the weather

Ok this time I have a valid excuse for not doing yesterday's blog; actually I wrote it I just couldn't post because I had no tok, that's power in B speak.  But that blog is going to have to wait until tomorrow.  Several of you have inquired about how I'm holding up with the weather so I thought I'd talk about that a little.   Last winter was a very unusual and warm for B.  I was nervous when I heard from a B24, I'm B26- the 26th group of volunteers in B) Sept 2010 that the only time she was ever really warm was when she was in the shower under the hot water.  I was sooooooo not looking forward to winter.  Then it came and wasn't really that bad.  Yeah there was snow and it had cold days but on the whole (and of course my apartment had something to do with me being warmer too) wasn’t bad.  Then the end of January and February hit!!  Wow!  I was not conditioned last winter for this winter!  Temperatures have been in the single digits, yes even in *F, and I'm sure have been below 0*F, although that I'm really not sure about.  Schools have been closed and classes shortened because of the cold.  Now...to top it all off...if you add in the lack of central heating and the fact that, I'll speak for myself, my heating sources depend on tok that sometimes comes and goes, like yesterday, it can get rough.  Not to worry though (mom, dad, ron, and ronni) I have plenty of places to go where heating does not depend on tok (99.9%  of homes here have wood burning stoves).  If that isn’t enough to ease anyone's mind-my “employer”(I make no salary I just said that) would not let me go without heat and have been all over this winter situation!  Two regions in the Southeastern part of B are getting hit hard with thunderstorms and snow and have dealt with flooding.  In fact, a dam broke on Monday and left a whole village underwater.  I have volunteer friends who were with me for pst down in that area and they are fine.  What I don’t quite know or understand is how they can recover from something like that; I need to ask more questions and learn about the situation.  Up in the Northeastern part, where I am, the roads are bad and many are closed.  Pretty much all of B is expriencing very strong winds.  That put together with the snow, I’m guessing there’s about 4-5 INCHES OF THE GROUND RIGHT NOW...oops...and as of 2 this afternoon had stopped snowing.  So I’m doing well.  I’m sitting here with 3 upper layers and 2 bottom layers on (plus a very warm robe), 2 pair of wool socks, warm boots/slippers, a hat, and the hood of my sweatshirt on with my feet propped up on a chair (helps with foot warmth) covered with a blanket.  So I guess you could say it’s a challlenge and is something very different than I have to deal with in the states!  I’m not very good with facebook but do go on occasionally and the other day I read something another volunteer wrote and had to laugh; he was dead right!  He was talking about how he forgot to put his milk back in the fridge before he went to work an when he got home it was frozen. He said, and I think I have the quote right, “forgot to put my milk away this morning and it was frozen when I got home from work.  I’ll put it in the fridge and let it thaw out!!”  All this about weather being said, no tok and the wind and stuff, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  This is what JFK was talking about when he talked about assuming the hardships of the local people.  This is a cornerstone of the Corps and hasn’t changed in he 50+ years of the Corps.  How can I really understand B people if I don’t live like them and have some of the same experiences??  If I have to endure hardships, bring them on because that’s what I signed up for!  So, there’s NO feeling sorry for me or thinking what I’m going through is awful!  Besides, I have it good!   I was going to say that I feel sorry for the older people here; I guess I should listen to my own words!  Thank you all for asking how I’m doing!  I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now other than here doing what I’m doing.  Thoughts are with my family!  Love and hugs from here!  The last day in Krakow coming tomorrow depending on...........