We're feeling a bit cabin feverish here in Iowa. Tuesday was magnificent--63 degrees and sunny. Edward and I took a long walk to get the remaining ingredients for our Valentine's dinner and then since he was still sleeping in the stroller when we got home I took off my sweatshirt (yes, it was THAT warm) and went to work untangling my Christmas lights from the bushes out front. It should be noted that these lights have not been lit since early January, but I always wait for a decent day to take them down. No sense standing out in the cold. This was way more than a decent day for light removal. I got all six strings off the two bushes and Edward was still sleeping, so I grabbed my book and sat on the stoop reading until he woke up to eat.

My back was a little sore that day, but I figured it was just a factor of too much sitting around and thought the walk would do me good. I guess it was more than just inactivity because Wednesday and Thursday I could hardly move. Severe tightness in my lower back made life pretty darn uncomfortable. Ibuprofen and heatwraps got me through, but just barely. So obviously we didn't go anywhere those two days. Thursday we also had a winter storm that brought little snow, but was followed by arctic air that froze the snow into something resembling white concrete. Friday and Saturday saw highs in the single digits. Now I know why they say Eskimos have 500 words for snow. I've never seen anything like this. I didn't actually experience it until Saturday, my first venture out of the house, when I went out to see if my car would start. It did and I ran it for a while to warm up so I could chip the "concrete snow" off.

Based on this experience I am happy to report that Lands End does not lie when it claims its Hooded Sport Squall Jacket will keep you warm even in -10 degree weather. I got this in November to replace a Lands End jacket with a broken zipper (what a great company--products guaranteed for life!) but didn't wear it until January (for obvious reasons!) and really hadn't tested it in true Iowa winter weather until yesterday. It took almost half an hour to clear off my car even after it had warmed for 15-20 minutes and I was not cold.

Edward, meanwhile, has been inside since Tuesday afternoon. I don't think he cares too much. He definitely likes being warm. Here's a cozy pre-bedtime image. He hasn't been sleeping in a hat for a few weeks now because we thought that might be contributing to some skin blemishes, but this weekend it was definitely cold enough for a sleeping cap.

In other exciting news, John hooked up our new computer this weekend. Our old one was chugging along at dial-up speed despite our high-speed connection. We were just asking for too much from a five-year-old machine. Installing iTunes last year about this time was the final nail in the coffin, but we pushed it through the summer and fall. Our plan was that the new computer would be our Christmas present for each other, but we got a much better present in Edward. His arrival moved computer shopping a little lower on the priority list. What a difference though--no more going to the kitchen to make a snack while waiting for a program to start up or for pictures to download.

Maybe that will lead to more pictures posted here, but no promises. This computer is great, but it does not have a feature that adds hours to the day!