Cold to a potty-mouthed level

The downside to doing snow research is that you have to do detail work outside in the cold (or in a cold room). I know it sounds odd for me to complain about this, since i have hobbies that involve me being out in the cold. But when you are skiing, running, or walking, you are moving, which keeps you warm. You also can bundle up as much as you'd like, because you don't need agility to control small objects and take precise measurements. You can wear big, awkward mittens that keep your hands toasty warm. I am currently using an instrument whose control box uses a touch screen. It came with a a stylus, which of course, I promptly lost. Which leaves me with having to take off my glove to operate the darned thing! Ay! Oi!

This is not dangerous, because any time you start to risk frostbite, you simply step inside (or outside of the cold room) for a few minutes. But it is bloody uncomfortable. Even a relatively mild 0 degrees F, which is warm by Fairbanks Winter standards, quickly makes you feel like you are the coldest you have ever been, cold down to your spine, and your very blood is freezing. It affects your psychological state. I am not a mild-mannered person, but I am generally cheerful and good-humored. But I stand out there cursing up a storm. The dogs look at me with their eyebrows scrunched together while I stamp my feet and shout curses that would make a sailor blush. When equipment malfunctions, which it often does, because 1) a lot of what I use is test equipment, cobbled together piecemeal and 2) most things are not designed for cold-temperature use, I seriously come close to blowing my top. I think I should always keep a batch of cookies handy. When I am about to blow my top, I'll eat a cookie. That solves a lot of mental problems. :)

Anyway, here is a photo of the girls this morning, spooning. Are they not cute and cuddly?