Frostbitten

Yes, I am alive! I know it's been forever since I've updated my blog, and I haven't been so great about keeping in contact with people. The guilt finally got to me, and I figure this is a much easier way of letting everyone know about my life than trying to track down everyone. Maybe one of these days you'll get a personalized email, or if you're really lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it), a phone call.

Rexburg has definitely seen its share of cold fronts, although we may not yet be done for the year. This last Tuesday I walked from my apartment to class in the Hinckley Building, a joyous half-hour walk, in -27 degrees, though according to weather.com, the wind made it feel like -36. The news stations were reporting that it hasn't been this cold since 1987. All the schools in the area were canceled--oh, but of course not BYU-Idaho. There is a group of students working on trying to make it so that when it gets to a certain temperature classes will be canceled, but I don't think anything will come of it.

If you haven't been in weather this cold, consider yourself lucky. I am grateful for layers and for the warm new coat I got for Christmas. Down is warmer than you'd think, though once you get down into the negatives, it doesn't matter what you wear--it's still just plain cold. Your fingers, toes, nose, ears, eyelashes--everything--feels as though it will fall off. Your hair freezes if it's close to your mouth. Your body groans, every inch in pain, and you're sure each step will be your last. No matter how many layers you wear, how long you bury yourself in the library, how many cups of hot chocolate you drink or bowls of soup you eat, you can't escape it. So far I have been able to dodge the frostbite demon, but I did have a few little scares a time or two.

For now, we have lots of snow, about two feet in the places where it hasn't been scraped or walked on, and the sun is out. Actually, we're lucky enough to be at 24 degrees right now! I'm tempted to put on some shorts! I almost didn't wear a coat to Scroll this morning. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. After it's been so cold, 24 degrees feels like summer.