Really Cold

Sorry, I have nothing profound to say today. My brain has frozen and, as it is not made of silicon, (unlike the brains of trolls), I do not become a nuclear physicist when the mercury drops below zero Fahrenheit. I just become a very foul mouthed, unhappy block of ice.

Last night, I asked Fred if he wanted me to drive him to the train station this morning. He said that he was looking forward to the half mile walk and added, by way of explanation, "I'm from Minnesota." While I agree that Minnesota is usually 10 degrees colder than it is here on any given day and that, contrary to logic, you can actually feel the difference between -10 F and -20 F, I disagree with his conclusion that this is why he can withstand the cold. I am more likely to believe that it is his Scandinavian/North German heritage that makes him more able to deal with this unspeakably cold weather. His ancestors thrived in the coldest areas of Europe. My ancestors, on the other hand, stayed in warmer areas of the world and, for some reason, their descendants chose the cold--most notably, my mom is from a tropical island to which other people fantasize about moving, and yet, she came here. I may love Chicago, but my body has been designed (through centuries of evolution) for areas of the world where it is rare for ponds to freeze over in the winter.

Julian refuses to wear pants and long sleeves even in this cold, which goes to show that one doesn't need a lot of Viking blood to survive the winter. I, on the other hand, need to go put on another sweater.