The Season of the Turtle(neck)

Yesterday marked a serious shift in the season.  The temperature dropped below freezing, so my morning walk was nixed and instead I did an hour inside of walk aerobics.  The heat came on in my house and the radiators hissed.  I quickly switched from pantyhose to tights. And both I and my son put on our first turtlenecks of the season.

Turtlenecks have been part of my winter "uniform" for over 20 years.  (Maybe even 30!)  Once that cold weather hits the sweaters come out.  Just about every week day during the cold months (which seems to have started a little early this year) you will find me in either (a) a turtleneck with a sweater or jacket over it, or (b) a heavy sweater that is most likely a turtle check (or if not, a sweater with a t-shirt underneath).  Weekends are relegated to heavy sweatshirts.  (And sometimes a turtleneck gets thrown in for good measure.)

It was so cold this morning that my son asked if he could wear his lined jeans!  I had him pass on that since it is supposed to get warmer by mid-day.  As a matter of fact, I'm guessing the heavy jacket (not the winter coat, I couldn't BARE to dig that out yet) that I had him put on this morning will not be necessary.  I did dig through the crammed coat closet to find gloves for us.  Finding matching gloves was even more of a challenge.  (By the middle and end of the season I won't even care what matches just as long as it's something that will keep my hands warm.)  Of course, after my search, my son forgot about them and neglected to put them on.  Hence he had his hands in his pocket for the morning ride to school.

I did have the foresight to put my car in the garage for the past two nights.  I admit that most times I am lazy and leave it in the driveway (plus it's just a pain in the neck, literally, to back it all the way down our slightly curved, extremely hilly driveway).  The thought of having to scrap ice off the car in October was too much for me to handle.  (I have quite a dilemma in the winter when it snows.  Do I leave the car outside at the top of the driveway and have to dig it out and clean it off or do I put it in the garage and have to dig the whole long driveway out and try not to slip and fall while I am doing it?  It's way too early to be thinking about that one!)  There is one thing I know, my next vehicle, whatever it may be and whenever I may buy it, will definitely have a heated driver's seat.  In the past I have forgone what I considered a luxury.  I've faced too many cold winter with a cold tush, its heated seats have become a necessity.

It seems to me to be way too early for the turtlenecks, tights, heavy jackets and gloves, but at least we haven't been hit with that dreaded "s" word.  (I know friends have...sorry!)  I can complain about the weather all I want (and I probably will), but nothing's going to change it. We've gotten "s" in October before (For proof see the photo below.)  I'll just be living in those turtlenecks until the warm weather comes around again, which means my neck might not see the light of day until late April!