It's been cold around these here parts these last few days.
And it's funny, because whenever I talk about it being cold, I feel like I have to qualify that statement.
Like, I know it's colder in other places and I know we're not in the minus twenties like some, but still, it's cold.
And if you don't believe me, I always refer back to a conversation I had in first year University with a gal who was born and raised in the Yukon. (That's a COLD place, people.) She told me that she felt it was colder here in Victoria and she wasn't sure why. She said something about how up North, it was a dry cold, but here it was a wet cold and so it got into your bones, and gosh darnit, if someone from the Yukon tells me it's cold here, I believe them!
(And, I overheard a conversation at the gym yesterday between two Ontario transplants saying about the same thing, how it was colder here than "back home" and how they hadn't been expecting cold weather here.)
But aaaaaanyway, it's been cold here. Like, just under freezing-ish. It's -2 at the moment, for example, which my handy dandy degree translating widget tells me is 28, which is kind of mildly cold since there's no wind to make it even wickeder and we're going down to -6 mid week (which don't make me rant about the lack of snow ok? but seriously, if it's going to be cold, it may as well snow amirite?)
The point of my pointing out that it's cold is so that I can tell you what I saw on the way home from work yesterday.
Because I had to do a double take.
Which I did.
Because as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to tell you guys about it and I didn't want to be wrong.
So it's cold. And when it's cold, we wrap up to stay warm, yes? Yes.
Unless, of course, you are the twenty something year old gal I saw yesterday out walking her dog in her big old fluffy boots and her big old fluffy jacket and her little mini skirt.
AND HER BARE LEGS!
Seriously, I had the heat blasting in my car and gloves on and my fingers were still freezing cold and she was out there with a mini skirt and bare legs.
Dude.
Brrrrrrr.
25 comments:
I'm just south of you here in Washington, and I agree...it's cold. And, where is my snow reward for these temperatures?!?
I was totally the girl in the mini skirt with bare legs in mid-winter coldness when I was in high school. I didn't even bother pretending not to be a fool by wearing fuzzy boots. I sported my open-toe platforms regardless.
Ha, she might have been from Yukon too. And drunk. And high... it's BC after all. Anyway, it's not about the dampness. It's "colder" out there because it's so mild the rest of the year that you get disacclimatized to the extreme temperatures. I gotta say, anything below freezing is just damn painful for me. It's -8 here in Ontariario but it feels like -19. Now I have to get all dressed up and go out. Transit? I don't think so! Cab for this chicken snit BC transplanted woman.
Woo-Woo, Seriously, SNOW REWARD NEEDED! ;)
Really? Open toe platforms and mini? You're crazy! ;)
Ms B, yeah, she could have been from a colder place. Or.. unsober!
Good luck finding a nice cozy warm cab to keep you warm! :D
Maybe that gal with the dog and the miniskirt is competing this year for the Darwin award...Or maybe...
She's just one of those people who really hates pants...OR...
She's the new tourism spokeswoman for your neck of the woods..."Come on up, it's not THAT cold..."
Ooooh ToitB, I totally think it's the new tourism thing! Tee hee!
I just moved back from BC to Manitoba and I can tell you, -8 is still really cold and it's -30 here right now. The girl from the Yukon had it right. It's a dry cold so at least once you get inside, you get warm quickly. But on the West Coast it is sooooo damp that it just goes through all your clothes and then you're cold down to the bone. It used to take me hours to warm up from that.
BTW. It may be -30 here but we have less than an inch of snow. WHAT!?! If it's going to be that cold, we should at least have a decent amount of snow!
Oooooh -30? I can't even imagine! So you agree with the dry cold thing too, eh? Good to know.
And, yeah, I'm totally agreeing, if it's going to be that cold, you deserve a decent amount of snow, so totally! :)
I totally saw a guy grocery shopping in shorts, a tshirt and flip flops yesterday evening at about 10 pm. It was probably about -3 or -4 outside. He had no jacket.
Crazy.
Ok So I was born and raised on the west coast. Snow on the ground near sea level was pretty alien to my childhood.. it was right there on the mountain and you could go to it whenever you wanted.. but snow days where there was really snow on the ground for a whole day?! maybe 3-4 days a year? I think the lakes froze enough to skate on them maybe 4 times in my childhood..
and I lived in Saskatchewan for 3 months one winter. There was snow and it was cold there.. but so very dry and so very little precipitation. It's like whatever snow you have you're going to have for a long time and it just blows around and changes places. Oh and I didn't know that nose hairs froze. That freaked me out the first time it happened when I was 23.
