Glad you joined the forum, Coz. Where are you in Wisc? My mother did High School in Grant County, and her ancestors settled Livingston, all of that just north of Platteville.
Frickin' BRRR. I did 2 years in the frozen tundra. I lived in Milwaukee's Bay View area, and 6 months on the east side, at Humboldt and Brady, next to the Gull drug store. Old Man Gull was our landlord. Waited for a bus in front of that church @ -25*F. Ambient temp. And it was WINDY. Got an opportunity to head to Smell A, California, and couldn't leave fast enough. Went to the airport wearing long johns, T-shirt, shirt heavy shirt, sweater, jacket, coat. Got to LA sunny and 70.
I think I exaggerated. But only by 1 shirt. Maybe.
Screw the cold. I'll take 4 weeks of 115 plus a few days of 118+ over 20 minutes of -20. Yuck!
So come on out and visit us sometime. We're having a competition the first week of December, and there is another in Lake Havasu City in February. When the really
extremely bitter cold moves in. Always fun to head back to Wisconsin in winter sportin' a sunburn! If neither of those works for ya, Spring Training starts the first week of March, or the end of February. BBQ comp in Havasu, a couple Brewer games in Maryvale, back home with a tan by March 5. There ya go.