Frozen Memories

For those of you who don't know, I spent two years in central Canada. Growing up where snow was something we only saw on TV, it was a bit of a shock to the system.

I had no concept of what -40 degrees felt like, and now I hope to never feel that cold again.

All of these memories have dimmed somewhat in the balmy winters of Utah (sarcasm intended) ... until the heater went out at work today.

It is now 65 degrees according to our thermostat, and I keep trying to guess when my fingers will freeze enough that I'll no longer be able to type.

Still, it is nothing compared to a Canadian winter, so it's a little bit of a relief that this office cold snap has dragged all those memories back to the surface.

So, here's what I learned in Canada:

• I have a survival instinct: Until that first bonechilling winter, I never had to test my fight or flight response. The first time I walked outside in that freezing weather, every cell in my body screamed for me to run back inside.
• After -20, it's all just COLD: Up until around -20 degrees, I could feel a difference in the temperature. After that, it became a blur. I wonder if that is the point where the part of the brain with the will to live freezes over.
• Winter gives you a temporary nose job: I wish I had a camera pointed at me the first time I sniffed during the winter. All that cold air stuck my nostrels together, and it took a minute for them to pop back out.

There are plenty more, but my hands are starting to ache and I'm going to have to go look up frostbite on WebMD.