Freakin' COLD!

It was 40 degrees yesterday morning when I woke at 6:30am. Nice. This morning when I woke at 6:30am, it was 22 degrees BELOW ZERO with windchill. 'Nuff said.

Happy Cows Come From California...

...And evidently, they like to visit Wisconsin during the winter. No kidding - saw a California cheese commercial while I was working out at the gym last night. I'm surprised there wasn't a riot. Wisconsonites (that's what they call themselves) take their dairy very seriously. Ban those California cows!

Even on the Capitol's Chirstmas tree (argh!):

Speaking of dairy - I went to the grocery store the other night after work to get a couple gallons of milk (great sale - 2 for $5). Anyway, it was around zero degrees, and we had some wind - it was COLD! I swear I thought I was going to have two gallons of ice cream by the time I got from the store to the car! Things have been freezing like nothing I've experienced before. I've always been very conscious of the fact that you don't leave your take-home food in the car because it will spoil. That's not the case when your car is colder than your refrigerator!

We have an enclosed breezeway between the house and the garage - very nice for muddy boots - and it has been a great place to store extra stuff like cases of water. This week, that all went to heck - you can't drink ice.

I tell Jonathan sometimes that he's full of hot air, but evidently, it doesn't matter when it's 10 below zero outside. We woke up Sunday morning (all five of us sleep in the bedroom), and I opened the curtains to look out on the gorgeous day, only to find we had frosted glass windows - on the INSIDE! The moisture from all of us had gotten trapped behind the blinds and froze on the window!

The other day at work, they were talking about one of the company's core values: Innovation. For some reason, this inspired handing out Pop Rock to every employee. (Beats me, I wasn't at the meeting - one of the perks of being a temp.) Anyway, everyone was pretty excited about them, since most of us haven't eaten them in years, and some of the employees had never eaten them. It was great seeing my boss pop a handful into his mouth for the first time and watch his face as he exclaimed at the experience. (For those of you not familiar with Pop Rocks, they're small sugary candies that have been infused with carbon dioxide and pop and crackle - loudly - in your mouth.) Like everyone else, I was happy to pop a handful or two, which was great - until I did it - and then my phone rang. You can imagine the rest of the story: "Group Health (POP! POP!) Marketing (SNAP!) This is Lindsay (CRACKLE! CRACKLE!) May I help you?" I can only hope the guy on the phone thought we had a bad connection.

Jonathan and I got a couple of Target gift cards for Christmas, so we went shopping tonight. Christmas is done, Valentines are out, Easter's on it's way... But isn't this jumping the gun a bit?

It's been five degrees and below zero all week, guys. Think warm thoughts... Think very warm thoughts...

Still Here...

Okay, so I know we're in "America's Dairyland" (I know 'cuz it says so on the license plates - geez!), but do they seriously need that many cheese snack foods in the vending machine?! I took a good look the other day at lunch in the breakroom and I counted, no kidding, no less than NINE cheese-related items. Out of 20. Good grief.

Some of you know I've been having some minor medical issues since before coming here, and I've been since referred to a urologist here. In the waiting room there were some magazines - normal - one of them was Golf Digest or something - also normal - the top story said, "Hit it Flush Every Time". Argh. Jonathan would be proud.

We've been discovering new businesses - most of them are new to us. But we passed one on the freeway the other day - an accounting firm - named "Boker and Launder". Maybe one of those times to get a less-personal, more creative name.

The midwest is a whole new ballgame - literally. Football is very big here. VERY. For those of you who don't already know (I didn't, until I got here), Madison is home to the University of Wisconsin - a big ten school. The Badgers. The other obvious team - The Packers. The people's team - literally. They're owned by stockholders or something, and not one owner - maybe that's why these fans are so loyal. It's big. Remember how the UW's band chased me down the aisles? Picture the very same grocery store, a Sunday afternoon. Packers are playing - and it's broadcasting over the speakers in the grocery store (no elevator music here, boys). It wasn't the Packer's greatest game ever, but when they got a touchdown, the whole store erupted into cheers and applause. Again, I can't make this stuff up. Actually, I have to admit, it's kinda fun - and I cheered with 'em...

So back to the health issues. I started noticing a few months back that I seemed to be squinting a lot. It became much more noticeable here when I was straining at night to read the street signs to figure out where I was. I went to the eye doctor, and learned I have an astigmatism. It's slight, but WOW! the difference two lenses can make! I didn't think things were blurry before - but they sure seem sharp now! (And I have to admit - they're kinda cute.)

I really love the place I've been temping at. Evidently, the feeling's mutual, because I came on for two weeks at the beginning of November, and I've been there since. Group Health Cooperative is a really fantastic place, run by some really neat people. I don't know how all health insurance companies are run, but I never encountered one like this in California. Here, they actually have complimentary medicine benefits. Yeah, they help pay for massages, and yoga, and the health club, and chiropractic care, and, and, and... They actually believe that pills can't fix everything, and that sometimes your health needs a more holistic approach - this is my kind of insurance company!

Speaking of the gym - Jonathan and I finally joined back up about a month ago. Well, I joined back up - Jonathan just joined. We've been going pretty regularly - I really need to in order to keep my neck injury from flaring back up - and Jonathan is doing an awesome job! He's been keeping track of his progress, and has been making goals for himself, meeting them, and then setting new ones. He's starting to feel the effects of it, and I have a feeling that when he plays his regular basketball game with the guys at church, he's going to start giving them a run for their money!

Weather - ah, you know we can't write this blog without mentioning it - is actually getting colder. Currently, it's 5 degrees. Five. F-I-V-E. I think we'll be seeing our first negatives tonight. Saturday's prediction of a high of 0 - that's zero - the HIGH - make me feel all warm and toasty inside - and inside is exactly where I'll stay, thank you very much. Until the dog needs to pee.

Seriously, the snow is really something else to behold. When the powder is new, and it sparkles like glitter, or the cool angles it makes as it drifts when the wind blows, or how the smallest amount of pure-white snow can stick to the top of a tiny bright-red crabapple... But my favorite is when I'm sitting at a stoplight, and my windows are cold, and the snow flakes are tiny. Then... THEN you can just make out the many different shapes that God has created, and they're there, sitting on your window, just for you.

And don't even get me started on the sunsets...

I'll catch you all later - as soon as I chisel the ice off my windsheild and break open the car door... Hugs and love, Lindsay