Five things I learned about winter in the city.

1. Buy good shoes and stop gluing your cheap f21 boots back together...

Snow is really beautiful for about a day and then it turns into a horrible brown slush, which is still beautiful in its own disgusting way. Also the melt off creates massive ice water puddles (mainly below 110th st) that are sometimes hidden by fresher snow that gives you false hope of solid ground. Next thing you know your ankle deep in ice water and your cheap glued together shoes leave your feet completely soaked and freezing for the rest of the day. 

I need to buy real winter shoes.. 

2.  Always carry a book and leave early.

If it's snowing enough you will get trapped for a extended period. 

Small example - the post blizzard snow this week that had me stuck underground on the 1 line for over half an hour because of train traffic and inclement weather. 

Big example - when all modes of transportation were closed for the night during the not so snowy blizzard and we were 80 blocks from home and had to sleep at work. It was nice to have some books and my toothbrush. Always pack a toothbrush too and some face wipes. 

3. Buy the right tool for the job. 

This week I tried to scrape the 3 inches of snow off my car with a plastic spatula. I probably looked insane smacking my windshield with the thing trying to crack the 1/2 inch layer of ice to get to the soft snow underneath while standing knee deep in brown crusty snow. but I gave it a good ol Florida try. I nearly froze my fingers off because I forgot to bring gloves and after crossing the first snow mountain on the side of the road I was to lazy to go back inside. 
This process lasted about 15 minutes until I gave up sat in the car and called my mom. 

Buy the right tools, the cold is not kind.

4. Never stop to talk to anyone on a windy day.

Thursday on my hike up to school a nice lady who said her name was Yello stopped me to talk about Greenpeace and saving the Jaguars. I immediately told her I'd do it online and I had no cash on me. This lady would not let up and for some reason I just couldn't be rude and walk away (damnit Yello why were you so nice!?!)  I was there for about 15 minutes freezing in this horrid wind tunnel before I could get away. When I got to school my skin was on fire and it looked like I had put on too much blush for at least an hour. 

5. Walking like a penguin really does keep you from falling. 

Last winter I must have fallen at least ten times. I fell down stairs, on sidewalks, on roads, up stairs, and escalators. you name it and i probably fell on it. I even got turtled on a curb when I was wearing my oboe bag, slipped on ice, and could not get back up. It felt like I was down for five minutes until I got assisted back onto my feet. But this year I have not fallen once ( knock on wood) thanks to waddling down the road like a penguin. The point of the walk is to keep your weight above your feet instead of taking a normal step and risking your feet sliding out from under you. It ends up looking kind of stiff with a bit of a swaying motion. I might look ridiculous but I doubt anyone is really looking at me anyway. And if they are I'm sure they have seen weirder things.