Your Shore Weekend

Your shore weekend in January? Sure, why not. There's a lot going on.

Let's talk about you crazies...er, I mean swimmers. Saturday is the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge in Wildwood. It also also going to be one of the coldest days of the year. If you are still willing to brave it, the plunge will take place at the beach by the Wildwoods Convention Center. Registration starts at 10 a.m. Plunge time is 1 p.m. Of course, this is for a good cause -- plungers must raise $100 per person to participate with the money going to, of course, the Special Olympics. I heard a few Eagles players did it last year but they're, ah, busy at the moment. For more information, check out www.njpolarplunge.org. Unfortunately, I will not be there, but I will be out in the cold. I'll get to that at the end of the post.

In other, warmer, news, Samantha Ronson will be DJing at the Borgata's mur.mur on Saturday night. Depending on what you read or who you believe, Ronson is Lindsey Lohan's girlfriend (which of course is firing off rumors that Lohan will be in town this weekend). Big whoop, right? Hey, some people care. There's also huge billboards advertising the appearance in Atlantic City, which caught my eye. I wonder how many people would know Ronson without Perezhilton.com, or if the Borgata would make such a big deal about it if not for the Lohan connection (and what the heck happened to her after Mean Girls? Sigh.)

Don't care about that? How about this one: Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero and Jayson Werth of the World Series Champions Philadelphia Phillies will be appearing at the Casbah Club at Trump Taj Mahal on Saturday as well (though I'm wondering if J.C. Romeo will be there given this controversy). They'll be there from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

So where will I be on Saturday, standing in the cold if not in Wildwood? Claymont, Delaware, reporting and writing for the New York Times' Caucus blog about that spot along Present Elect Barak Obama's inauguration train route (so if you happen to live in or near Claymont and are willing to give a reporter a spot to warm up, let me know!) Good thing I tested out my winter gear on Wednesday. I'll be adding extra layers and hand warmers into the mix, and, hopefully, some adrenaline of interviewing people who chose to be out in the cold for reasons other than work. I'll fire up a link on this blog when my reporting goes live.

Until then, bundle up because it's a chilly one out there. Got a case of cabin fever? I like to bake in such instances. If you're the same, take a look at these recipes from Cape Cuisine's Rob Seitzinger. I might have to try that blueberry one.

**UPDATE** For all you polar plungers, here's what you should expect on Saturday via Thomas Brabson, DO, medical director of the emergency center and emergency medical services at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Campus in Atlantic City:

"Plunging into water at that temperature jolts the person into becoming hypothermic. His or her heart rate will increase, stressing the heart and lungs and making it difficult to breathe. After a while the skin and body will go numb, muscles will weaken and the person will become confused and disoriented. He or she will become really cold, really fast. The important thing is to get out of the water and immediately dry off and get clothed or covered to get warm again."

SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL!