The top seven positives to come out of negative temperatures

Wow, what a week it’s been in the world of weather! With the ever-falling snow and dangerously cold temperatures, it’s been hard to find any sort of silver lining — besides the gray slush that lines the crowded streets, that is. So in the spirit of a new year and resolutions for the good, here is my list of the top seven positive things to come out of these record low negative temperatures.

1. We got the phrase “polar vortex,” which sounds like Santa Claus was beamed up to Starship Enterprise.
2. Kids and adults alike were performing science experiments all week and exclaiming things like “Science is cool!”
3. Students are actually looking forward to going back to school today. Since when does that happen?!
4. As soon as the temperature hits 20 degrees Fahrenheit, we Chicagoans will grab our swimsuits and towels and head to the beach — it will be a heat wave!
5. Can you imagine being the person who coined the term “Chiberia”? I can’t decide if he or she should win a trophy or a slap on the face.
6. I imagine the phones at travel agencies that send people to Mexico and the Caribbean are ringing off the hook due to people — myself included — who are attempting to warm themselves up by dreaming of a warm vacation.
7. With four days in a row of my evening plans getting canceled, I discovered that sipping a cup of vanilla chai tea, flipping channels, and curling up with a good book in my heated apartment is a pretty nice way to spend a night.

The temperature for today is predicted to be in the teens — for the first time in as long as I can remember, I’m sure you won’t hear many Chicagoans complaining.