Brain Freeze: A Winter Chronicle

Brrr….

So, 30 miles. That's my commute. Normally, it's a perfectly reasonable drive, a chance to catch up on podcasts, maybe ponder some strategies. But this week? This week, 30 miles feels less like a commute and more like a polar expedition!

Wisconsin winter has a special way of reminding you that you are, in fact, mortal. When I left my house this morning it was 1. Yes, 1 fahrenheit which is just cold enough to force you to ask yourself "Why do I live where the air hurts?". For the rest of the world that likes base-ten units of measure, that is about -17C. 

My car, bless its little heated seats, still thinks it's summer. It greeted me this morning with a cheerful "ding" and a dashboard display that read "Roads May be Icy." Thanks! Very helpful. I'm pretty sure my own backside is icy, too!

And then there's the office. Oh, the office. Home sweet, slightly-less-frozen-than-outside office. The ultimate irony being that our office was once a cold storage warehouse for of all things beer! Oh, what we'd do for a nice warm beer today... A 35 degree beer would in fact feel warm to us right about now. 

As a guy that runs a restoration company, you'd think I'd be used to things getting a little sticky. But this week, even the glue is staging a protest! I wouldn't be entirely surprised if I came back tomorrow and found all the furniture in the workshop spontaneously disassembled on the floor.

The moving companies, God love 'em, are still out there, braving the elements. I'm expecting a delivery of an ice-encased grandfather clock any minute now. And our field inspectors? They're practically ice sculptures themselves. I offered one a cup of coffee, and it turned out to be a snowman rather than our tech, which explains why he didn't respond. Candice is asking if we can order coffee in 55 gallon insulated drums - not for drinking, but for her to soak in! 

But hey, at least it's a bonding experience, right? We're all in this frozen mess together. We don't dare get too close for fear of literally freezing together. But, we're a team of dedicated professionals, battling the elements to bring beauty back to damaged furniture. Or, at least, that's what I tell myself as I sip my lukewarm tea and contemplate the 30-mile trek back home. Wish me luck. I'm going to need it. And maybe a snowmobile.

Aaron Warren - President with Chattering Teeth

Driftless Claims and Restoration