Got Ski Pants?

And I don't mean the thin shinny wind pants that some call ski pants.  I mean the ones that have the wind repelling material on the outside and layers and layers of batting filled material on the inside.  The ones that add about 70 lbs to your look and actual weight.  The ones that when you fall to the ground you must lay there and yell... " I can't get up - I can't get up!"

Well I have you on the right page now -that's for sure!  So do you have such things hanging in your closets?  If you do, I would advise you to stick your legs in them and give them a solid yank... you are going to need them this morning, if you are anywhere near Manitoba.

You might want to add a warm hat; mitts (doubled of course)... that would be 2 pair of mitts on each hand, not one pair on the hands and one in the pockets like my son used to do as a kid.  Oh... and a scarf... no not Pashmina- a winter scarf - who cares what colour - wool would be your best bet!

I am painting a grim picture - but believe me it's a very accurate picture of the human-like forms I saw slugging along down the sidewalks in the dark hours of this early morning.  These forms were upright, slightly bent, and not moving all too quickly... but they were moving, which was a good thing, otherwise I would have had to stop the car and get out - not something I was very anxious to do this morning.

When I finally arrived at my destination, and finally was able to get out of my car (yes I was frozen IN, again), it was to find a co-worker waiting at the elevator.  What was the first thing we said to each other?

"God, it's cold!" or in her case "Jesus, God - it's cold!"  But you know what?  She was smiling from ear to ear, and I was too.

So if we hate the cold so much - Number 1 - why are we living here?
                                               - Number 2 - why are we out in it?
                                               - Number 3  - why the heck are we smiling?

You know what I think?  I'm going to tell you!

Manitoban's are phonies!  Yes they are!  They love winter - they love the snow, the cold and the discomfort that goes along with it.  But most of all they love the practice of talking and telling stories and yes complaining about the cold weather.  Yup, that's why we live here... whatever would we talk about if we didn't have winter!