Thursday, January 15, 2009

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

WOW, what a heat wave! A ninety degree difference from last week's -50, temperatures climbed to 40 yesterday! Even more significant, according to this article in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, it has been 87 days since the temperatures here in the heart of Alaska have risen above 20 degrees. With this information spinning through my head, I have to laugh a little about the national news coverage of the "cold snap sweeping the country."

Go ahead, Outsider's, blame us for your "arctic cold front." However, this picture just tickles my funny bone:
According to the accompanying CNN article, these ladies are "enduring the cold" which is hitting Massachusetts at 20 degrees. LOL, we haven't had 20 degrees since October! Now I will recognize that the humidity level near the east coast and the wind in the mid-west contribute greatly to a cold feeling which is more than ambient, but, there is nothing like the way your lungs fail to open at -40 and colder. Sorry you're cold, Lower 48ers, but I can't deny that your misfortune comes at a time of great pleasure for us!

Of course, as the title of this post indicates, this "heat wave" is not all fun and games to those of us who now have to drive to work on wet roads which are still so cold that the melting snow immediately freezes over. I am sure as my husband drives to work at 5am, that he will be praying for his safety. I am sure he will pass a half a dozen motorists whose cars will have slipped off the roads. His patrol should be quite eventful as well. Ahh, weather sure is a complication to our lives here in Alaska. Still, it amazes me to no end!

On a personal note, I haven't had the chance to enjoy the weather myself at all! Two days ago, I woke up with a sore throat which quickly turned into some sort of strange flu. I ache all over, feel chilled to my bones, then in the next ten minutes, I sweat harder than I would after running the
Midnight Sun Run! I sent Judah and Paris out to go sledding this afternoon and the 30 degree weather felt like -12 to me. Pregnancy is adding to my discomfort. Oh well, it will pass: probably about the time the temperatures fall back below zero!

UPDATE 01/16/09: It's nearly 50 degrees at my house today! Another problem is occuring: Our stash of ice cream and crab legs had to be relocated from the front porch to the freezer! :)

1 comment:

  1. Yes as of this morning you were 50 degrees warmer than Des Moines, IA where I live. What are you doing sending it this way? LOL.

    I'm glad you guys are getting a break, so hopefully it lasts long enough for you to feel better and get to enjoy it.

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