Okay, Michigan, I get it. It’s cold.
It seems that sometimes, optimism only goes so far. Sure, it’s great to bundle up on chilly, winter days and remind yourself, “Hey, it could be worse,” and move on. Just pretend it’s Christmas every day–nothing a few layers and some gloves can’t cure.
But then, Michigan decides that it’s not impressed with your bright outlook on life, and goes ahead and slaps you in the face with some frigid air. An “arctic blast,” as it’s called around here (I’ve heard/used this term several times before and it’s sure to pop up again).
“Take that, you little southerner,” Michigan taunts. “I can do far better than a daily 19 degrees.” And all of a sudden, it snows every day, the wind chill brings the mid-day temperature of 0 down to -15, and you start seriously questioning whether or not you’ll ever leave the house again.
The wind just carried some snow off my back deck in a manner that mimicked a wintry sandstorm. I’m a little intimidated.
To my credit, the quick change in temperature is a little extreme, considering the fact that all of the sculptures at the Plymouth Ice Festival this weekend were starved for a chill and hanging on for dear life (more on that in an upcoming post). Now, it’s the coldest weather southeast Michigan has had in years. This is all so sudden, Winter. So sudden.
You should see the pile of outerwear that’s hanging out in my living room–discarded after a weekend of leaving the house, coming back into the house, switching coats for warmer coats and Topsiders for boots . . . I’d put it all back in the closet, but it’s a bit overwhelming. Plus, I’m sure I’ll need half of it for when I go out later.
Tell me it gets better. Tell me that instead of finding my car with its door handles frozen and tires deflated, I’ll soon develop a mentality that distracts me from impending frostbite. Or at least tell me your own winter stories so I can be entertained during all of this.
Maybe this gives me the excuse to get that new coat I’ve been wanting. After all, I can’t have too many now. Obviously.
