Venting

This post is just a venting session on my part! It is on the same topic as my last post. So if this bores you, SORRY!! I'm sure all of you that live nearby have heard constant ramblings on this subject and feel the same way I do. For those of you who do not live in the great state of Alaska- count yourself lucky today.
I truly love living here and it is absolutely beautiful outside- so please do not take this venting as 'I hate my life' or something because I don't at all.
When I lived in AZ and would go to Phoenix occasionally- it would be almost miserable. You would walk from your air-conditioned hotel room to your air-conditioned car to the air-conditioned mall/restaurant. And for those 10, 30, 100 steps it took you to get there it was torture. 110+ degree dry heat! Yuck! You would walk out of the store and take this big gasp of HOT air- it wasn't pleasant. I don't know how people do it everyday!
Well back to my venting. It has been below zero for going on two weeks now. I'm not talking 5 below, it has been 25 and 30 below. Right now my outside therm. says 27.2 below zero. It is down right freezing cold! I think our high yesterday was 15 below, if we even got there! I know that you are all jealous! And like I said in my previous post- it is fine unless you have to go outside.
I just wanted to share a day in the life of having to go outside at 30 below zero. The night before I plan on going anywhere, I have to make sure my car's block heater is plugged in so the engine/oil doesn't freeze. 30 min before leaving my house I have to go unplug my car and then start it so it will be close to warm when it's time to leave (by the way, these two steps could be avoided if my garage wasn't full of projects). After I get back into the house and get the feeling back into my hands, I then have to get children bundled up. Coats, hats and sometimes gloves. From the time we open the door, the 10 steps to the car and until buckled in carseat- Brooklyn is freaking out because she can't breathe and covering her eyes because they are freezing every split second. I am feeling the coldness as my nosehairs or anything else in my nose is frozen. It is a feeling you can't explain- you just have to experience it.
Silas is standing at his door yelling "it's cold mom" as I am yelling back "well get in the car then". He responds by saying "I only have two hands!" He obviously doesn't quite understand what I mean when I use that sentence. Once I get over to his side, get him in and buckled I have to run carefully(the ground is frozen) back to the house, because someone didn't shut the front door. I make my frozen self back to the car, get in and put my gloved hands in front of the heater vents to warm them. I then realize oh my gosh I forgot my purse, mail, whatever it is there is always something. So I have to get the house key off the keyring while still in the ignition with semi-warm air blowing directly into my face, go back into the house, find whatever it is that I forgot and make my way back to the car. When I arrive in the car again and remember I didn't lock the deadbolt- it is then that I say to myself in a quiet voice so it is not repeated later- "Screw it!" And we then proceed to drive out of our driveway. I am relieved that's over with, well at least until we get to wherever we are going and have to do deal with the kids freezing again. It is crazy!!!!!! And days like these I do wonder why I live here?
I apologize for my venting to you all that read this, but when I complain to Sam- he says "it's not too bad". Whatever- it is bad! I must say though that I am thankful that our house stays warm and we do not have issues with our heat. Sam has been fixing peoples frozen pipes everyday these past two weeks, so Thank you Lord for providing our well insulated, warm home. I hope that you all enjoyed the story of our morning! I hope you all are happy and warm. Love to all!