hatless and gloveless

Halfway through January, and I made it through days of below-zero temperatures without a lot of my cold-weather stuff, which is mostly still in storage. When we moved into this apartment in July, I don't think it occurred to us that we would still be here through the coldest part of the winter.

But the condo that we bought won't be ready until at least late February. Demolition and reconstruction are under way.

And the temps are back in the 30s after several weeks of a lot of below-zeros. Maybe I can make it through a Minnesota weather without my gloves and stocking caps.

*****

Who can complain about anything these days, anyway, as we watch the struggle of the survivors of the earthquake in Haiti? The most amazing thing to watch, though, is the reaction of the extreme right-wingers in our country, like Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh, who are either blaming the victims, like Robertson is doing, or saying we're only helping the Haitians, as Limbaugh says, because they are mostly black and we have a black President. Wow. Pat Robertson says that the Haitians are being punished because their ancestors made a deal with the devil. I loved a Letter to the Editor in this morning's Minneapolis Star Tribune responding to that absurd claim:

"Dear Pat Robertson, I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake. Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"? If I had a thing going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just saying: Not how I roll. You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want to clip your wings -- just , come on, you're making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract. Best, Satan.
LILY COYLE, MINNEAPOLIS."

Definitely one of the best Letters to the Editor I've ever seen. And now, let's all be together on this, in support of the Haitians as they endure this horrible ordeal.