A Cruel Mistress

Things have been cold the last day or so, but I didn't realize how cold it was until I had to make an emergency dash down to the skidoo berm (don't ask, it's a story best told over a beer). The berm is a fairly decent jaunt out onto the sea ice:
In my haste to get down there, I threw on my wool hat and big red and headed off at a run. I remembered it being cold out when I came to work but I was totally unprepared for how cold and windy it was out on the ice. I was only down there for 15 minutes or so but in that short amount of time I frost nipped both of my ears and one of my fingertips. It's no surprise, either, considering it was -50F in the wind and I was running into it on my way back. I've got feeling back in my fingertip and the swelling in my ears is subsiding. They are quite red, so I look pretty comical, but I don't think they will blister. Antarctica is a cruel mistress.

UPDATE: My ears are still pretty red, but doing better. They look and feel like they've been severely sunburned. This whole incident has given me a healthy respect for how quickly frost nip and frost bite can happen, even if you're wearing your hat, parka, and gloves.