regional differences

to summarize things we already know:
1. i am tired of winter.
2. i get cold easily.
3. i am a weenie.
4. my family has gone to iowa for the last couple thanksgivings to visit my aunt and uncle and cousins.  this is really fun even though it can be cold and i am a weenie.  i stay inside a lot when i'm there.

things you may not know:
1. my uncle matt walks 15 or so minutes to work in iowa every day of the year, even when it is really cold.  (matt, this is where you respond in the comments and tell us the coldest/grossest day you have ever walked to work and the readers who are southerners start to shiver just thinking about it.)
2. matt had commented on the blog recently about how iowans were really tough, and some of the college students in the town where they live have been known to wear shorts in the winter.  i was flabbergasted by this, and told him i would need photographic evidence.  well, friends, here it is.  ames, iowa - february 2010:

OHMYGOD.  it isn't just winter in iowa, but there are huge snowdrifts AND IT IS CURRENTLY SNOWING and this kid is wearing shorts.  this isn't a scenario in which there was a warm front coming through and this kid was like "i'll wear shorts today - it's supposed to be nice!"  this kid looked out the window, saw snowdrifts, and thought "i'll wear shorts today."

iowans are really tough.

(BIG shout out to my cousin laura for taking this picture!  hi, laura!)