Yes, it’s that *special* time of year again. The Twin Cities got a dusting of snow and thus our inevitable march into winter has begun. There have been the expected reports of accidents on the slippery roads and even, tragically, a death this morning that caused me to omit the obligatory joke about Minnesota drivers needing to get re-accustomed to driving on icy roads every winter. Traffic fatality reports always make me want to immediately post a sermon on the virtues of attentive driving, fastidious use of seat belts, designated drivers, and so on. And we’ve all heard this stuff so often that it turns into background noise, but I am going to ask you to please make it a habit to stop yourself every time you take your car keys out to focus on safety for a moment. Remind yourself that arriving safely is the only goal worth worrying about. The old saying, “better late than never” seems like sage advice to me.
Despite my deep and abiding hatred of winter, I’m trying to shake it off this year and achieve a zen-like acceptance of the inescapable snow and cold. I put in quite a few hours this past summer repairing and repainting the windows on my house, which I’m hoping will improve their insulating qualities by some minimally noticeable extent. I’m not expecting miracles. I just hope that there are fewer occasions when I feel a cold breeze in my living room or when I come downstairs in the morning there is no longer a 6 degree drop in the air temperature.
Getting back to my attitude adjustment, I’m trying to find fun winter activities. This project has been severely impeded by the Minnesota Vikings who, let’s face it, stink on ice. Thank goodness that the Gophers have put together a very respectable team this year, posting three straight wins over Big Ten teams, including Nebraska whom they hadn’t beaten since the 1960’s. The U of M is my alma mater, and one of my best friends from my schooldays was even Athletic Director for a few years, but I had pretty much given up on the Gophers several decades ago. So this recent string of victories is saving the season for me. And it’s great to be able to dream about the Gophers being in a bowl game that features an opponent slightly stronger than Benilde-St. Margaret’s for once.
The folks over at Meet Minneapolis are having a giveaway to promote the Hockey City Classic which will be running for the next seven weeks. They’re giving away ticket and hotel packages that sound great. If you’re a hockey fan looking for a great weekend getaway, they’ve got some deals available on their website, too.