My nephew was always "that kid" who wore shorts year round. It was stupid in MA, but now he lives far enough up north in ME that they sing the Canadian national anthem (not really, but close) and I just saw a picture of him in big boy pants. Eventually self-preservation sets in.
Unfortunately I live in California. My son refuses to wear a coat, jacket, hoodie, or sweater. He wears shorts year round. His brother has given in and wears long pants and hoodies. In the house it's shorts and tank tops.
I too live in CA. I didn’t even own a coat until a couple years ago when I went to Detroit in winter. It snowed so I was glad I’d got one. But since I’m back in CA I’m not sure I could find when I stashed it.
Actually it's great you don't always write the scale next to the temperature. Thanks to you I remember Fahrenheit's exists, especially when there's just a number of degrees in the newsletter. When described conditions, time of the year and the temperature don't add up, I get a reminder to "think more broadly".
These sentences made my day:
+ "Betsy’s outfit violated the third-most important rule in this house: Don’t die. (The first two—pick up your stuff and don’t touch your sisters—overlap with rule three by making tripping and assault less likely.)"
+ "I had won a battle of wills with a fourteen-year-old. It was the greatest day of my life."
+ "His angry oinks have been noted and ignored."
but none tops this😂🤣: "I’d hate to think of how many cows would have gone unjudged or motions un-seconded if she had frozen to death."! Kudos to you for providing great humor!
And on winter coats/parkas: I don't know why some people dislike them - these clothes are wonderful! They are warm; they have many pockets on both outside and inside, which allow me to store many things; when they are long and fancy-styled/coat-like, they make me feel as if I was looking bada$$.
When I was in high school, over 25 years ago, I remember not taking a coat to school either because I hated to carry it around all day. I didn't have a locker in high school as we only had four classes a day and didn't need one. My backpack was fine for the four or so books I had to carry. But there was no way I wanted to add a coat to that load. LOL.
Now I love wearing a coat and don't mind wearing/lugging it everywhere.
Betsy agrees with you completely, but with the added wrinkle that she actually has a locker but just doesn't want to fill it up. Each generation is softer than the last.
I must've watched too many Nickelodeon shows taking place in schools back in the day, because thanks to many scenes with people sticking there all kinds of stuff made me take lockers for granted😁. Shame on me, then! The way you had it completely justifies not wearing winter coat to school. Although I don't recall not having in the schools I went to spaces designated for cloakrooms or at least hangers on the classroom walls. The lockers weren't always present, but I'd still rather put there books or handouts and leave my jacket on a chair backrest.
Oh my! Welcome to the world of navigating teenagers and their many moods. This was the funniest newsletter since the amusement park disaster with a mom that didn’t show.
Meanwhile we’re going up to 55 today and I’m taking my lab’s for a swim in a local lake. I’ve been reluctant to (I’m the one who puts sweaters on them when it gets below 30) but after checking with googlegod I found that yes, they were bred to swim in colder water. Huh. So, today being one of the “warmer” December day’s I’ve decided to surprise them. In the summer we go once a week at least. They haven’t been in 2 months. Must remember towels though. Wet cold dogs probably isn’t a good thing.
We’ve lived in Iowa our while lives and one day last week the temperature was 12ish with a windchill of -6 (Fahrenheit). My 15 yr old daughter came down and got ready to leave with a sweatshirt and sweatpants on. I was flapping about, making sure everybody had everything and said, “The windchill is below zero, stay warm! Have a good day!”
15: (pauses to look at her outfit)
15: “Do you think I’ll be ok in this?”
[insert my slow blink here]
Me: (head tilt) (look of bewilderment)
Still Me: No…?
Girl, I *just* said the windchill is below zero…🤦🏼♀️🤣
LOL I have learned to pick my battles with my 16-year-old son.. he too has ignored my admonishment to wear a coat on sub-freezing mornings. He also has to walk 2 blocks to PE some mornings. One day he was like nah I'll be fine I don't have PE. When he got to my office that afternoon he was freezing and said he should have listened to me...
