Brrrrrr.......
It's cold!
When you simply use the word cold here, it's cold. Tuesday it was 28 below
and as I mentioned to a couple of people yesterday, if you have trouble grasping
how cold that is just add 28, the degrees below zero to 32, the degrees above
zero and the temp where water freezes. That totals 60. 60 degrees below
freezing. Now add 60 to 32, 60 degrees above freezing. That equals 92. Now
imagine the difference in the feel of 32 degrees vs. 92 degrees. From freezing
to real hot. That may give you some idea of the difference in feel.
It didn't huh?
Ok, all I can tell you is when it reaches a certain point it just doesn't
matter, it's cold. Daily I have more ice in my mustache, eyelashes, and beard,
than in my drinks. The good news is when it's that cold, the weather usually
clears. So for the last few days we have seen the sun each day peeking higher
and higher above the tundra. Even the northern lights put on a decent
performance Tuesday night and were still present as I walked to work yesterday.
As so often stated machines do not run well in that kind of cold. As I
mentioned I am walking to work now. Why? Because it actually rained briefly
one night last week before I got my machine running again. (It turned out to be
as simple as a fouled spark plug). Of course water got into all the workings of
the machine which then turned to iron when the temps plummeted. I could start
the machine after chipping off some of the glaze but it would not shift into
reverse due to the brakes being frozen and when I pushed the throttle, it stuck.
Thank goodness it was in neutral. We tried covering the machine with an electric
blanket and tarp my brother-in-law had sent us last Christmas in an attempt to
thaw it out but old man winter just laughed. Once he gets a toehold it's really
difficult to dislodge him. I'm now waiting for the weekend to haul it to the
firehall for its weekly thaw.
So, yesterday morning I started Patty's snowmachine so she could take that
to work as I figured it would be the better choice. Of course, last night I had
to ride my snowmachine to Patty's office building to help her get her
snowmachine running. Come on, you can't blame the little woman, it was 30 below
zero. By the time I arrived she had already gotten two local young studs to help
her. (Fortunately for Patty the benefits of being bundled up from head to toe
is folks can't tell how you really look-hence the two young studs {Jeez, I can't
believe I said that. I shall now voluntarily return to my usual dwelling-in deep
doo doo}). The lowest temp we had so far seen since moving here was 33 below.
However, the 30 below temp yesterday evening is actually the coldest weather we
have physically been out in. (According to one of our thermometers it actually
reached 34 below last night.) Stupid here did not take the time to put on his
insulated coveralls. All I had on my feet were cotton socks and the boots I
wear daily with 200 grams of thinsulate and all I had on my legs were my jeans.
Ah, what a grand time it was. Patty on arrival home was complaining of the pain
in her hands and feet. Being the caring husband I am I told her "pain is
good"! Well it is! (That is said with a whine-you know, it starts out with the
sound ehhh and ends with a bunch of s's-Well it eehhhsssss.......) Yep, pain is
good. It's when the pain stops you need to worry. I had a few pains myself I
gotta say. I have taken care of frostbite and it aint pretty so we just don't
want to go there. >
So to recap: when someone here says it's cold, it's cold!
Carlo
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Last updated: 08/29/05