From the "Quit Your Whining About the Cold, Tom and Ray" Department

Dear Tom and Ray:

This photo was taken during the first month of my winter here at the South Pole station. Our station gets some NPR programs downloaded from a world news service — unfortunately, there's too little bandwidth for actual streaming without getting in trouble. Thank goodness I can keep up with my news, "Prairie Home Companion," "Car Talk," and a few others while I'm down here.

Since I do a lot of interior construction during the winter, I'm starved for outdoor time. Subsequently, I go for walks every day after work. I can stand about an hour and a half until I need some indoor time. I often put Car Talk and some news on my iPod and walk and listen each day.

On this day, I was listening to an episode from a couple weeks prior. Someone called from a cold place — upstate NY? Anchorage? I don't remember. I do remember you guys going off on cold, though — how cold it was in Boston, how you couldn't bear it, how spring wouldn't come to the caller until June, etc., etc. It's a common theme for you guys. Upon listening to all this ranting, I stopped right there, ear buds still tucked into my ears under all those layers, and snapped a self-photo.

The temps were probably in the -60F range. Without the windchill.

I thought you might get a kick out of it — and quit your whining, okay? Thanks.

Your semi-frozen fan,

Kate Allen