You should buy Betsy a compression sack, like you use for sleeping bags, to put her coat in so it will fit in her locker without feeling like she's trying to stuff in an octopus. Those puffer coats are like a gas... they expand to fill whatever space you give them.
I'm thankful to hear that baggy is back in style to replace the abominable "skinny jeans" trend. Not that I pay any attention to fashion myself.
Indiana weather just sucks. I'm in the northern part of the state, near the big lake, and one day it's wind chill negative 10, next day 60 and raining. I keep 17 different coats ready because I never know from day to day what I'm going to need.
After living 8 years in Panama (sunny and extremely hot all year round) and recently moving to MA, i realized Farenheit’s purpose. It feels waaaay better to see 25degrees than -4 or -6. Mentally it is less hammering even if below the point of freezing. That by the way is also why running in miles is better. 21k feels daunting but hey, 13.1 miles?!? Bah easy peasy! By the time i try to do the math of how much i need to run a new song is on and i forgot where i was. :)
I dislike wearing a coat while driving or riding - gets too bunchy and seat belt is difficult to put on. However, I dislike being cold even more, so a coat it is, but not a heavy wool one. I don't think our kids went without a coat much because I remember buying them winter coats a lot. I do remember the "baggy" clothes that our daughter insisted on wearing her freshman/soph year back in the early '90s. I'm surprised it is still in fashion.
Everything comes back around eventually. Baggy clothes are trending again. I hope it sticks around. I can buy one giant size that'll work for all my kids.
My nephew was always "that kid" who wore shorts year round. It was stupid in MA, but now he lives far enough up north in ME that they sing the Canadian national anthem (not really, but close) and I just saw a picture of him in big boy pants. Eventually self-preservation sets in.
Frostbite doesn't care how tough you are. With age comes wisdom.
Unfortunately I live in California. My son refuses to wear a coat, jacket, hoodie, or sweater. He wears shorts year round. His brother has given in and wears long pants and hoodies. In the house it's shorts and tank tops.
If I could get away with that, I would, but I get cold too easily. Once the temperature drops below 60, I'm in layers for the rest of the season.
I too live in CA. I didn’t even own a coat until a couple years ago when I went to Detroit in winter. It snowed so I was glad I’d got one. But since I’m back in CA I’m not sure I could find when I stashed it.
Actually it's great you don't always write the scale next to the temperature. Thanks to you I remember Fahrenheit's exists, especially when there's just a number of degrees in the newsletter. When described conditions, time of the year and the temperature don't add up, I get a reminder to "think more broadly".
These sentences made my day:
+ "Betsy’s outfit violated the third-most important rule in this house: Don’t die. (The first two—pick up your stuff and don’t touch your sisters—overlap with rule three by making tripping and assault less likely.)"
+ "I had won a battle of wills with a fourteen-year-old. It was the greatest day of my life."
+ "His angry oinks have been noted and ignored."
but none tops this😂🤣: "I’d hate to think of how many cows would have gone unjudged or motions un-seconded if she had frozen to death."! Kudos to you for providing great humor!
And on winter coats/parkas: I don't know why some people dislike them - these clothes are wonderful! They are warm; they have many pockets on both outside and inside, which allow me to store many things; when they are long and fancy-styled/coat-like, they make me feel as if I was looking bada$$.
I like big heavy coats because they cover up all my other wardrobe sins. It doesn't matter how awful the rest of my clothes are. No one will see them.
When I was in high school, over 25 years ago, I remember not taking a coat to school either because I hated to carry it around all day. I didn't have a locker in high school as we only had four classes a day and didn't need one. My backpack was fine for the four or so books I had to carry. But there was no way I wanted to add a coat to that load. LOL.
Now I love wearing a coat and don't mind wearing/lugging it everywhere.
