Polar Vortex Survivor

Marcus and Alivia both ran outside several times with boiling hot water to toss in the air during the polar vortex weather that held a grip on the area for several days last week.

By Allan Olson

Saying it was cold last week is nothing of any surprise to anyone either living in the area or paying any attention to weather on the national news front, all I can say about is, we survived, we didn’t freeze out or thankfully having any power issues like others did.

So here are a few things I did to entertain myself during the long evenings at home during the vortex.

I played Wii Bowling for the first time in several years with the kids. I didn’t do as well as they did, losing more games than winning.

I played the which vehicle will start game and used the battery charger more this week than in all the years I’ve owned one.

I learned how to make bubbles from scratch and then took photos of them outside in the cold. Okay perhaps that seems like something a little silly for a grown man, but I’m going to be honest, I found it fun to photograph something a little different and I can say I’m not the only one doing it.

I didn’t go outside – much.

I didn’t go geocaching – but did do some planning.

I read a few books.

I tossed out boiling hot water in the air, only to watch it freeze instantly – which of course was the point.

I started and finished one audio book – which was great background for working and just browsing the web.

I didn’t sleep in, but I also stayed up later than normal, which I think caught up to me on Sunday when I needed a nap to get through the day.

For some reason I watched little to nothing on any screen, perhaps because it was because I had a good books instead.

I did do some outdoor photography, trying to capture some different images to share with our readers.

Most importantly I am thankful that those three days are over and even though my propane tank took a beating, it still has fuel and my house stayed warm.

On Saturday, replacing the battery in one of the vehicles because once again I couldn’t sleep in, then I played chauffeur for my wife after getting up early and later attended one heck of blowout basketball game for the CL-B Lady Panthers.

Sunday I managed to sleep in until nearly 8 a.m.  a record of late, after finally getting out of bed (I was reading) I decided that since I was hungry I needed to make some food, so I thawed out some caramel rolls and put some water on the stove for hot cereal it was tasty. Later, I tried my hand at snowshoeing – that was quite the workout for my legs but fun regardless. I plan to do it more when time and weather both cooperate.

That pretty much sums up my weekend in a nut shell.

Now on to other matters.

This page has taken up the ramblings of many a reporter on this page pre-dating my 12.5 years of working here and I’ve heard from many who like it and like always a few who complain – those usually fail to understand that it is indeed an editorial page with the sole purpose of fodder like this. That being said, I’m planning to continue this “family journal,” as it’s been labeled in years prior by a non-fan. I can’t say that it’s going to continue quite as weekly as it has been.  In effort to provide something different for our readers I’m going to give way to some other “opinions” on this page. What that will all look like and how often, has yet to be figured out.

To all those who have read this column over the years, I thank you and I hope you will continue reading.

Please remember to watch out for the buses that are carrying our most precious cargo. Also, snap a photo or two to preserve a lifetime of memories. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! Feel free to drop me a line at cltimes1@arvig.net or stop by the office for a visit.