What Do You Mean, The Polar Bears are Going Extinct???

High today (PIT): 28 F
Low today (PIT): 15 F

Every year on New Year's day, the Pittsburgh Polar Bear Club dips into the Monongahela River downtown. My best friend from college, Alexis, took a bus to Pittsburgh from New Jersey for a few days to see me while I'm back east, so I wanted to do something to make her few days here eventful. Eventful the days have been as we took a swim into the 35 degree water when it was 16 degrees out this morning.

There were HUNDREDS of people there unless my guesstimation of people has gone awry.

A before pic....

You know, wearing a two piece in 16 degree weather wasn't as bad as I was bracing for. The major key in the cold this morning though was the fact that there was absolutely no wind. Thank goodness, I woulda been shivering my legs off if there had been wind! A random kind soul took some pictures for us.. these are definitely in the priceless category... below Alexis and I jump off of the Mon Wharf to start off the New Year.WAIT a minute, what the heck is that guy in the funny hat doing in the water??? Just hanging out?!! I think the dog almost jumped in with us, too!We made friends pretty quickly who helped us get out of the river. I would never jump into the Mon on a normal day since it has debris floating down it, but today was the exclusion.Thanks to friends who do crazy stuff with you. May 2009 be just as fun and eventful as 2008!

.. and for now I bid adieu to winter until I get back from Florida in a few days.. :)