It's very cold here. It may not be 56 below zero with windchill like in Michigan, but it's 15 below with windchill here, right now, and I'm not a fan. In fact, my few minutes out doors on 3 occasions here?  My face started burning. I have no ski mask for the morning and that is concerning. I'm going to have to take a shirt or a sweatshirt or something and wrap it around my face, I'm not standing out there 2 hours and just take it. 

It was quite the trip up here. Not for me, but for at least 100 trucks I saw stranded on the side of the road. That isn't any exaggeration.  Truck after truck after truck.  Several places where there were 6, 7 and more trucks broke down on the side of the highway in less than a mile.  Why?  I can only surmise, but I'l take an educated guess that their fuel is gelling.  Diesel fuel can gel in extreme temps, you have to put additive in the fuel - tho in the cold states they usually add it to it at the truck stops so you don't have to. 

But it's the only reason I can think of all those trucks broken down like that. 

I fought internally coming up here whether to get a hotel or not.  I was looking and could find nothing "cheap".  $100, $140, $80 - nothing I want to spend just for a night to get out of that truck and into a warm, cozy room with a comfortable bed.  After an hour of searching I gave up and drove on.  Only to get irritated, why can't I find anything? So I did a broad generic search for the region near the plant.  2 hotels that had no truck parking and - no thanks anyway.  More searching and finally found this place in Wauseon.  I'm in Ohio, btw.  Using some of my Expedia points, I got a room at the Rodeway Inn for $45.  That's cheap enough.  The room was  a pleasant surprise.  A bit of wear on a few things but the carpet is not smelly or sticky and the bed are comfortable.  The bathroom is decent and it has a refrigeror and a microwave in it.

That's a good thing, because the diner I was going to eat at? They shut down due to the cold.  So the truck stop owner next door says.  They were in there, tho, the restaurant that is.  I called over there with no answer.  I later was looking out the back window of my room which has a view of their back entryway and saw 6 of them coming out of there.  They all left except for one person who went back in. The place is shuttered and the lights aren't on, they aren't cooking today.  Besides nasty truck stop food, it's the only thing near here. If there's something further down the road? I don't know and I don't care.  It's too cold to be walking any great distances and I don't want to drive that big truck to try and find a place to eat. I'm stuck in this hotel for the night - not a bad thing - and I brought in leftover dinner from the other night.

That and I had this sneaking feeling something like this would happen so I have my gourmet cheese, mustard and sausage my oldest brother sent as a Christmas gift, dining on that and then heating up dinner.  I've been more relying on simply modifying dishes at restaurants to fit my Keto needs.  Not tonight!  So anyway, what I have is good enough.

I'm absolutely dreading tomorrow morning.  I mean, I was keeping warm out there and that without half the gear I have with me, I'll be putting the rest of that stuff on in the morning.  But my face? I can't be having the wind doing that to me. 

I'll figure it out tho.  I"ma get them to get this done as fast as possible.  It would actually be nice if the cold did something to their plant and I head to the Holiday Inn on the company dime.  One can wish.  I'm amazing they work outside in this frigid cold.  At least half of what they do is outdoor activities. 

Well, I decided to leave the truck running tonight.  There is no sense in shutting it off and risking it not being able to start in the morning.  The thing has plenty of fuel and its better to simply leave it run.  I would have had it running all night anyway if I had decided to stay in it.  No difference. 

Nothing else of note on this trip for now.  I do hope the truck has no issues running.  The tank liquid gauge is showing 55 inches - which is not possible, so I'm hoping that's just a trick the cold is playing on it.  It was showing 36 earlier, which is a bit high but nothing out of this world. It just shows the amount of liquid in the tank, the pressure is what you really have to pay attention to and in this cold? It's not going up at all. 

Yummmm. That roast pork is just as delicious tonight as it was 2 nights ago! So happy to have a hot meal to eat on a cold winter's night.