Make Up Your Mind

I love Milwaukee… I love Wisconsin… I am not a fan, however, of a weather system (or any system for that matter) that can’t make a decision.

I spent December and January traveling to residency interviews, and being exposed to all different types of weather around the country. When I wasn’t traveling I was spending time in Utah, with my fantastic family.

I mention this because on the day that I left Wisconsin the weather was awful. How awful was it you ask? Well when I drove to the gym, at 10AM on the morning of my departure, the temperature reading in my car's dash said -7… again it was 10AM. Once in the care, the radio announcer said that the wind was moving at around 30 mph and that made it feel like -40 (no one quote me on these numbers… they are of course vague recollections after all). When I got to the gym and sprinted from my car to the door of the gym, I actually had to pause to make sure that I hadn’t stepped in front of the world’s largest arctic leaf blower. After realizing that it wasn’t a massive leaf blower… it was simply winter in Wisconsin… I put my hands on my stinging face and proceeded inside the building.

While I was out of Milwaukee, I got a number of emails from my school with warnings of severe weather in Wisconsin. The following suggestions were actually forwarded to me:

• Stay indoors as much as possible.
• If it is necessary to venture outside, dress warmly and try to stay dry. Exposed skin can become frost bitten within minutes, so minimize the amount exposed by wearing a hat or hood, a scarf or knit mask to cover the face and mouth, mittens or gloves, water-resistant coat and boots, and layered clothing if possible.
• Avoid excessive exertion. The body can lose a great deal of heat through breathing (warm air out and cold air in), which places additional strain on an individual.
• Carry an emergency pack in the car that includes blankets and travel with a cell phone in the event of an accident.

All of this made me laugh, as I was in Utah enjoying at least tolerable 30-50 degree weather, with lots of sunshine and occasional snow mixed in. When it was time to go home, I was genuinely worried about what the weather would be like. My worries quickly disappeared on arriving to sunshiney Milwaukee. I was treated to record highs (up to the 60’s), or as I like to call it “The Golden Age of Wisconsin Winter Weather.” I honestly did not know what to do about that weather, and may have even been in denial… you know like when you win a contest and say, “I can’t believe I won.” Or like when you grew up in my family and you say, “I can’t believe I only have a single complex.” You know that the outcome was expected, but it surprises you anyway?

So today I had planned to do a number of things, like: go to the gym, put up drapes (3 years too late… yeah… I know), and go out with the missionaries. I head out the door at 10AM (before you ask… yes, if it’s important to me it gets done at 10AM. I don't know why... it's just how I roll), and snow has been falling all night, the roads were awful, and I'm pretty sure several puppies froze to death (that’s right, snow kills dogs).

And I'm ok with most of those things (some more than others), but just be honest… Don’t tell me you’re going to be hot and then drop 7 inches of snow on me… Don't tell me you're going to be one way, and then as soon as I come to expect that behavior from you, you change your mind and decide to be the polar opposite. Pick a climate and stick to it! I hate this indecision!

PS I took like 15 pictures of the snowfall, but I couldn’t decide which one to use…