Gearing up

Winter is finally here, and I had to do something I absolutely hate to do. I had to shop for clothing.
Now that you've stopped laughing, really. I hate clothes shopping, and especially coat shopping, because they are all what I consider to be too damn expensive. However, Art always talks me into it. (He takes such good care of me!) This year was especially bad, because I had not shopped for a coat in years - my last winter coat just basically fell apart at the end of last year. I mean, really fell apart - the seams gave out, there was no lining in the pockets which basically rendered them slits in the sides of the coat, there was no lining in the coat itself... So I finally had to throw it away, though I fought it for a while and speculated about trying to stitch the bits back together, but eventually I had to let it go into the light. And I liked that coat. It was a big ankle-length black wool coat with a big collar and piping around the cuffs. Art called it my Russian Sub Commander's coat, and he called me Comrade Jane every time I wore it. But it was toasty warm, so I didn't care - there are worse things to dress like than Russian Sub commanders! So I went, grumbling and protesting through the aisles of Burlington Coat Factory, at length finding something I liked. Now I look like a sherpa. It's a gray ankle length coat with a fake fur lining and a big hood. Well, there are worse things to dress like than a sherpa. I guess.

Next came the boot dilemma. My argument was that I already had boots. And I do, but when I finally looked at them with an honest evaluation of their winter-worthiness, I had to admit they had some faults. Namely, I bought them entirely because of their piratical air, and not really because they were waterproof or warm, or indeed had any kind of reliable sole. No, I bought them because they are the kind of boots you wear to make people walk the plank. Which is fun, but will not protect you from frostbite. It's funny how the threat of consistent below 0 weather makes you reevaluate your winter gear. For example, I regularly went without gloves all winter in PA, because it just never got that cold. I'm not even considering that option here. So, anyway, I finally found a pair of boots that look cute as well as being actually warm for winter (Skechers, although I am not a name-brand hound, they do have well-constructed cute shoes) and ordered them. And only several days too late! Our first snow that stuck was, of course, the day I ordered the boots. Nothing like cold wet feet to remind you what an idiot you've been.