The power of the cold
Published: Thu, 02/06/14
Breathe it in, and your lungs get frightened instantly. Like you
are breathing in venom.
Even though you wear gloves, a hat, and thick coat, the cold air
finds a way through them to your skin, like the invisible fingers
of an ice demon.
On your face, you can't tell whether the air is bracingly cold
or hot, because the nerves are frazzled and confused.
Your body wonders why you live here and why you walked outside just
now.
Survival instincts kick in, and your mind races, trying to figure
out how to do everything quickly so you can get inside.
And you're just in your front yard.
- - - - - - - - - - -
That's how it felt today when I went outside!
It's -33F here at a mile high in Butte.
My usually very dependable truck didn't want to start.
Probably wanted to fight me for making it work today.
So, I put on a battery charger after I drained my battery trying to
start 'er up.
Here's the problem.
That charger isn't very good. It has its own internal battery
and is supposed to be portable, letting you jump your car out in
the boonies.
It claims to have a jump start function as well, but it acts more
like a trickle charge. It takes forever to "jump."
What I really need to do is get to a Sears (does Sears still
exist?!) and drop some dolla bills on a good charger that can do a
legitimate jump start. I don't need that internal battery function;
never used it anyway.
I need to spend the money and do it right. I'll consider it an
investment that will pay me back with saved time and energy.
So, while I wait for my battery to charge...
How can I be of service to you?