My friend told me to enjoy the Indian Summer. (Indian Summer n. A period of sunny, warm weather, after the leaves have turned following an onset of frost, but before the first snowfall.)
That was some time in September when temperatures had chilled to harken the end of summer, but rose a little to reach something along 90°F (32°C). As expected, after that India Summer, it got chilly and windy again. But then, it got warm again. Go figure.
Then there was a frost alert in some parts of Chicagoland at one point. And there was a particularly frigid Friday. But there were also warm spells; warm, that is, for fall. I can’t remember how many highs and lows this fall had. It’s is a beautiful season, but someone remarked that it was a strange one this year. The Sunday of the Chicago Marathon was a scorcher.
But after that weekend and after Columbus Day, when I came back from visiting my brother in New York, as I walked from the station to my apartment building, suddenly all I noticed were yellowed, fallen leaves on the ground. There was no turning back.
That was in October.
Last week, I came back from Santa Monica and there was a chill in the air. Winter has decidedly set in. No turning back now.
First of all, I’d like to register my disappointment in the weather of Southern California. Santa Monica wasn’t as warm as I thought it would be. It did heat up a little in the middle of the day, but the mornings and evenings were, as I recall, like here when I left, mid-50s to almost 70s (13-21°C).
(Right, someone from Chicago complaining that the weather in Santa Monica is cold… just I wait…)
But when I got back to Chicago, there was a definite wintry chill. That weekend, the holiday lights went up and there was even a parade down Magnificent Mile to celebrate the Festival of Lights, complete with fireworks. (I caught it all from my office window; I was in to do some work and figured I might as well catch the show.)
My wonderful colleagues are still doing their part prepping me: “Wait till you hit a vortex of biting wind right by Hancock Tower. If it doesn’t blow you over, it will pierce you to the marrow of your bone.” “The Farmer’s Almanac says this year will be a bad winter.” “It might be a twenty minute walk to work but when it’s minus outside, that’s going to be too long.”
Perfect.
I’ve been preparing for this moment since I arrived, hitting summer blowout sales and clearance racks and other miscellaneous sales. From three cardigans, a couple of work jackets, a couple of cotton hoodies and a winter and a snowboard jacket, I’ve got a cupboard full of stuff to keep me at varying levels of toasty.
Lots of REI stuff (they may be the No Frills White Bread of winterwear, but they serve their purpose) and a few good down jackets — but I’m still procrastinating on the long North Face down jacket and the snow boots. I have no idea why since I’m already resigned to my fate here.
Anyhoo, the winter coats came out today.
