Freezing, Below Freezing

I'm going across the street to the mall today, using my power wheelchair. That may not seem like much of an adventure, until you realize that the city of Calgary is in the midst of a cold snap. Only it's not so snappy. The icy freeze of the cold north rolled down onto our fair city on Sunday, with temperatures plummeting from +10C to -25C in just a couple of days. Unfortunately this weather front has settled upon us; it looks like it will be here for a week or two.

Right now the temperature outside is -19C. That's -2F, for those of you living in the only major nation in the world still using Fahrenheit, or one of the three other minor nations. The -19 Celcius isn't so bad until you factor in the wind chill. We are having a breezy few days this week, with the wind steadily at 9 km/h. That wind chill cools open skin even more, making the cold feel like its more along the lines of -28C.

It's cold. It's bloody cold. It's freezing cold. It's cold enough to make crossing the street in my power wheelchair a chilling, thrilling experience. Yet go I must. I have medications to pick up and letters to mail. Fortunately for me the biggest part will be getting across the street and parking lot. Market Mall has heating, and all the stores I want have entrances into the mall. All I have to do is make it to the closest entrance.

My biggest concern is the power wheelchair itself. I have never before taken it out into such cold temperatures. I don't know how the battery will be affected by the cold, nor how the operational gears will run in such cold temperatures. I don't want to get halfway there and have the thing freeze up. I could take my truck and park downstairs at the mall but that would mean having someone go with me, in which case I would just ask them to go instead of me.

I really don't want to go outside today.