Friday, January 26, 2007

Life on the Frozen Tundra


It has been cold here in Provo, Utah lately. Really cold. I don't ever remember it getting this cold. I hate the cold because not only do I have to bundle up when I leave the house but I have to bundle up three children when they leave the house. I am constantly nagging them to find their mittens, their hat, and their "puffy" coat. Puffy, of course means thick and warm around my house. (This picture was taken 12-17-06 but it could just as well be today. It hasn't changed.)

It has been so cold that our pipes freeze if we don't leave them dripping at night.

It has been so cold that the dead-end street I live on has been packed with hard snow since mid December because there simply isn't enough traffic from hot cars to melt the street.

It has been so cold that yesterday I had to pull over while driving because the ice under my wheels had built up to be at least 4-5 inches thick and while turning the wheels I would hear a grinding noise of ice against tires. So I pulled over on 620 N. and with my flimsy mittened hands scooped snow and ice out from each of the four wheels. The girls thought this was great. "Can I get out and help, too?" My answer: "No, we'll all die of the cold if you get out here."

It has been so cold that I wear a turtleneck everyday. Even to bed. Ok, not to bed, but I should.

It has been so cold that I almost paid $300 for an airline ticket to go to California this weekend with my sister. I wanted to go just so that I could get warm for two days. Is that too much to ask? Now I have to hate my sister Patty because she gets to thaw out for a few days while I sit here on the frozen tundra. And because tonight (1/26/07) she is going to the Keane concert in Los Angeles with my other sister Carolyn. Now I have to hate them both. Wah.

It has been so cold that my yearly longing to put a "For Sale" sign in my yard and move to a double-wide trailer in Santa Barbara has been moved up from March all the way till January. Yup, usually by March I am so sick of winter that I google things on the internet like, 'real estate in Santa Barbara' and then check out the prices. This depresses me even more because I realize we can only afford a double-wide. And that's if Paul's income doubled. Sigh.

It has been so cold that I don't use my refrigerator anymore. I lazily unload the groceries in the garage and they sit there next to the paints and lawnmower until we need another gallon of milk or orange juice. Only the milk has been freezing. If I put the groceries close enough to the freezer then the heat emitted from the freezer keeps the groceries thawed. Ironic. The freezer warms up my garage. Humph.

It has been so cold that my fingers are now icey cold while typing this and I have to stop.

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