Winter’s Jaws Snap Shut
Plenty o’images like this flooded us yesterday. The coldest day since February 1996 seized Chicago and it hasn’t let us go yet. On Wednesday night, after several inches of new snow had arrived, the temperature plunged from 10 degrees to -7. The highest the temperature ever got was -1 yesterday, and not anywhere near me.
This morning it was -17 at 7:40 am when I left for work. After yesterday’s brutal reminder of how cruel winter is, I busted out the full Wisconsin today: 4 layers on the bottom, including windproof snow pants, and warmest sweater I own + warm puffer coat + 2 scarves + creepy Hannibal Lecter face mask + ear warmers + 2 pairs wool socks + Grabbers toe warmers in boots + warm wool hat + gloves + mittens “calibrated” for -40.
And this was just to get to work. Needless to say, this week I have been treadmilled, as this week’s weather violated my 0 degrees rule. And my miles have taken a hit. It looks like somewhere rural and remote on our street, with a couple of inches of ugly snowpack and ice, and huge snowdrifts at driveways. In short, it looks like last winter in Madison.
I thought we had escaped that when we moved SOUTH. Apparently we did not go far SOUTH enough.
I am hoping to get outside tomorrow. One outside run this week does not a happy Little Legs make.
That one outside run was a good one, though. And here is what I said when I came back home: “Wow. I love winter running. I mean, it’s beautiful, you get to be outside when most people aren’t, and once you’re going, it’s like you’re your own little furnace. It’s almost better than summer running!”
To which I got a slitty-eye, “you’re nuts woman” nonverbal reply. And then got smacked in the head by Mother Nature this week. So I’m going to keep my mouth shut for the duration, which at this rate, should be another 12-15 weeks or so. Right? I mean, spring HAS to come sometime…right?