The Polar Vortex is back.
Maybe.
Some people are saying that the cold sweeping the country this time is just the normal cold associated with winter and not another unnatural sweep from the north, but either way, it is freezing out.
The picture here was taken in Chicago (that is Lake Michigan in the background) on January 6th when the Midwest was at the mercy of the polar vortex. I don't live in Chicago--my Midwest home is several hours and a couple states north of there--but I understand perfectly the horror associated with such cold.
My school was closed for the last two days, making that 5 already this year, because the temperatures were in the upper teens below zero each day, and that doesn't account for windchill. My guess would be that the cold sweeping even the southern states will have a negative ecological impact because plants that are not supposed to be cold (like citrus trees) are probably freezing, and cold days aren't good for my heating bill either. I split my bill 6 ways, and my electric bill for January went up $20, which means that overall we had a $120 increase in January over December. Not a good sign, and I'm sure I (and my 5 roommates) am not alone.
About the only thing good about this cold is that, when it is 16 below, I don't go outside. Quite the opposite. I stay inside with a nice hot mug of apple cider, turn on the TV, and fire up my laptop. Bundled up in slippers, sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt and a sweater, I work on editing.
A lot.
So I'm going to complain about the cold, and the long-term repercussions, and my high electric bill, but I'm also going to say this: when life gives you lemons (at least until the lemon trees freeze down south), make some lemonade. If you can't leave your house without risking frostbite from just 5 minutes of exposure, stay inside and write. Or edit. Or clean (only if you've already done some writing and editing, of course).
Make the best of what you have, because who knows how long the next cold spell will last.
Maybe.
Some people are saying that the cold sweeping the country this time is just the normal cold associated with winter and not another unnatural sweep from the north, but either way, it is freezing out.
The picture here was taken in Chicago (that is Lake Michigan in the background) on January 6th when the Midwest was at the mercy of the polar vortex. I don't live in Chicago--my Midwest home is several hours and a couple states north of there--but I understand perfectly the horror associated with such cold.
My school was closed for the last two days, making that 5 already this year, because the temperatures were in the upper teens below zero each day, and that doesn't account for windchill. My guess would be that the cold sweeping even the southern states will have a negative ecological impact because plants that are not supposed to be cold (like citrus trees) are probably freezing, and cold days aren't good for my heating bill either. I split my bill 6 ways, and my electric bill for January went up $20, which means that overall we had a $120 increase in January over December. Not a good sign, and I'm sure I (and my 5 roommates) am not alone.
About the only thing good about this cold is that, when it is 16 below, I don't go outside. Quite the opposite. I stay inside with a nice hot mug of apple cider, turn on the TV, and fire up my laptop. Bundled up in slippers, sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt and a sweater, I work on editing.
A lot.
So I'm going to complain about the cold, and the long-term repercussions, and my high electric bill, but I'm also going to say this: when life gives you lemons (at least until the lemon trees freeze down south), make some lemonade. If you can't leave your house without risking frostbite from just 5 minutes of exposure, stay inside and write. Or edit. Or clean (only if you've already done some writing and editing, of course).
Make the best of what you have, because who knows how long the next cold spell will last.
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