Ice Ice Baby

As noted in the last post, this past weekend was warmer with highs around 40ºF/5ºC.  What it doesn't show is just how foggy it got that Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  Even the houses across the street were very hazy due to the melting of a lot of snow releasing water into the air.  The last couple days were regular winter days with highs still below zero.  That brings us to today, and why I'm writing this instead of working.

Freezing rain.  Ice.

We've had misting overnight that's left a layer of ice on already slippery surfaces, which will be followed by another winter storm.  Madison happens to be on the freezing line with snow north and west and rain south and east with freezing rain and ice in the middle before the snow moves our way later today.

I hemmed and hawed this morning as to whether I was going to go into work or not.  I'm ahead on hours for the week so I was in no rush.  After watching the weatherman for some time I decided to go in to work, even if just for a few hours before we got the next wave of weather.  As I stepped carefully down the back steps out to the garage I noticed the ice already covering everything.  I'm sure the main roads were still fine, but would be very messy very soon.  I stood in the driveway, indecisive for a few minutes before giving in and going back inside.  I hate to use up my banked time for weather but I just don't like to take those chances driving in winter weather like I did when I was younger.

And to top it all off, tomorrow's high temperature is 6ºF/-14ºC.  After that looks like another mixed bag of temperatures and precipitation for the next week.

Year after year, similar winter story lines.  I've heard it described as when a mother forgets the pain of childbirth and wants another baby.  The summers are so nice we forget what the winters bring.  It happens every year, and here we are again...

Ridiculous Cold

Okay, this is getting ridiculous.  Screenshot taken not long ago, about 8:15 pm.  Look at this temperature swing within a few days, lows -30ºF to 37ºF, and highs -11ºF to 42ºF.  That's a difference of 67 and 53 degrees, respectively, within 4-5 days.







Copied here for the convenience of my Celsius/Centigrade friends.  I can't do math right now, my brain is cold and tired.

This is not normal for here, this is serious cold. 

Brothers With Badgers

Recently my wife was given company tickets to a Wisconsin Men's Basketball game.  She's not a sports fan so asked me if I wanted to take a friend.  Given the proximity to my brother's birthday I invited him to go to the game on Saturday.  Now, I've been to the Kohl Center several times for hockey games and concerts, but not recently and I've never been for a basketball game.  My brother got to town and we decided to head there right away and I'm glad we did as I underestimated the traffic caused by the game.  We got there early, but not too early and got to walk around a bit before settling into our seats to watch the players warm up before the game.

It was a good game and the Badgers won their third game in a row.  The most notable part of the game was that Ethan Happ had his second triple-double of the season (13 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) and only the third triple-double in the long history of Wisconsin basketball.  Happ, a senior, is the star of the team and will be playing professionally next year.  He's a great college player but the only things that bother me about his game is his inefficiency at the free throw line - he was 1 of 5 this game - and I think he relies too much on the hook shot.  That shot has made his college career a great one but it will be interesting to see how that translates to the NBA game in the coming years.

 It was just above zero degrees that afternoon and when we left the game it was snowing quite a bit.  Also, unbeknownst to me until we were going to the game, we would be bringing back my nephew and his friend from the game.  Luckily we got there early and my brother called the other parents and they were able to park in the same ramp we were in, or finding the kids after the game may have been quite a bit more difficult.  But I did enjoy briefly seeing the nephew, growing so fast the next time he may be taller than me!  After the game I was already out of my comfort zone hanging out with 17,000 other people and then having to drive in slick conditions in heavy traffic while trying to make conversation on the way back was a bit stressful, but we made it okay.  And then they made it back home safely, thankfully.

I do care for my brother but we are definitely two different people on two very different paths.  Much of that is my wife and I chose to not have kids and they've gone the family path, and like most families these days, it sounds like they are always running from one kid's event to the other's, day after week after year.  There's nothing wrong with how either of us chooses to live, it's just very different.  Still, this was one of the few times ever I got to spend a little one on one time with my brother and I'm grateful he accepted my invitation.

Of course, now that I've been to a basketball game I don't feel the need to do it again anytime soon.  There's the people, the traffic, and the time it all takes.  A two hour game is like a six hour commitment,  much of it sitting in traffic.  I can watch the games on TV and see what's happening much easier and without all that added stress.  So, I can scratch this off my list for now and if I do get another opportunity I will know better what to expect and be able to plan accordingly.



Of course I took pictures - after the break!

Snow, Freeze, Repeat

I just woke up a bit ago and it looks like a nice, clear day outside but it is -17ºF/-27ºC.  We've had our milder weather, now we've been alternating between snow and deep freeze.  We got about another 7" of snow on Tuesday/Wednesday, followed by this, then it will warm up (15ºF/-9ºC) on Monday to dump some more snow and then it looks like the rest of the week we will not get north of 0ºF/-18ºC for several days.  Remember not too long ago when I said that it felt like winter had actually started?  Oh, and Lake Mendota has frozen over now for a record third time this season.

Yes, the numbers are impressive but it's happened before and it will happen again.  Life just goes on.  I took this picture this morning, you can barely see where the fire pit is.  Today should get a bit above zero eventually and I am expecting a rather good day out and about.  My brother is coming up to town and we're going to a Badger Men's Basketball game at the Kohl Center.  Should be a lot of fun - despite the weather!