Three Dog Night

Oh my God - it's noon and minus 21 degrees. At 8 this morning it was minus 29. Apparently at about 6am it was -32.

A three dog on the bed night. We only have one, so Trudy was working overtime to keep us warm. The kitchen, with the leaking solarium, is like a fridge. Happily the living room is toasty warm. But I'll tell you, when it gets this cold everything is fragile. Everything creaks.

Trudy went out this morning - as briefly as possible - and came back limping from the cold. It's so cold it burns her pads. And our lungs. Easy to start coughing on a morning like this. And there's ice frost - so cold the air starts to freeze. Very beautiful, actually.

I remember when I lived in Winnipeg it would get so cold the car tires froze square to the ground and the car seats felt like concrete. Michael and I were pretty sure the little bug wouldn't start this morning. Tony was standing by the boost it from his truck if necessary - but it started.

There were wind chill warnings out - and black ice warnings along the highway. The irony of a northern winter - it is achingly beautiful - and deadly.

We went off to Cowansville for breakfast then the garage to get the replacement car until Michael's 'real' car is fixed.

Thank you for all your well-wishes, and your own stories. They really do help. We're feeling actually just fine. - a few bruises, but surprisingly neither of us is afraid to drive. But we are afraid to be very far from each other. I think that's the only side-effect to the accident. I had to drive back in to Montreal today to do a live Radio Canada interview in french tomorrow morning - Michael is staying at home with Trudy. But we needed to connect with each other as soon as we both arrived at our destinations. And a few times since. Don't like being more than 10 feet apart. Practically texting him when he's in the next room.

Not sure how long this will last - probably until the divorce.

Nice to be safe and sound and warm inside. Hope you are too.

Had fabulous news today - BURY YOUR DEAD has been nominated for the Dilys Award in the US! This is chosen by the Independent Mystery Bookseller's association, and represents the books they most enjoyed selling in 2010. The other nominees are: Steve Hamilton (The Lock Artist), Dennis Lehane (Moonlight Mile), Colin Cotterill (Love Songs From a Shallow Grave), Keith Thomson (Once a Spy), and Don Winslow (Savages).

Congratulations to everyone.

The award will be given out at the crime readers/writers convention called Left Coast Crime in February.