"But I can't bend my arms"

I went walking tonight . . . in 10 degree weather, with a wind chill of - 10 bazillon or some such nonsense. In preparation for the walk I put on a parka over my patagonia fleece which was already over my jean jacket and a sweater which was over my current favorite T-shirt (Lucky Brand Year of the Pig shirt . . . super sale, cause who wants a shirt with a pig on it, or admit that yes, you were born in the year of the boar or pig?).

When I was done I couldn't bend my arms. Add the scarf, hat and mittens, and I didn't look human. Dogs went to the other side of the sidewalk, unsure of what to make of me.

It now gets dark here at 5 p.m. and I am never, ever home before 6. Lately, it's been more like eight with the meetings upon meetings I've been "invited" to. So I’m always walking in the dark. I am lucky enough to live in a good neighborhood and I live on a busy street . . . though a "serial killer" van drove by tonight and I was very leery. You know that white van (they are always white for some reason) with no windows and rust . . . so usual that it's unusual. And it's hard to carry a four-D cell Mag light with mittens. Fleece is slippery. No, I don't use it for light. That would be expensive . . . so many batteries. The Mag light is to possibly hit attackers. A six-D would be better but the 4-D I have is pretty and blue.

So mostly I stick to the main road. It has an amazing amount of police traffic, being the border of two municipalities with neither police force having anything to do. They just roam up and down my street, pulling people over in a constant speed trap. I feel amazingly safe. Last night, they even checked me out for walking on the street. Shined me with their brights to make sure I wasn't riff-raff or the like. I would have waved . . . but that whole not being to bend the arms thing. It would have looked like I was trying to flag them down or something.

The real problem with wearing three coats is tying your shoe. Make sure your sneakers are double-knotted before you start because it's hard to tie without bending your elbows. Or freezing your fingers, as it's 10 degrees.

Did I mention I should probably join the Y?