There are plenty of irksome aspects to the current cold snap we’re experiencing in Chicago, but this morning Maggie and I experienced a few silver linings.

After dropping her off at the Kedzie Metra stop at 6:30, Maggie called to say that the train hadn’t arrived.  The -15 degree temps made this a problem.  When I returned to the stop I found Maggie crammed into an SUV with her tribe of fellow commuters.  They were bonding.  Maggie and another guy got in our car and tried to figure out what to do.  Maggie really needed to get to the office, so she asked a commuter who had decided to drive to work if she could ride with him.  He gladly gave her a lift, driving out of his way to deliver her right to the office door.

I gave the other guy a ride back to his apartment.  On the way we figured out that he used to attend our church and now is a part of Willow Creek Chicago with his wife.  Not only that, but he’s pretty close with a friend of mine from New Community.  We traded phone numbers and plan to meet up for drinks with our wives in the near future.

Later in the morning I stopped by the New Community Warming Center.  Libby, the center’s director decided to remain open during the night to provide a safe and warm place for some homeless folks to spend the night.  She told me how impressed she was by the many folks who volunteered to help out last minute in order to keep the Warming Center open during the night.  They will be open tonight as well and then the weather warms up enough for the center to return to its normal hours.

Again, there are things about the extra-cold weather that are a pain.  But there have been these pleasant surprises as well.  Has the chilly weather (for those of you experiencing it) led to any unexpected experiences for you?