Today's View From the Unemployment Line

It's starting to get cold. This is the time of year when my brother in North Carolina starts taunting me with weather reports from the beach while I suffer in the brutal Chicago cold. It's definitely not brutal yet, but for me, it doesn't take much.

I read a lot of books about exploring and mountain climbing. Last winter I happened to have just finished a book called "Sea of Glory" right about the time the winter really started to get down to business. A section of the book detailed the United States' attempt during the 1800's to see how far south a ship could sail, and to determine what exactly lay at the lower latitudes. The descriptions of the maritime conditions in the Antarctic region were hard to imagine coming from the DC area. I didn't even really know what temps below zero felt like. The Chicago winter last year for me was exciting because it gave me a little better perspective on what explorers, scientists, and adventurers go through in the frozen zones on this planet.

Lucky for me, when the commute temperature hits -8 like it did once last January, even though I feel like I could just give up the ghost on my two block walk to the office, I know that warmth and a steaming pot of coffee are only steps away. So I can't wait to see what this winter brings. My North Face puffy coat is out of storage, I have a new pair of thermal underwear, and my vintage Redskins knit hat is ready for action. So I say, "Bring it on!"