There are few things I hate more than being cold. Yesterday when I got up to run, it was 20 degrees. I shut my alarm off and went back to sleep, snuggled in my warm blanket.
My threshold for running outside is 32 degrees with the wind chill factored in. Yes, I am a wuss. I prefer the dreadmill to literally freezing my butt off. The treadmill I am currently using is at the gym near my office in Hartford. I can hop on at lunch. I have a treadmill at home but it needs to be repaired, again. It has been a problem from the day it was delivered. We have a 5-year maintenance plan. I think we are going to have to call for service every week this winter until they get sick of us and finally opt for replacement. The belt slips, the repair-person comes to fix it, and a week later the belt is slipping again. It is a Nordictrack, and it wasn't inexpensive. It is very frustrating. I got a ton of miles and a good three years out of the Nordictrack before it, which was a 1/2 price floor model. I just don't understand.
Anyway, I thought I was going to get out of running outside this morning. The temperature was exactly 32 degrees, so I had no excuse. I have all the fancy thermal running stuff that is supposed to keep you warm in even colder temperatures, but it doesn't keep me warm, not even a little bit. My teeth were chattering as I walked the dog. I was a little warmer when I ran, but I swear after 35 minutes, my toes were frozen. Anatomically speaking, I just wasn't built for winter in New England, or technically even fall.
I am lucky though. When I get cold, I can decide when to come into a warm house and take a hot shower (although not too hot initially, I have actually burned my cold skin in the shower before - ouch!). I can make a hot cup of coffee. I get into a warm car, then onto a warm bus (usually), and walk into a warm office. I can put on a sweater and/or a blanket when the indoor temperature isn't quite as warm as I'd like. I don't have to worry about winter approaching and my kids being cold.
Today, I am thankful for heat. It is something that I take for granted just about all the time, but that I really don't think I could survive without.
For information on how to help Connecticut families who have difficulty affording heat, check out, www.operationalfuel.org or visit Operation Fuel on Facebook.
I don't have a picture for "heat." Here is a picture I took over the weekend that I think is really cute and shows some "warmth" between siblings.
Vivi is still running a fever and will probably need to go to the doctor tomorrow just to make sure she doesn't have a ear infection or anything else. It spiked a little under 103 degrees today. It is still concerning but not quite as worrisome as yesterday.
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