The dreaded dash

There are no two ways about it. It was cold out this morning. Below zero cold. It was your-boys-go-crawling-up-into-your-belly-looking-for-warmth cold. First thing I did getting out of my truck at work was jumping jacks to get them fellas back to their post.

Drizz knows what I am talking about. Even his wounded buddies aren't immune from freezing.

With wind chill, it was like -30 or something like that. It is always that damn wind that makes you feel the cold. Tears right through you.

But yet, I didn't think it was that bad. Sure that "-" in front of the 1 on temperature guide next to the big clock downtown reminds you it ain't warm, but is it that cold you don't need to send your kids to school? I don't recall schools ever being closed because it was too cold when I was growing up. Never.

Some of the Milwaukee suburbs' schools are not open today, but the city's public school system is. If you want it to be, that is. They are letting parents decide whether to send these kids to school or not. If they keep them home, it is an excused absence. Otherwise they remind you to wrap up little Johnny warm and tight before sending him out to the bus stop.

Yes, the friggin' bus stop. I never took a bus to school, let alone in the cold. I had to walk the 2 blocks up the street in below zero weather. Later, I would have to walk the 3/4 mile to get to middle school and then the mile plus to high school.

These schools are making kids today a bunch of pussies. If it was cold back then, you put on a hat and scarf and made the treck out. If the wind was bad, you walked with your back to it. Sideways if needed. But you walked to school. I didn't have a parent driving me in a friggin' minivan. I had my Keds doing the job. And I turned out fine.

Ok, stop laughing out there. I am fine. Mostly.

I was glad the snow didn't hit like they predicted. It ruined my night as I didn't go out with co-workers after work. They exclaimed from the top of the mountains that a blizzard of Biblical proportions would occur between 5 and 8. Whiteouts. Ice. High winds. Death at every turn! It was expected to be so bad that many places sent employees home early. But it only rained.

But the weatherman- damn you John Malan!!!- keep saying it was still going to snow 4 inches. Let's see...4 inches of snow overnight and temps below zero. No way I was shoveling in the morning. I wasn't going to freeze my ass off clearing a sidewalk at 5:30 in the morn. With that executive decision made, I then gambled that any snow would blow away. Score one for the good guys. Sure there was some driftage but sidewalks were basically clean. A bit icy but clean.

Tonight I will brave the cold to keep the trivia dynasty alive. I can't pass up an easy bar tab.