aaaaand the power just went out.

I think that if I could pick the one time I would not want the power to go out, it would be on that morning when we have a negative 30 wind chill. Here I sit, writing in candlelight while the Internet battery backup allows me to still post. Then we have a wi-fi hotspot with at least a little more juice if we need it

We have a generator in case this lasts longer than an hour or two. That will give us heat and refrigeration at least. We will not freeze, but we may find ourselves a bit chilly.

This was not how I expected to spend this day off. Not at all. 

The Wind Chill

The temperature at this moment is -17 F (-22 C) with windchills of -32 F (-35.5 C). At this temperature, any exposed skin will develop frostbite in ten minutes. The US Postal Service suspends deliveries to save its workers from literally freezing to death and schools shut down. Outdoors could kill me today with very little effort, if I were to venture out and stay there.

I’m not sure why I got out of bed this morning. It’s hard even thinking about moving, even in a blessedly warm house, with temperatures outside like that. It’s bitterly cold outside, and my body wants to eat high-carb food, gain twenty pounds of fat, and hibernate for the winter.

I will do nothing of the sort. I have coffee to drink, blankets to swath myself in, books to edit. I have gardens to plan. I defy the chill, even though it frightens me with its potency outside.