Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Thing I Didn't Know About The Cold

Last week, before I sent all of my kids out the door to wait for the bus, I decided to check the weather forecast.  There was a windchill warning in effect that day and it said, "temperatures this cold can freeze flesh in 30 minutes".  Yikes!!  How have I lived here for a good chunk of my life and never know this?  Perhaps I shouldn't be sending kids out to wait for the bus?!  True, I wasn't sending them out in their bathing suits, but still, their faces are exposed.  And, while they don't wait 30 minutes for the bus, their has to be a progression, right?

A bit later that day, I was parking the car in the university parking lot to walk to my class when I noticed the temperature was -12.  Let me tell you what it felt like (my walk from the parking lot to the class room is 12 minutes).  The mental image that came to mind was that my face was so frozen it felt like it was going to fall off and shatter on the sidewalk.  I was glad I didn't see anyone I knew, because my face was so numb I could only form words in slow motion.  Was my flesh close to freezing?  I really can't wait until spring.  Please come soon before some one's flesh freezes.