I Am "Snow" Over It

All my life, I've wondered if my body temperature is several degrees lower than the average human.

When others around me are sweating, I am usually quite comfortable. Often when I crawl in bed, placing my cold feet on my husband's warm legs, he says that I am his own personal air conditioning unit. And although most folks wouldn't enjoy being pregnant in the stifling heat of a Texas summer, I actually found it quite refreshing to finally feel comfortable inside the frozen tundra of a movie theater.

No, I'm not expecting a call from the Polar Bear's Club anytime soon.

That being said, Friday brought about the opportunity to play in the snow. And I must admit that it was both beautiful and exciting because it was so out of the ordinary. But for those of you that live up North, I must ask a very important question.

HOW DO YOU NOT FREEZE TO DEATH ???

Chris and I played with Park, making a snowman and sliding down the hill in our backyard. We marched around the crunchy vast whiteness and had snow ball fights, while laughing until our sides hurt. And then the numbness in our hands and feet took over and we ran back inside to nurse our wounds every 15 minutes or so. It was the most painfully enjoyable experience, serving as a reminder of why our family won't be taking any ski trips in the near future.

We took a winter vacation to Colorado one year when I was a little girl and I begged my parents to never make me endure such misery again. To enjoy snow skiing, I think one needs a higher body temperature than that of a corpse, therefore eliminating me from ever qualifying for the Winter Olympics. Well, that and the fact that there is not even a minuscule glimpse of athletic ability in my freezing cold body.

And although hubby can hold his own in the athletic department, his inability to tolerate his feet being "trapped" in anything resembling confinement is a slight problem when trying to snow board. Or wear boots for that matter.

Although I'm not exactly certain where Chris' foot claustrophobia originated, after witnessing his painful attempts at putting Park's shoes on for the last two years, I'm convinced it is a very real problem. One that might require years of therapy before skiing is a possibility ever again.

So, between my negative zero body temperature and Chris' constrictive feet issues, for now, it looks like this weekend's Texas blizzard may be as close to "real" snow as sweet Park comes.

Although based on how much snow he ate, it is quite possible that those of you Northern folk who are tired of shoveling snow could use his services. .

Who knows, snow eating may even catch on as a sport in the Winter Games, easily enjoyed (possibly indoors) by cold, nonathletic competitors.

Or those with feet complications.