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News and views from two charming fellows in Northeast Minneapolis.
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Saturday, February 10, 2007
The Cold Remains
By JSP
This is the first time in over five years that I have experienced a Minnesota Winter. The season started off fairly tame, December and January were significantly warmer than normal. However, several weeks ago that all changed. The average high temperature for the last two weeks has been about 5 F, this is roughly 15 F below normal. One night it even dropped to -18 F. I am solidly against this cold weather hanging around much longer.
I have to attribute my angst for this weather to the past five years of living in much more temperate climates. In Groningen, the coldest winter temperature was about 20 F, and in Philadelphia perhaps it dipped to 5-10 degrees one or two nights the last two winters. I had heard that Minnesota winters had also been quite mild the last several years, and I was hoping for a continuation of this pattern. Alas, I am dealing with bone chilling weather.
I do keep in mind that this weather is not significant in any extreme. No record lows have been broken, not even close. The record low for the cold night I mentioned above (-18 F) was -33 F. My sense is that our cold snap is lasting too long. I expect perhaps a week each year where the temperatures struggle to get above zero, then a rebound to normal. This snap is going onto week three.
Diverting my thoughts from the cold, we have been enjoying the guest that we have hosted at our home in NE Minneapolis since last Sunday. Our friend Rick from Aurora, Illinois has been seeing our city and his other friends. We all went to a performance at the Guthrie Theater, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. The performance was very entertaining, and we were all satisfied.
The rest of the week was spent enjoying cookies, pie, pancakes, Thai and Mexican food. The time grows short as our guest is returning to his home soon. Perhaps this last weekend of his visit will be spent touring St. Paul and going to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The week has been brightened by our guest, and thankfully so, because my work has been busy and stressful.
Also, JayBee and I will take our first vacation from work within the month. It will not be lengthly, at least not long enough for me. For five days JayBee and I will be traveling to visit friends in the Denver area. They have arranged a cabin in the mountains for roughly 15 people. We will be hot tubing, eating, drinking, skiing etc. This trip is a continuation of the ski weekends in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains that have occurred the last two years. The difference this year is that two of our friends formally of Washington DC are now living in Denver and they had the inspiration to invite us all out there to gather.
Viva friendship!
I have to attribute my angst for this weather to the past five years of living in much more temperate climates. In Groningen, the coldest winter temperature was about 20 F, and in Philadelphia perhaps it dipped to 5-10 degrees one or two nights the last two winters. I had heard that Minnesota winters had also been quite mild the last several years, and I was hoping for a continuation of this pattern. Alas, I am dealing with bone chilling weather.
I do keep in mind that this weather is not significant in any extreme. No record lows have been broken, not even close. The record low for the cold night I mentioned above (-18 F) was -33 F. My sense is that our cold snap is lasting too long. I expect perhaps a week each year where the temperatures struggle to get above zero, then a rebound to normal. This snap is going onto week three.
Diverting my thoughts from the cold, we have been enjoying the guest that we have hosted at our home in NE Minneapolis since last Sunday. Our friend Rick from Aurora, Illinois has been seeing our city and his other friends. We all went to a performance at the Guthrie Theater, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. The performance was very entertaining, and we were all satisfied.
The rest of the week was spent enjoying cookies, pie, pancakes, Thai and Mexican food. The time grows short as our guest is returning to his home soon. Perhaps this last weekend of his visit will be spent touring St. Paul and going to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The week has been brightened by our guest, and thankfully so, because my work has been busy and stressful.
Also, JayBee and I will take our first vacation from work within the month. It will not be lengthly, at least not long enough for me. For five days JayBee and I will be traveling to visit friends in the Denver area. They have arranged a cabin in the mountains for roughly 15 people. We will be hot tubing, eating, drinking, skiing etc. This trip is a continuation of the ski weekends in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains that have occurred the last two years. The difference this year is that two of our friends formally of Washington DC are now living in Denver and they had the inspiration to invite us all out there to gather.
Viva friendship!
Labels: cold weather, friendship, Minnesota, winter