The Story of Bou

Well, the little "cold snap" that we had is officially over. Temps are back in the 80's. And believe it or not, I'm actually glad for it.

No... I've not lost my mind. I'm still sweating towards death, and miserable hot. But when it warms up, the whining stops. Jeebus, these people down here... give them cool temps in the low 70's and 60's, with lows at night in the 50's, and they shiver and shake. Their kids are dressed in parkas and heavy sweatshirts, as are the adults. It's ridiculous. They say it's a matter of acclimation, but I really think it's just a matter of them being jealous of the Northerners, and their wearing of winter gear. Hell... 60 degrees? Bust out that new down jacket and those heavy mittens. And don't forget that Mad Bomber hat with the rabbit fur lining. You don't want to stop sweating... that would be bad.

Saturday, we were able to head out on the boat for a couple of hours. We stopped on the island, and as usual, I went swimming. When I got back on the beach, an old timer called me over.

"Hey, Cap'n! How's the water?"

"Not too bad, sir. The first couple of seconds are a bit rough, but then it's fine."

"You know, I brought my nephew and his kids out here last week. Little ones headed straight for the water, swimming and splashing... not a care in the world. Ah, but that's kids... they don't know any better. It's normal. Look at you, though. Someone like you? Something ain't right. When the water temps are 66 degrees, no one goes swimming. NO ONE." Then he grinned at me.

I laughed and told him that colder temps appeal to me.

Perhaps its just a matter of hardiness. They just don't make'em as rugged as they do in the states further north. This ain't a North vs. South thing... it's a Florida thing. I'm not saying that they can't be tough, but they sure are a whiney bunch when the temps drop to civilized levels.

Of course, I think about them not being able to take the cold, and Bou immediately comes to mind. That woman can't take the cold weather. At. All. But it wasn't always so...

I asked Hubba (Bou's ma) if Bou had always been such a baby about the cold, and she told me, "No way... she used to love it. As a matter of fact, I'll scan and send you a couple of pics. You won't believe them."

Turns out, Bou used to love shovelling snow, and she'd do it in her shorts!!! She had her favorite shovel, and used to shovel whenever and where ever she could. She used to go out to Pike's Peak, long ago, and help shovel out the cog railway. She was a shovelling fool.

What happened to her, that she starts shaking to death when the temps hit the 60's? Well, it happens that her aversion to cold happened after her last trip to Antarctica. The other members of the expedition got tired of her leaning on her shovel, mocking them, and they locked her outside for the evening. She's been cold ever since.

Photographic proof lies below the fold.

This pic is of Bou and an unidentified friend shovelling on the cog railway. (Bou is the one with the great big shovel.)

And here's Bou on the fateful expedition. This was just before she got locked outside.

Heheheh... it's true. That's why I don't really give her too much crap. I think I might be a little cold if I were locked outside all night. In Antarctica, that is.

And if you think the Pike's Peak crap was mean; Hey... she's the one who'd have you believe that she's old.

Yeah... Bou's old. And I'm Steve Urkel's identical twin.

Posted by That 1 Guy at January 15, 2007 10:15 PM | TrackBack