Snow Patrol

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that there is a temperature difference between Ohio and California. It's to be expected. I'm usually prepared for it. However, this winter has been different. I don't know if it's because I've been out and about more this break than previous breaks or if it really is that much colder than usual, but I've been incredibly aware of the 50, 60 and yes even 70 degree difference between Sycamore and LA. As I was scraping a layer of ice and brushing off two inches of snow from my car after a two-hour visit to Denielle's, I realized something.

• I am grateful that these items are no longer a part of my life.

There are currently three space heaters going in the house, in addition to our furnace and a corn burner (yes, it is exactly what it sounds like...a stove that burns corn instead of wood) that is hooked up in the garage and pumps heat directly into our living room. One of the space heaters is directed two inches away from the pipes in my bathroom so the pipes don't freeze. This is not something I ever have to worry about at LMU!

I loathe the act of shoveling snow. LOATHE, I say! Something I dread more than anything else in the world is being simultaneously hot and cold at the same time. This doesn't happen often. The last time was when I had both a fever and the chills from the flu, but somehow the act of shoveling snow recreates this feeling every time! It could be -19 degrees outside, but you can spend 30 minutes shoveling snow and you'll feel like you should take off your coat because you are suddenly sweating! And the worst part is that you go through all of that work and wake up to see your perfectly carved path covered with another layer of stuff that you just got rid of! Such a vicious, nature-driven cycle!
Snow boots. I'm not talking about Uggs or cute, sassy "boots" that happen in the winter time back in LA. I'm talking about fur-lined, vinyl coated, rubber enforced soles that begin to emerge between October and March in the Midwest. As I left to visit OSU, my mom pointed out that there was a spare set of these suckers in the back seat in case anything happened on the way and I needed to dig out the car. In what world do you need to have special footwear in case of emergencies!?! Ohio, that's where...

Yes, these glove/scarf/hat set is indeed adorable. I could probably whip these out on a "cold" February day and get away with it in Cali. However, these are not necessary items in my world. There has never been a time where I thought to myself "Hmm, I should really bundle up if I'm going to be comfortable when I step outside." The first thing I did when I came home was rustle up a hat that had been in storage and I bought two sets of gloves. (Reminder: I was home for two weeks.) There is something about the feeling of being totally protected from the environment that is unique to winter weather. The thought is that the only portion of skin that should ever be exposed to the outside world would be the nose and eyes and perhaps your mouth if it isn't too chilly outside. I am so happy that my arms and legs and feet can come out to play on a pretty consistent basis back in LA.

The ice scraper is a torture device. There. I said it. It is a horrible invention that has the unfortunate distinction of being incredibly annoying, but also incredibly necessary. I think you would be hard pressed to find a car in the Midwest without at least one of these. The car I'm driving while I'm home has TWO and I'm driving a sports car! While I am a big, BIG fan of onomatopoeia in theory, I am NOT a fan of the scraaaaaaaaaape noise that happens when you futilely attempt to chip away at a layer of ice on your windshield that looks like it has been there since the dawn of time. There are a variety of kinds of ice scrapers. Some have brushes on the ends of them. Some have the capability to be plugged into your cigarette plug so it is hot when it touches the ice. My personal favorite is an ice scraper that is a part of a sheepskin mitten so your hand stays warm and dry while you revert to your primal roots of a caveperson while you attempt to chip a hole in your line of sight just large enough to avoid an accident before your destination.

Weather forecast for Sycamore: 19 degrees & snow flurries

Weather forecast for Los Angeles: 71 degrees & mostly sunny

I rest my (chilly) case.