This is what the cold does to me...

It is tragically cold in Northern Wisconsin today. Not only in temperature, but also in the Ashlanders demeanor. When I woke this morning for work I expected a moderate temp. today 26 degrees on the thermometer. The thing about the Midwest in general is that weather can change with a strong gust of wind, and with that gust today schools were even closed.

The dreaded seasonal depression has come over this homestead. Bickering is frequent, anger is steady and plentiful and crying is a common past time. When I am feeling dramatic, like I am now I tend to try and be poetic and deep but I always seems to come out short. Its like the wind chill is stifling my creativity and wit.

Still, observations are occurring...

This past weekend I had the unfortunate duty of traveling to Mellen and Glidden for a pet vaccination clinic. It is strange that I thought the people in Ashland were interesting in an unfortunate way. The people in these two small towns should be studied. I do realize the intense cruelty in that statement and I don't mean it in the harsh way that it sounds. I just mean they are a different breed there.

I think everyone had one of 3 last names, they all had dental issues and they all smelled like ashtrays. There are simple reasons for this like in any small town. When you're born in a small town chances are you will stay there and marry a distant cousin. There isn't any money in farming or being a gas station attendant so dental work is out, and as for the smoking...there isn't much else to do.

Going to these towns has helped me realize that at least Ashland has restaurants and a crappy movie theater. I have options for an outlet to boredom. Again I feel I need to justify the self-righteousness, but maybe I should just own up to the fact that I judged almost all of these people because of where they come from...I am not going to have good karma tomorrow.

Maybe I will have ideas how I can give myself good ju-ju next time, until then, be glad you're not in Ashland.