Well I wish I had been clever enough to coin the phrase “cuddle alert” when the weather here in Michigan has been brutally cold. Good old WDIV meteorologist Chuck Gaidica has used that phrase to advise us of forthcoming frosty temps for more years than I can remember. Also clever with a quip to describe Michigan’s often changeable weather, was the late iconic Sonny Eliot who loved to mesh two types of weather conditions together and create a new and often nonsensical word … “snaining” for snow and rain was one of his most popular words. Well, there’s nothing nonsensical about the weather today, and it goes beyond brutal and blustery and is just a precursor to the upcoming snowstorm Saturday into Sunday and the bitter cold 30 below zero wind chill Monday and Tuesday. Enough already! But the weather worldwide seems out of whack: England is suffering with 70 mph gale-force winds and significant damage in coastal towns. There are other assorted odd weather happenings around the globe which are just too numerous to mention. But, we don’t suffer alone with the fractious Winter weather with three upcoming NFL playoff games to be played in very frigid and snowy conditions. In fact, playoff tickets are still available in Green Bay due to the excessive cold temps at game time. I remember the Accuweather meteorologist back in November predicting a mild December, normal January and a very cold and snowy February. If this is the case, given December 2013 and the three days into the new year, I don’t even want to think about February. That meteorologist may have messed up big time, but how’s this concept? I follow “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” Facebook and internet sites and in the Fall they reported on finding some Woolly Bear caterpillars and based on their coloring they predicted one heck of a Winter. So, basically now it comes down to following the wit and wisdom of a Woolly Bear caterpillar and/or Punxsutawney Phil to get the scoop. Great … just great. So, say it slowly with me now: “When the temps soar and the tropical climes are draggin’ me down during those Dog Days of Summer, I will remember this day and I shall not complain one whit about the pesky heat and humidity” … you may consider it my new mantra.