Sunday, January 5, 2014

How Cold Is Cold?

I am taking a bit of a break from the Germany Travelogue to complain about the weather.  Isn't that what everyone does?  Isn't that one of our Constitutional Rights?  Of course it is...there is some very fine print somewhere mixed in the First Amendment about weather related free speech.
 And...dare I say that no one is exempt because there is nary a place on earth (or at least in the continental United States)  that has perfect weather all the time?  Admittedly some places come far closer to perfect than the Midwest. 

Back in the days when I lived in Texas or even before that..in Arkansas, we (of course, I mean "I" but don't want to seem self absorbed) could be very smug when Northern relatives described bone-chilling snow storms.  Yes, it's easy to throw them an insincere "you poor thing!" while we bask in the glory of 72 degrees in January. 

Karma is a bitch!!! I am paying for each and every feeling of "better you than me" I selfishly felt as far as weather goes.


To be fair...when we ( and  this time , I really do mean "we" as Hubby was a co-conspirator in wanting to live near our grandchildren) decided to move to Kansas. Admittedly we knew the weather was less than idyllic. There was sure to be some snow and some freezing temperatures.  But as "middle of the country" states go, the averages here aren't extreme.  It's not like we were moving to International Fall, Minnesota. (**shuddering at the thought**)

Average temperatures in International Falls


Yes, one could expect in a normal January to have lows in the negative numbers in Minnesota.

BUT.....DO WE SEE ANY NEGATIVE NUMBERS IN KANSAS???


Clearly..we have been scammed.


NO!  WE DO NOT!


Then how do you explain this?



 I could be a good sport if it wavered a tad off of 21 degrees being the low.  I could except a day or two of...say...19 or 20.  I could even be gracious about 19 or 20..... but...seriously????  a MINUS 10 with a wind chill of MINUS FORTY....

There is no excuse for this, what so ever.  



 

20 comments:

lisleman said...

I'm pretty sure we will beat you at the how low can you go limbo thermometer contest. I'm just hoping that their predictions are worst than what it will be. Tomorrow I'll be checking FB for all the pictures of the outside temp shown on their cars.
Stay warm.

Chubby Chatterbox said...

Was it Mark Twain who once said, "Everyone complains about the weather but no one does anything about it." Ha!

Wendy said...

So tempted to take a photo of me today enjoying a glorious sunny day down by the beach with a light jacket on and no snow in sight( yes in my city, where I live on the west coast), BUT I could NEVER be so cruel to you, my dear friend. Love the tags- 'sucks', frozen'- well hopefully you won't become sucked into the snow and become frozen!
Don't know if your stop sign will help you but surely it's better than not trying at all.
Sending you warm Hugs, as I am So Sorry I can't send you my warmer weather.

Cheryl P. said...

I would guess that you are right. As I grew up in your area, I was used to the Chicago wind and cold. In the past we could of counted on Kansas being a bit milder. It could be worse, my brother left the Chicago area a couple of years ago and moved to the very south part of Missouri...which hardly ever gets snow...until now. So much for retiring to warmer places.

Right now it is negative 7 but it's the wind chill that is horrid. It's currently at -30.

Stay warm and safe.

Cheryl P. said...

If only we had some control. I would of ordered my weather, Warm and Sunny.

Cheryl P. said...

Yes, that is how I used to feel when living in milder climates. There is something to be said for enjoying the sun and warmth, knowing that if you lived elsewhere, you would be freezing your ass off.

I don't fault you though and certainly don't think you are cruel. I love that someone is having some pretty weather. All the more wonderful that it is you.

Later this week we should be back up above freezing . That will feel like a heat wave.

oldereyes said...

I'm really pissed, too. Yesterday, Muri and I went to the beach and we had to wear light jackets to deal with the breezy 72 degree weather. Reading Wendy's comment, I guess I'm not as kind as she is ... blame it on my Inner Curmudgeon. January is his month :)

abeerfortheshower said...

I just hate the sudden change. I could tolerate it better if it was like, a week ago it was 20. Yesterday it was 10. Today it's 0. But no, last week it was 65. Today it's 0. Where did those 65 degrees go? I want them back. ALL OF THEM.

Jo-Anne said...

After a few weeks of stinking hot weather where one feels like they are going to melt today it is quite cool and I even have long pants on, be it light weight pants but still long as my legs got cool in the shorts.

Riot Kitty said...

It's obscene. My dad is in MN and I had to do a double-take when he wrote about the low being -75 with the windchill. Um. That's too fucking cold for polar bears, let alone people.

Agent 54 said...

It's cold here in Arizona today. 67 degrees but, no clouds at all so you can warm up in the sunshine.

Agent 54 said...

There is absolutely no call for anything lower than Zero. I don't care how much people like to ski. Zero should be the planetary limit. Who do I see about this?

Cheryl P. said...

Funny...very funny...my heart is breaking at the thought you were inconvenienced by having to wear a jacket. Ahhh...I remember the days of living in Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas with their lovely mild winters. I guess if there is any "good' side to that ....I no longer fry in the summer as I did in Phoenix or Dallas.

I say let your Inner Curmudgeon have January and you can call dibs on April or June. So much prettier as far as months go.

Cheryl P. said...

I am totally in agreement. Just a week or so ago we had lovely sunny weather in the 50s and 60s and now this. It's building us up for a big let down. Cruel! I think Mother Nature owes us an apology. She can make amends by sending a wonderful spring and summer.

Cheryl P. said...

It's always so interesting to read about how hot your summer is when we are all over here freezing our asses off but, of course, when things start heating up over here you will be going into cooler weather.

Cheryl P. said...

I don't know who is in charge of weather patterns but if it is a two party system, it will take them awhile to come to an agreement.

Cheryl P. said...

I was just talking to someone today from Minneapolis and they were talking about how brutal it was. Holy-moly.... -75 sounds unbearable to me. I would be totally encased in my bed under an electric blanket. Not one pinky would come out until the temperature came up.

Cheryl P. said...

67 sounds like heaven to me...I would even take it with clouds.

AletaObrien said...

ACKKK!! Your post just froze my fingers! Everyone here (NOLA) is complaining about having freezing temps for the first time this winter season. Oh the misery of having to wrap the pipes. Lol. No snow here and that's another complaint, "If we're going to be this cold, could we at least have snow?" Sure, I'd like some snow for my son to see, but no way do I want northern snows.


You had me laughing about no place having perfect weather. My cousin lives in Maryland and she used to say, "We are the perfect state, because we get all four seasons and we don't get the harshness of much bad weather." The year she said that to me.... they had blizzards and hurricanes. Mother Nature doesn't leave anyone alone. Lol.


Stay warm!!

Linda R. said...

I would say that's a tad on the cool side. Are the schools closed? Ours were delayed here by 2 hours today and the temps were in the single digits. Positively balmy compared to some places.