Betsy agrees with you completely, but with the added wrinkle that she actually has a locker but just doesn't want to fill it up. Each generation is softer than the last.
I must've watched too many Nickelodeon shows taking place in schools back in the day, because thanks to many scenes with people sticking there all kinds of stuff made me take lockers for granted😁. Shame on me, then! The way you had it completely justifies not wearing winter coat to school. Although I don't recall not having in the schools I went to spaces designated for cloakrooms or at least hangers on the classroom walls. The lockers weren't always present, but I'd still rather put there books or handouts and leave my jacket on a chair backrest.
Oh my! Welcome to the world of navigating teenagers and their many moods. This was the funniest newsletter since the amusement park disaster with a mom that didn’t show.
Meanwhile we’re going up to 55 today and I’m taking my lab’s for a swim in a local lake. I’ve been reluctant to (I’m the one who puts sweaters on them when it gets below 30) but after checking with googlegod I found that yes, they were bred to swim in colder water. Huh. So, today being one of the “warmer” December day’s I’ve decided to surprise them. In the summer we go once a week at least. They haven’t been in 2 months. Must remember towels though. Wet cold dogs probably isn’t a good thing.
I bet they'll love that! Although the ride back with wet dogs could smell interesting.
"...nobody cares about the emotional well-being of their burgers."
I am still laughing!
We’ve lived in Iowa our while lives and one day last week the temperature was 12ish with a windchill of -6 (Fahrenheit). My 15 yr old daughter came down and got ready to leave with a sweatshirt and sweatpants on. I was flapping about, making sure everybody had everything and said, “The windchill is below zero, stay warm! Have a good day!”
15: (pauses to look at her outfit)
15: “Do you think I’ll be ok in this?”
[insert my slow blink here]
Me: (head tilt) (look of bewilderment)
Still Me: No…?
Girl, I *just* said the windchill is below zero…🤦🏼♀️🤣
But surely the temperature doesn't apply to THEM!
LOL I have learned to pick my battles with my 16-year-old son.. he too has ignored my admonishment to wear a coat on sub-freezing mornings. He also has to walk 2 blocks to PE some mornings. One day he was like nah I'll be fine I don't have PE. When he got to my office that afternoon he was freezing and said he should have listened to me...
The cold eventually forces us all the face reality, but some sooner than others.
You should buy Betsy a compression sack, like you use for sleeping bags, to put her coat in so it will fit in her locker without feeling like she's trying to stuff in an octopus. Those puffer coats are like a gas... they expand to fill whatever space you give them.
I'm thankful to hear that baggy is back in style to replace the abominable "skinny jeans" trend. Not that I pay any attention to fashion myself.
Indiana weather just sucks. I'm in the northern part of the state, near the big lake, and one day it's wind chill negative 10, next day 60 and raining. I keep 17 different coats ready because I never know from day to day what I'm going to need.
You guys are not always ready for “car in the ditch because weather”? 😳
You were talking about all your small things, and now I have Blink 182's song in my head. Thank you :)
After living 8 years in Panama (sunny and extremely hot all year round) and recently moving to MA, i realized Farenheit’s purpose. It feels waaaay better to see 25degrees than -4 or -6. Mentally it is less hammering even if below the point of freezing. That by the way is also why running in miles is better. 21k feels daunting but hey, 13.1 miles?!? Bah easy peasy! By the time i try to do the math of how much i need to run a new song is on and i forgot where i was. :)
I dislike wearing a coat while driving or riding - gets too bunchy and seat belt is difficult to put on. However, I dislike being cold even more, so a coat it is, but not a heavy wool one. I don't think our kids went without a coat much because I remember buying them winter coats a lot. I do remember the "baggy" clothes that our daughter insisted on wearing her freshman/soph year back in the early '90s. I'm surprised it is still in fashion.
Everything comes back around eventually. Baggy clothes are trending again. I hope it sticks around. I can buy one giant size that'll work for all my kids.