In Montreal? Seriously?

No, that was high school. Which wasn't really all that much different, but by the time I was in Montreal I was at least wearing socks and actual shoes in the wintertime.

I need to get kick on shoes simply for my walk to the pool. How lame is that? I've got lots of kick ons, but no full coverage ones. And when it is cold and raining or snowing, I'll want that.

Speaking of, tonight was rough in the pool, even though it was baby night (baby acclimating classes. They always grin at me and splash as I go past and that puts me in a good mood.) Everything was off until the last few laps. Figures. But still got in 40 minutes.

Grats on your awards Sarameg!

Oh, I do. Black flats, no socks, all fucking winter. Because we were Just That Cool. Seriously, WTF?

Add to this capri length pants or skirts and bare legs and this was often me in winter.

I have yet to find the perfect winter boot.

I think snow tires are mostly used where there's always snow - you don't see as many people putting on snow tires for the winter and regular tires for the summer.

Winter tires are now the law in Quebec (and maybe some other provinces) after a bunch of studies that stated that all-season tires are no good in snow. We rarely have roads that are covered in snow 24/7, but I know very few people who use all-seasons. We are very prone to black ice, since we're usually treading the freezing point.

I skimped on boots in Detroit every now and again, but in Montreal I was bundled up like the Michelin man with two scarves and boots mink oiled to within an inch...exceeding the inches of the mink's lives, that's for sure. Still ended up getting frostbite once, despite all my fear.

And I didn't even dress like an immigrant from the tropics (Jamaicans will line their clothes with newspaper when it dips into the low 60s)--I was properly dressed in *thick* layers. Stopping over in London on the way there was a good thing.

Still wish I'd had the Russian winter coat there. That thing rocks. I still own it, even though I don't want to winter again. Just in case. Blocks cold like a wall of---cold blocking stuff. Insulation. That's it. But I don't have the footwear.

My brother switches his tires for Winter, I think. I know he did fairly recently. In Idaho.

Last winter I had no idea folk anywhere switched tires with the seasons. But in talking to people at work and at the dojo, that seems to be the thing to do here. I just know I slid around last year and need to do something different this winter. I can't afford a different car, but I can swing new tires.

I have no idea if last year's winter boots are still good or if I need a new pair.

I tossed mine because they were falling apart - $30 cheapies from Marshall's - so now I'm on the hunt again for this winter.

OMG, my dad met my director at a board meeting the other day and was all "My daughter, Sara, work for you in the archive." facepalm Astro = small and incestuous. And now that's twice that I know of that he's used me, a pretty much peon, as a namedrop. Tickles me silly.