Too Cold

Hoo doggies, it's cold out there! And I know, because I've been out there. And let's not forget, I'm kind of an expert in the cold. It seems my entire life has been surrounded by cold.

My pre-teen years were integrated with a newspaper route. Six days a week (no paper on Saturday) rain or shine, snow, sleet, or cold I delivered newspapers to over one hundred houses with people anxious to read about the events of the day. I also delivered newspapers on hot days, but if you read the title of the story, it will be easier for you to follow along.

No one, including me, can say for sure but I think that paper route prepared me for a lifetime of working in cold weather. I realized what cold hands were. You can't launch newspapers from your bike to the front porches wearing mittens. Forget making change on the doorsteps trying to collect money for a month of newspapers while wearing gloves.

I think that may have been the key to the cold. I liked the money more than the cold bothered me. This might be an appropriate time to pass along, in January of 1970 (cold month), I was named Fort Collins Coloradoan news carrier of the month. I got my photo in the newspaper. I don't like to brag, but if I knew I could be that good-looking again, I might shave my beard.

All those years of delivering papers in all types of weather prepared me for my adult career. I guess I would need to exclude the carpentry school years. On the cold days at school, my friends and I hid from the teacher and eventually just left school for the day.

I completed my schooling and without regard to the weather, I found a job building houses in my hometown. That first winter was an eye-opener. I didn't get to hide from the foreman because the weather wasn't ideal. Luckily the foreman didn't like cold weather. If it rained, he sent me home. Windy, he sent me home. Snow, home. If the temperature dropped below fifteen degrees, we went home. It worked pretty well other than if I/we went home we didn't get paid.

Not being paid had its own set of challenges. It forced me to quit building houses and try commercial construction. Commercial construction was not affected by the weather as much, plus it was not affected by sky high-interest rates. I went to work for a company building mostly fast-food restaurants. I found out that if Wendy's wants to sell burgers on a certain date, the weather can't matter. If it rained you had better have a raincoat. If it snowed, you might need gloves. Just like the newspapers needed to be delivered, Wendy's needs to sell burgers.

Now I am at an age where I should just complain about the cold weather, like my older brother. Oh brother, does he love to talk about how much he dislikes the cold. I still like the snow and cold, even though full disclosure, I have never been on skis. Oh, I have cross-country skis and snow shoes, but I have never been downhill skiing. I'm guessing that ship has long sailed.

I have, however, geared up with insulated coveralls, gloves, head coverings, and rubber boots to trudge through the snow at minus ten degrees to feed a yak that loves the cold weather. I have done that as recently as this morning at 7:30 AM. Bring it on.

I have a fire in the stove and I'm back in my shorts. It is not cold in the house, our car, and the grocery stores. I might need to run between any or all of them and maybe wear pants, but this cold thing is not affecting my day.

Thank you for your time, Love ya, God Bless. Buy yarn!

Our crazy lives!

Monner