From A to Z

Boo freakin hoo Kristi, it is cold in SWITZERLAND...send the Whaaaaambulance. I am getting far too adept at stating the obvious lately and hopefully my redundant subject matter won't leave you feeling cheated. But it is my blog and I will bore you with the obvious, because it is my obvious and and all very new to me.

So we are talking so cold that my tears freeze, much like the tears this fountain cries:

For some reason, and I can't figure out why, I feel really bad for this little cherub who is covered in an ice blanket and encased in a Planet Krypton-esque prison. Not too long ago we had a decent stretch of warmer weather, even Mother Nature was fooled as young shoots started to make their way out of the ground and some really brave purple flowers bloomed. It is Switzerland though and it is still very much Winter I am afraid. Those poor shoots are probably pretty pissed off right now, shaking their green fists up at the sky while shouting "Curses! Foiled again!"

Last weekend we were brutally reminded of Winter's longevity with a mild blizzard, complete with fairly strong winds and approximately 4-5 inches of snowfall. Today it is snowing again, the wind is whipping again and I can no longer compare Zurich weather with Atlanta's. If I know Atlanta, the turn to Spring is coming and likely not looking back. All Winter I could compare the two and at times we had warmer temps and less snow which gave me the sense that Winter here was a piece of cake. That cake has turned into humble pie however as it is becoming clearer each day that Winter lasts much longer here.

The mutterings of "oh sweet Jesus make it stop" or "Holy Crizzap it is cold" or even a little reverse Psychology "warm weather is for Wimps or when you retire", only give a little mental relief. Many Swiss, at least I assume they are Swiss, scoff at the cold by running in these conditions or even biking in them. Those folks are so bat crap crazy I am tempted to trip them, get them in a really vulnerable position and then start shaking them while saying "Stop acting so insane man! Huddle in your warm apartment like me and complain on a blog about how cold it is!". Without these crazy people, whose lives go on in the cold, I probably would be worse for wear though. My impulses to trip and shake them violently, quickly fall by the wayside and I get inspired for a few brief moments to make the best of it, even if "my best of it" consists of power walking towards something warmer.