Ways to Pass the Time at -40F

3 January 2012
10:43 AM

Sunrise at	10:52 AM	in direction	152°	South-southeast
Sunset at	2:59 PM	in direction	208°	South-southwest

Duration of day: 4 hours, 7 minutes (3 minutes, 42 seconds longer than yesterday)

Location	Time (akst)	Sky/Weather	Temp. (ºF)	Wind (mph)
Fairbanks International Airport	09:53	Fog/Mist	-44	Calm
Fairbanks / Eielson Air Force Base	09:55	Fog/Mist	-40	Calm
Wainwright U. S. Army Airfield	09:55	Freezing Fog	-42	Calm

Yes, it is a tad bit chilly out today.  Often, Gary and I have been Outside (i.e., out of Alaska) this time of year, and not had the pleasure of weathering through the cold snap.  Today is our last day of leave, so we will have the pleasure of weathering the cold snap from our offices tomorrow - unless I work at home to keep Mom in.  Exposing an elder to these temperatures, even for a short period of time, isn't preferred.

Here's my list of past times at 40 below:

1. Football .. yep, yesterday we whiled around an entire day with College football.  Gary watched while I listened and pursued other activities.  Gary was torn about rooting for Wisconsin (Big Ten) or Oregon.  Being solidly from the West, I had no such issues.  Then I surprised him by pulling for Oklahoma State over Stanford.  CU (Boulder) is my alma mater for my MS and I have a soft spot for those mid western teams that once comprised the Big 8.  Ah, those were the good ol' days.
2. Reading .. Gary gave me a Kindle Fire for Christmas.  Yeah Baby, Yeah!
3. Surfing the internet .. This is an indispensable activity at any time of the year, but especially useful when the temperatures are below Alaskan Interior Comfort levels of -25F. For one thing, I can keep a constant eye on the temperature readings at the airport to see if I actually want to drive somewhere.  But other great things come from it.  Yesterday I used up 45 minutes (easily) looking at laptop computer bed tables and desks.  I also verified the use of a sample drug Gary's Doc gave him, read through blog comments on the Stanford-Oklahoma State game, checked out favorite blogs, read news clips, and did the Washington Crossword Puzzle.  And since our youngest doberman will be in the show ring at the end of this month, I managed to spend nearly two hours reading about competitors, looking at various show records, reviewing pictures of the 2011 nationals .. The internet .. Wow, my favorite technology.
4. Writing .. I have been inspired to write again.  I devoted several hours (and will do so again today) working on a first novel.  I don't know that it will ever be publishable. Sometimes I like it as I read through sections and other times I am so bored with it.  But the exercise of making it well written and easy to read, in and of itself, is worth the time I devote.  I have a second novel that probably has more potential, but it's exceedingly rough and I don't want to go back to it until I am sure I have the grit to really bring it into being.
5. Caring for dogs .. Our pooches need toe nails trimmed, ears and teeth cleaned along with preparation before going outdoors.  Nothing like tending to others to help pass the time.
6. Hulu .. I subscribed to HULU at one point.  Gary controls the TV and so if I want something different, I watch on my laptop (back to the internet - can't get away from it).  I have enjoyed some one season runs, like Detroit 1-8-7; some old series, like Monk; and several new ones as they come out, Hart of Dixie.  Then I have favorites, Bones, Castle, Prime Suspect, Body of Proof (notice a trend here?).
7. Tending the fire .. Okay, keeping the wood stove stoked and warm isn't quite a true pass time, but it does take up a lot of the day!
8. Prayer and Practice .. I devote some of each day to Practicing Knowledge which I have enjoyed for over 40 years as well as prayer. 

Never a lack of things to do on a cold, cold day.