Cold Colorado and Sochi

Having slipped and fallen on the ice under the snow every day for the four days, I very stupidly ventured out this morning to remove trash and recyclables from my apartment.  I did not fall, for once.  But it is miserably cold outside - currently, a little after 9 a.m., the temperature is -4, with a wind chill of -25.  We're hoping to reach a high of 2 degrees today.  Luckily I'm stocked up on cat food, kitty litter, toilet paper, and food for me.  I also have extra nuts and seed for the squirrels and birds.  A solitary squirrel has been here and eaten a large number of peanuts and pecans so far; and there have been multiple juncos, chickadees, and starlings here as well.   Nedi and Lovey are curled up in the sunshine spilling through the window and patio door, lying so they can just open their eyes to see what's happening, if a commotion occurs outside.  Lovey refused to step out onto the patio this morning, while Nedi ran to the patios on either side of us.  I guess he decided it wasn't any warmer at either place, because he came right back inside with me, after I had fed the birds and squirrels.
   In Sochi, Russia, Shaun White has withdrawn from competing in the new Slopestyle snowboarding contest, and will concentrate on getting his third gold medal in the Halfpipe.  He practiced on the Slopestyle course yesterday, falling hard and jamming a wrist.  Several other competitors also fell and injured themselves yesterday.  The Slopestyle course is being modified today to make it safer.  ....  The Jamaican Bobsled team has arrived in Sochi - but their sled hasn't.  Here's hoping their equipment will show up quickly, so the guys can make a training test run on the course.  ....  Hacking into electronics is a way of life in Russia - if you go, please be prepared to have your smart phone and any other device hacked into. Protect your bank accounts and pass words by not taking all that information with you - get a pre-paid phone and remove all financial data from your other items before you land in Russia.  Richard Engles, the correspondent for NBC News, took two smart phones and two lap top computers with him to Sochi (this was set up as a test) - as soon as he used one of the phones in Sochi, it was hacked. Within 4 hours, all of his electronic devices had been hacked.  Be careful, please.