-5, windchill -30

As I heard someone else say, “What in the name of Queen Elsa is going on!?” In case you are visiting from Mars and haven’t heard, it’s the coldest it’s been in the U.S. in 20 years. Welcome to the Polar Vortex. {Your soundtrack is below.} I spent a large portion of yesterday afternoon prepping food (chicken coconut curry with extra heat, thank you) and things for if my power went out and trying to figure out where I would go with my 12.5 lb dog. Plus, I was keeping tabs on my family back home, where the weather was worse, as my brother and sister-in-law to-be were driving back from a ski trip in Michigan and my father, a local newstalk radio host, was called into work early and doing reports on driving conditions by testing the roads himself. Apparently being a newshound makes you exempt from the whole emergency vehicles only thing. :p

Blessedly, my power did not go out. (My town has a history of power outages when there’s ice and yesterday, when it was snowing seemingly everywhere else, we got hours and hours of rain. On the way home from coffee and a battery run, Megan and I saw a powerline spark. Fun.) I did, however, wake up freezing, despite having my heater and a space heater and blankets and the dog. There was ice on the inside of my windows. What are you doing to stay warm?

Frosted Windowpanes

As thankful as I am for having food, electricity, and a warm(ish) roof over my head, it makes me worry about those most vulnerable to this sub-zero weather: homeless people and animals. If you’re the praying type, please say one for them. When worried, I usually turn to Google. After reading up on hypothermia, I found these good stories:

Homeless outreach spikes as temperatures drop

Catholic Charities on a mission to help homeless in Colorado Springs

Topeka Shelter And Organization Are Helping Homeless In Cold

A Day Of Emergency Winter Rescues: Over 20 Dogs Off The Freezing Streets (not from this weekend, but still)
Have you seen any such news?

I’m spending today studying away. I get my exam questions on Friday. I’m in the midst of reading Homi Bhabha and doing a page on that under Rock the Exam. Then some analysis of Gertrude Stein. Why not? Rip that Bandaid off!  More posts on immigration, class, race and citizenship, poetry, feminism, girlhood, education and other things to come in the next few weeks. Home stretch!

Keep warm everyone! xo, Kasey