Post-Plunge Pontification

The marquee on the way to the lake this morning read a balmy 19 degrees outside, but that wasn't so much what I was worried about. I can handle 19 degrees. In fact, for winter in Nebraska, 19 degrees is a pretty decent temp. What concerned me, though, was the 25-30 m.p.h. wind gusting out of the North. I never saw an official reading, but my best guess would have put the wind chill at just above zero, and that's away from the lake. Standing in the wind coming right off of Holmes Lake, the stage for today's Polar Plunge, I would have guessed the wind chill to have dipped below zero. Oh yeah, it was cold. Definitely a perfect stage for a "Polar" Plunge.

Despite the temps, though, Plungers turned out in great numbers this morning to help raise money for Special Olympics. The event seems to be growing every year, with more and more people "taking the plunge." I have no clue as to just how much money was raised overall, but I would have to say several thousands of dollars. It was an incredible sight! In fact, I would venture to say the organizers of the event will have to do some serious planning for next year, as things moved pretty slow and un-methodical this morning due to the unexpected numbers. As much as I complained about the entire process, from registration to the actual plunge itself, in hindsight, it's a good problem to have.

And yes, the plunge itself this morning was everything it promised to be - very, very cold. It's funny how the body reacts when hit with extreme temperatures such as this morning. My brain was moving at breakneck speed to get in and out of the water, but my body just wasn't having it. I felt like I was in a big vat of icy cold, thick mud. I....just....couldn't........move! And then there's the task of trying to change after getting out of said vat of proverbial mud. Fingers are numb, toes are numb. Okay, so, the whole body is pretty much numb. My teeth even hurt.

But hey, it's for a fantastic cause, and it's all over again until next year. My team had another blast pulling this off, and I once again want to give a huge shout out to all the folks who so graciously donated, both monetarily and with words and expressions of encouragement and support. All of you people rock! Until next year.....