"On the Sunny Side of the Street"

It was only 28 F when we left the house for the CureSearch: Walk for the Cure yesterday morning.  As will surprise absolutely no one, I was bundled up like Nanook of the North.  My layers had layers!  I had a on Down coat with a big hood with fur trim....the heaviest socks I own (even though they didn't match anything else I was wearing!)....long-sleeved turtleneck....a camisole....all the regulation (ahem) undies....a heavy long-sleeved sweater with a high neck....heavy-weight jeans....a knit hat pulled down over my ears....a scarf around my neck....and wooly-lined suede gloves in which I could not bend my fingers.  Hey, I'm from Chicago, I know how to dress for cold.  I was READY!

When we arrived at the site and located T.A. (our team leader) and M-t-G (both dressed appropriately I might add), I had some time to look around a bit.  As far as I could tell there was only one other person dressed in a down coat with a hood (although the coat was not zipped and the hood was not up).  The other Nanook was none other than Ratchlet, also from Chicago, who was also READY for the cold, the wind, the wind-chill, the gray skies, and a day more like Chicago than Austin.

No one else seemed quite so prepared as we were.  There were jackets and some hats of course, but nothing that seemed like it could stand up to the cold.  I even saw a few teenage-types wearing only a sweatshirt over their regular clothes.  The mother in me really had to restrain herself from going to each one and insisting they go home for a real jacket!  Well, before I made a total fool of myself, I finally got in touch with reality.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky.  The sun was shining bright in the middle of a beautiful blue sky.  There was absolutely no wind, therefore there was no wind-chill.  It was still cold but NOTHING like a cold wintery day in Chicago!! 

There were speeches and announcements and things (more on this later) and then it was time to walk!  As we headed out onto the path laid out for the Walk, we were walking on a street that was sunny curb-to-curb! After about 5 minutes of walking, my hood came down, then the gloves went into my pocket, and I unwound the scarf.  It was practically balmy!  I have no idea what the actual temp was by this point, but it sure wasn't bitterly cold, like I expected.  What a great surprise.  What a great day for a Walk for a Great Cause!!

By the time the walk route was complete nearly everyone had opened their jackets, and headed straight for the cold water being distributed.  Mikey and M-t-G who, along with some others, had been carrying the banner and setting the pace, came up to the water station with sweaty heads and hats and gloves banished to pockets.

Still and all, I am glad we dressed as warmly as we did.  It probably was the insurance we needed that the day would be perfect!   After all it was "the sunny side of the street" all around us!   

As things were finishing up, I happened to catch sight of the sweatshirt contingent.  I was just a tiny bit vindicated....they still looked COLD!  Silly Texans!  Haven't a clue on how to dress for the weather!  Turns out, though, in Austin, neither do I!!