zabbo

Alice and I are happy to be spending Christmas this year with her parents and family in Winnipeg. The timing of our arrival was perhaps not the greatest for two reasons. First, we just managed to miss the yearly dinner party. We just caught the tail end of it as we got out of the cab at a solid 10:30 at night. Next time we’ll try to be a little more clever, but orchestrating time off sort of tied our hands.

Secondly, and perhaps more alarmingly, it is freaking cold. Winnipeg always has a pleasingly hearty winter but we arrived during a cold snap. It’s predicted that the daily highs will rise from the current 40 below up into the negative twenties. (all figures celsius, but we all know that they line up at -40, right?) We brought along our piles of winter wear, so we’ll be fine, but it was still a little startling to inhale that burst of cold air as we left the airport. Maybe it wasn’t a good sign when we spent an hour on the tarmac in Minneapolis waiting for them to load luggage because their fancy luggage scanners had frozen.

It’s been very relaxing so far. I’ve huddled on the couch with my book most of the time. Alice and the ladies escaped to a local spa today. Reports indicate that it’s indeed pleasant to be wrapped in seaweed and rubbed with warm stones.