So living on the west coast? The secret here is layers. And wool helps. Head wear and warm feet. Yesterday I blitzed Victoria in the evening (the town ;) ). I wore my toque, a long sleeved tshirt, a fleece hoody, and my sweet wool jacket. Socks and hiking boots.. and shorts. Cause I don't like pants. Keep the core warm. Keep the head warm. Keep the feet warm. You'll do pretty good. And the teahorn keeps the hands warm ;)
One of these days I'll get a kilt.
Live in Vancouver and was out last weekend (-5 C) in my shorts and sandals putting up Christmas lights. :-)
It's partially a mental attitude. The day was sunny and beautiful, I was in a festive mood and the cold wasn't going to get to me. I did feel my toes complaining a little bit when I came in, but they got over it.
Btw, love the miniskirt w/ boots look, but then what guy doesn't.
Jordan, I'm all about the layers, for sure! And funny, but I grew up on the mainland, and we had tons of snow and frozen lakes and did I mention the snow? So it probably mattered where on the West Coast you are, eh?
Anonymous, yeah, I'm pretty sure her outfit wasn't for the girls! ;)
And, yes, I know all about men and their "ability" to be all mind over matter when it comes to cold weather and wearing shorts. Just know I'm rolling my eyes at you ;) Hee.
Actually funny you should say that.. cause for most of my life I always wondered what the hell people who didn't actually live on the ocean were doing saying they lived on the west coast??!!? It's all context really. I suppose growing up I considered it an issue of either being waterfront or able to see the ocean. I also considered central Canada to be Alberta to pretty much.. Quebec?
I wonder how far from the ocean I'd have drawn my "coast/not coast" line. I'd have probably thought along the lines of either being able to see the ocean, or drive to it within 10 minutes. ;) I probably wouldn't have considered Surrey or Langley to be coastal at all. Oh the way we view the world when we're younger. Heck.. I think I still struggle with seeing the mainland as being "coastal" in that it's so city/developed. Odd "Jordan coastal" bias. ;)
Though I still think that Central Canada starts at the Alberta/BC border ;)
pps.. I leave the bedroom window open about 3/4 of an inch and the bedroom door shut. This computer is in that bedroom. So it's not too warm.. but I'm content in my slippers, shorts, tshirt, hoody and toque ;)
I've always lived within a 5 or 10 minute drive from the ocean, so that's still West Coast even by your definition :)
Also, in my book, my bedroom has to be cold. Cold, NOT hot/warm. Nice fresh air makes the sleep so much better!
Yes, I totally agree about the dry cold thing.
Also, I totally had to add/comment on Jordan's talk about "West Coast". People from Manitoba to Alberta say they are from "Western Canada" not the "West Coast" since we're obviously WAY too far away from the ocean to be coastal. lol.
While I lived in Vancouver (2 minutes from the ocean), all the Prairie transplants that I knew would try to defy the weather for as long as possible. So at -5 it wasn't unusual to see one of them in shorts and a t-shirt. In fact, if I saw someone out and about who seemed to be missing a layer or two of clothing, I just assumed they were transplants. Lol.
I know what you mean about cold climate transplants and their defying the weather GB! ;)
I always think of the West Coast as just meaning the coastal cities and Island 'cuz there's the Interior of BC and stuff, so yeah.
Maybe the girl you saw was really used to bare legs. I wear short skirts with bare legs & boots pretty much all year round- I'm so used to my legs being bare I hardly notice it most of the time. Even when its really cold like at the moment if the rest of my body's wrapped up its not too bad. Think I might draw the line at the fluffy boots though- just normal leather calf to knee length boots for me.
Alesha
I reckon a winter jacket, scarf etc paired with bare thighs can be a cool look if you pull it off right. If you're brave enough to try it you might even get used to it
That's true Alesha. I know I have guy friends who never wear pants. Like, never. And they swear they never get cold. So maybe it really is just a "what you're used to" kind of thing!
Not sure I'm brave enough to try it though. Brrr! ;)
Never come across guys doing this before- the only reason I'm so used to it is the fact I wore skirts with bare legs all through school & I don't think pants really suit my body shape.Though when I got caught in a snowstorm yesterday I thought it really would have been a good idea to have my legs covered up!Having snow/hail lashing against bare legs really isn't fun- you probably knew this already though. If the weather carries on like this I might be wearing pants for the first time in about 2 years. I'm sure people must see me & think of me as 'that chick with the bare legs' freezing in my miniskirt
Oh my! That does sound cold!
Good luck with the pants/change of weather! ;)
I'm a boy living in East Europe and I always wear shorts even in winter. I always get comments on the street and on the bus.
And you're still warm? ;)
Yes, even now when we have some snow. I've got dressed in shorts from age 4-5 in all weather, so I am used to it.
Well, good for you! Gives people like me something to be amazed by! :D
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