-29.

Did you know that's a temperature that can occur in the continental United States? Unless you live in Minnesnowta, you probably thought temps like that were reserved for the arctic. Alaska at least. Well that's what the temp is today. Oh I should stop complaining. It's -25 now.

I have always hated turtlenecks. They choke. Your neck isn't free. Also, wool. I have never liked wool. It is itchy. It smells like wool. Even back in my skiing days, I couldn't wear wool socks. Today I am wearing a turtleneck. And a wool sweater coat. The colors look a little nauseating together, but I don't care today. You know how much I love Stacy & Clinton, but today is about not losing an appendage to frostbite.

Some days I long to be a pioneer woman (I feel close to my pioneer sisters, because I don't have a dishwasher). I long to live in a day without things like health insurance and medical bills. The doctor came to you, and you gave him a loaf of bread or a chicken (I'm ignoring the fact that you also probably died from whatever you had). A day before every member of the family down to a 2 yr old had a chock full schedule on the Blackberry (here I'm pretending that my pioneer friends didn't spend every waking moment working their fingers to the bone, down to the 2 yr old).

In any case. A simpler time often sounds appealing. But not today. Today I cherish my modern conveniences. My computer that lets me stay home to work so I don't have to go outside (and I can wear mismatched clothing to stay warmer). The heat that will run all day long. My new storm windows and doors that are keeping the wind from blowing right through the house. My down coat. A car with heat (should I decide I really do have to leave my house). A house big enough for my cabin fever crazed children to be in another room with the door closed.

I really can't fathom the pioneer sister's reaction to weather like this. Rather than being inconvenienced and whiney, she was probably struck with fear. As wind whipped through her soddie, one opening of the door lost all the heat they'd built up from the wood stove. But you had to open the door to get to the barn (probably following a rope from the sod home to the barn to not get lost in the blizzards), because you had to take care of the animals. And hope they didn't freeze either. She was probably in constant prayer just that they would all survive it.

Fine then. I'll just put on some slippers. And turn up my heat a degree. And blow dry my hair so it doesn't freeze when I walk Ella to school in a little bit. Maybe she'll need to wear her snowpants for the walk.