for a wholescale genocide. However, I am confident that the members of my village will escape the impending doom of ignorance with confidance and speed.