cold weather benefits

It's cold. Really freakin' cold. Colder than it should be in December. The wind chills were -25 to -35F yesterday. We got two inches of snow today. I like the snow, and if given the choice, I'd rather have cold weather than hot weather...but not this cold. This is a bitter cold, the kind of cold that stings and makes it hard to breathe.

Cold weather isn't all bad, though. Despite all the complaints you'll typically hear, there are some major benefits to having cold weather. Here are a few:

1. Cold drinks. I love slurpees/icees, so sometimes I'll leave a bottle of water or lemonade in my car while I'm in the office. When I come out at the end of the day, I give the bottle a few shakes and have an instant slushie.

2. Car antics. When there's snow on the ground, that means it's time to test your traction control. And your anti-lock brakes. And your all-wheel drive (my new favorite). This can all be topped off by doing doughnuts in a parking lot--always a good time.

3. Experiments. How fast will wet hair freeze? How long will it take a bottle of water to chill until it's rock solid? How long will it take for my runny nose to freeze shut? Here's your chance to find out.

4. Grocery shopping. When it's warm, the grocery store is always the last place you go when you're out doing things and running errands. Can't have your produce and meat spoiling, right? When it's freezing cold, however, that's no longer an issue. It doesn't matter when you go to the store during the day, your car is going to turn into a refrigerator--guaranteed. This is the best cold weather benefit of all.

Only five more months until winter ends...