It is simply unacceptably cold. Not that anyone is asking my opinion or responding to my claim. It is brutal, frighteningly and insanely cold. Cold is not the word. It is beyond cold. It is almost beyond endurance. It sucks.
One can only wonder at the joke that is earthly weather. How can this be? Why they claim that it is 43 degrees in Anchorage Alaska, yet it was something on the order of 29 below zero here last night. There is a claim that Center Point, a small town just south and west of us had a legitimate recording of 40 below last night. Not wind chill mind you, but actual temperature.
The only solace I feel, and that is precious little, is that a lady from Anchorage or thereabouts said that the temperature was something like 37 below last week. She said she wore 3 pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, three tops, a hat and mittens and she was still cold. And she was in the house! They burn wood also.
That is about where we are. It is getting better. The temperature as of 1:00 pm was about -5. We are hoping to finish out at 6 above by 6:00 pm. The worst is over. I have been ensconced in bed all day, under a pile of covers. I’ve done a bit of knitting.
The worst thing is that we have no water. We usually shut it off over night when it dips below zero. Yesterday, we found that having drained the pipes, somehow was not enough. Enough water stayed in the pipes to freeze, though none broke. We filled up lots of containers once the Contrarian got it up again going again, and shut it down again. We won’t turn it on until tonight. We are keeping our fingers crossed. The Contrarian is down to one coupling left to repiece parts of piping that must be removed to warm and deice.
We are keeping our fingers crossed, because it is unlikely that we can get out without somebody plowing us out. That of course will be done if necessary, but frankly, we are loath to make such a request right now. Farmers and other neighbors have enough on their hands right now with taking care of animals outside. Hogs and cattle are suffering, even though barned. And nobody wants to run tractors when it is this cold.
But the worst is over. I have few illusions about getting to church on Sunday, but at least the temperatures are rebounding by then. We are looking at melting temps by early in the week.
I am not spending much time here. Just enough to post this. I’m scurrying back to bed shortly after heating up some soup and making a sandwich. We are “fending for ourselves” with leftovers today. It’s just too cold to cook.
The Contrarian apologized for being born in Iowa. I accepted it. But truthfully, we would no doubt be moaning and complaining if we were in the South today. They said Atlanta had a temperature of 12. This ugly cold has covered the entire country to some extent, but for California which seems immune for weathery reasons that make no sense to me. And Alaska of course. Perhaps Alaska is trying to burn the Palin virus out of its system by heating up. It would make sense.
I also blame Canada. NAFTA is to blame. They export this vicious cold air down to us. Why they do this I don’t know. Perhaps its because they claim that whatever we do affects them. They must assuredly be none too pleased with things from the past. But gee wiz, we did elect Obama, proving we are not entirely insane. But wait, one erudite Canadian did warn that Obama had “cold dead eyes.” Perhaps we haven’t done enough.
In any case, I say cancel the damned treaty and erect a fence along the border. I want the damn cold air stopped now. It’s a terrorist threat for sure. No doubt some sharpies are trying to figure out a way to box and sell the cold. There is no end to the criminal machinations some will engage in to make a buck. But I think it’s probably a useless enterprise. But then again, who knows.
I notice that the brain operates rather sluggishly in this cold. Must be that bodily fluids run slow, sorta like how engine oil becomes thick and gooey when cold. Kinda like how the honey was in the container this morning. I gave it a zap in the microwave to get some decent pourability going.
So, if this seems a bit run on, well, what can I say, it’s the cold.
Existential Ennui 