Yesterday I posted our forecast on facebook: low of 5 with wind chill of -13. Now the wind didn't come so it is only 9 this morning with a real feel of 6. However, it did get me to thinking about the coldest temperature I have ever encountered.
It used to be that when airplane captains welcomed you to a city they would say something like, "Welcome to Dallas where the temperature is 93." "Welcome to Portland where the temperature is 67." They always said it very casually ~ after all they were airplane captains and their real job right then was to land us safely. So they said their line and went back to work. No one ever reacted to these remarks unless flying into Texas in the summer from somewhere with ordinary summer temperatures. Then you might hear a moan or two if the temperature in Dallas that day was 103 and it was already 8 o'clock at night.
So ~ I am flying into Indianapolis, landing about 9 pm. It is January so cold is expected. And just like he has so many times before our captain rattles off his routine: "Welcome to Indianapolis where the temperature is minus 21." As one the cabin full of folks moaned, groaned and shivered. Then the captain came back on. "That's really cold, folks. Bundle up, be safe and stay warm."
That was it. The coldest weather I have ever experienced. Nothing dramatic happened to me. I rode in a heated cab to my hotel, walked in very cold weather to my meeting the next morning, and by the time we left the meeting for dinner, although still very cold, the temperature was above 0 and we all went on about our business. But it is that announcement, so ordinary and casual, and then his personal addendum, that I remember about that time.
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