I love the Twin Cities. I really do. In fact, I get kind of defensive when I run into old friends back in California and they ask me "Why?" when I tell them I'm living in Minnesota these days.  But last night, I seriously was asking myself that very same question.

The last few days have been a little too gloomy for me. I want sunshine. But it's bearable this time of year because you know things are about to change. And so when I left work last night, to a nice little snowfall, I really didn't mind too much. The temperature wasn't too bad, and most of the snow was melting when it hit the ground.

However, by the time I got home, checked the mail, got the make-up off, and the appropriate clothes on for walking the dog, things had changed dramatically. The cold front Chris Shaffer was talking about all day had moved in. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and the wind had seriously picked up.  Madelyn is a husky and doesn't mind it, but even she was squinting into the gusts of icy cold when they hit us head-on. At one point she looked up at me, looking as if she was wondering if I was okay. I'm thinking she realizes that when she's cold, I've got to be freezing.

She was right. My winter coat was doing the trick for my upper body, but my exposed face was in pain. And though I had gloves on, I was losing all feeling in my fingertips. I wanted us home as fast as possible.

We were parked not far from where that car smashed into a building on Excelsior Blvd. in Minneapolis. I was checking it out from across the street when I heard a woman waiting for the bus nearby yell "Look out, look out." Another car was sliding down the road and heading right toward me. I ran to get out of the way, but Madelyn was perplexed why I was moving so fast and wasn't coming with me. I was dragging her by the leash and collar as fast as I could run on the slippery sidewalk down a side street.

We barely managed to get out of the way as the car slide right into the pole where we were standing a few seconds before. The poor woman who hit the pole was so concerned about us, she didn't seem to care she had smashed her car into the pole. I asked if she wanted me to call someone, and she said she was just so afraid she was going to hit Madelyn. As we watched car after car slide through the intersection, she opted to just back out and deal with the damage to her vehicle later and get herself out of harms way. Smart move. (The pole, by the way, was just fine.)

I ran home and was so thankful to be indoors and safe. I took my cold wet clothes off, bundled up and put some fuzzy mittens on so my frozen fingers could thaw. It was at that moment I thought "And why am I living here when most of my loved ones are probably firing up the barbecues with the arrival of Daylight Saving Time?

I'm not going to end my love affair with Minnesota and the Twin Cities because of one bad night. I love the music, the theatre, the Vikings, the Wild and the Twins. I love that I can see a rock concert in St. Paul and be home and in bed by 11 p.m. I love how Minnesotans "embrace winter" with events like the City of Lakes Loppet, the Winter Carnival and the Pond Hockey Tournament. But these are the days that test strength of a relationship. And when I got up this morning to go work out, and heard my friends on the radio telling me it was still 2-below, I was ready to call the whole thing off.

(I did call the work-out off and opted for leisurely coffee and the paper in my warm bed.)

I realize every relationship goes through it's highs and lows. I'm just ready for some highs above zero.