for 11 DEC 06: LEGENDS OF THE THAW

The Columbus area warmed back up Sunday, with highs around 60 degrees F. It was good to walk around outside in a T-shirt and running shorts again - thereby showing the world I'm from the northern states.

Here's hoping you handled the coldest weekend of the season well. If I heard correctly, Columbus had record low temperatures both Friday and Saturday mornings - down in the low 20's. Why, I have nieces older than those temperatures....

We could put logs on the fire because it's so cold - but instead we kept an unofficial log of how Columbus (and I) dealt with the big chill:

Thursday night: A strong north wind blows in, making a tall bush in my apartment courtyard swing and sway. Someone has strung holiday lights all over the bush - and with visions of the Holly Hills Apartments in my head, I think about where my garden hose is.

I take a step to warm up the apartment, by heating a frozen dinner the old-fashioned way - in the oven, instead of the microwave. That little half-cup of mashed potatoes winds up a whole lot hotter.

Friday morning: A doctor's office on Talbotton Road leaves its sprinkler system on -- and the result is such an icy mess, sales of tinsel "tree icicles" probably drop all weekend.

Of course, hundreds of people in Columbus woke up extra early to attend the Carver-Shaw football game. If you're one of the students from other high schools who were spotted at the Georgia Dome, be advised -- you no longer are entitled to a senior skip day in April.

Friday midday: After blogging the Carver-Shaw game, I run some errands -- but I still feel a need to get out for some exercise. So after the errands are run, I head for the outdoor racquetball court in a sweatshirt and togs. It felt a bit like the old home ground of Kansas -- having drips from your runny nose go around your mouth.

(This reminds of a joke someone told on a Rivertown Ford infomercial a couple of weeks ago. If you find your nose is runny, don't stop and think it's funny - 'cause it'-snot.)

Friday afternoon: Another wave of coldness suddenly sweeps across Alabama - as Rich Rodriguez announces he'll remain the head football coach at West Virginia.

The 5:00 p.m. news talks to people who work outside, and have to "bundle up" for the cold weather. Six months from now, those same workers will be interviewed about how they're dealing with the hot weather. But at least right now, they're not at risk of skin cancer and heatstroke.

Friday evening: The cold weather and wind may have affected the signal of WFRC-FM. The "Family Radio" station is broadcasting the same instrumental music over and over, repeating every 30 minutes. That's good news for me - because none of it is Christmas music, and I'm not tempted to come up with parody lyrics.

Saturday morning: Some weekends have distinctive flavors. For me, this weekend is cinnamon-y - as I heat the house around sunrise, by baking a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. It takes considerable discipline on my part to only eat four of eight, and hold the rest for Sunday morning.

Saturday midday: As I prepare for church, it's still on the chilly side - as the water in my shower takes its good sweet time warming up. The bathroom mirror winds up steamy. But when the wrinkles on my shirt collar don't flatten out, it's not considered a victory.

Saturday afternoon: The cinnamon flavor of the weekend is reinforced at church, as a woman brought cinnamon pull-apart "monkey bread" for the snack table. I don't think to ask if this makes her one of the Iraq "surrender monkeys."

After church, I watch the electronic signs driving home. I'm checking the temperature for a possible jog just after sunset. I've heard church ministers say it's foolish to run outside in cold weather - but the thing is, they've never defined what "cold weather" is. So you set the definition, and become guilty of legalism.

My "over and under" temperature is 50 degrees, and the three business signs I pass are above it. They average 53 - so I'll look smarter than the children who went on that "Reindeer Run" downtown in the morning. Besides, I'll probably have the Riverwalk all to myself.

Saturday evening: I stretch in the apartment, dressed for the run -- but hold on. At the start of the 6:00 p.m. news, WRBL's Elissia Wilson says temperatures across the area are "in the forties." By my rules, the jog is off. I suppose I could still go out in a sweatshirt and togs, but those things can be so confining.

But an e-mailer to the blog apparently discovers something interesting, while keeping warm indoors:

The weather was cold out and made for some TV watchin
and time on the internet.

Flippin around on the net I was watchin the NASA TV and heard that the shuttle launch could be seen through much of the southeast, So, I stayed tuned in waitin for the moment, then I realized that NASA TV on the net is delayed.

At around 40 to 30 seconds before launch I went out to see, lookin southeast Nothing was there,,,,so I waited, and waited , then- just like what others have said about it, there it was - a redish/orangish glow risin up above the tree line and goin in and out of the clouds until too many clouds. I did pick a small bright blue glow a little later on up in ther sky which was just the Shuttle engines.

Some of the Military described the glow like some of the Missliles used in the Iraq war, but, way smaller and not as bright - but - close enough.

I have seen a few launched in person and would recommend it to anyone to go and watch one there..

I knew a shuttle launch was coming, but didn't think to look outside for it. Even if I had, it sounds like a pretty disappointing fireworks show for this area.

Sunday: The temperature quickly rises above freezing, and is comfortable enough by afternoon that four guys in my apartment complex are outside in the courtyard, sitting around a card table. They're wearing jackets - so if they're playing bid whist, they can hide cards rather easily.

As I walk to a convenience store for a soda, I pass an empty package on the street. It's a pack of "Hothands hand and body warmer." Wimps....

Since everybody talks about the weather, let's talk now about other things:

+ WRBL suddenly went off the air for a couple of hours in mid-afternoon, during a pro football game. I know this station tries to match the competition, but this was ridiculous....

(With both Columbus VHF stations off the air and no late football game on WXTX, for awhile it felt like old times at my house -- with only a radio on, and pretending it was 1951. Well, except I was checking e-mail....)

+ National Public Radio called "Hope You Like It, Georgia," about its removal from the official state map. Rand McNally apparently never did like it -- because my four-year-old road atlas doesn't show it, either.

+ Shaw High School's football team began practicing for the AAA state finals. Next Saturday's title game is at Peach County - so will the people at Chik-fil-A object if we call it the Peach Bowl?

+ The Atlanta Falcons proved my fears wrong by toppling Tampa Bay 17-6. The Fox sports team revealed the last book read by Falcons head coach Jim Mora was "Webster's Dictionary." Maybe that explains why the team has been putting defense ahead of offense the last few weeks.

(The Falcons radio team noted at one point, Tampa Bay's quarterback called the signal "lazy San Diego." Either he doesn't know the Chargers are 11-2 on the season - or we now know new street language for an illegal drug.)

+ Instant Message to whomever left sticky splatters all over the handball/racquetball wall at Benning Park: Never mind why -- HOW did you do that? I mean, it looks like you fired Skittles from a slingshot....

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