So, I like to travel (I got curious, and the travel tag gets used fairly frequently on this blog). Most of the time, I travel for fun, and I end up with funny stories about my clothing or experiences as a result. It's not like I go looking for adventures or shenanigans, but these things tend to happen when I'm somewhere other than my home town.
Occasionally, though, I get to travel for work. It used to happen a little bit more in years past, but these days, it's a little bit more rare (apparently they realized that having me represent the company wasn't the best idea). Even so, I still end up with funny travel stories on those trips. Those stories are a particularly rare breed, but they're all the more fun as a result.
In this particular case, I was traveling to the East coast for a conference. The timing of the trip wasn't particularly important, other than the fact that it was some time in the fall. Me being me, I didn't really think too much about that fact; I just figured I'd grab a coat and get myself to the hotel. It's not like I was planning on being outdoors for hours on end.
On the other hand, the Mild Girlfriend immediately noticed that I was going to be in a place where seasons actually exist during one of the seasons known to be cold. I'm sure a small part of that was because she's lived in that rough area before, but if I'm being honest with myself, she just paid way more attention to detail than I did.
Now, not only did she pay more attention, but she also planned ahead for this eventuality. Like she told me, the humidity and wind chill were different, so 50 degrees back home was not the same as 50 degrees (both in Fahrenheit) where I was headed. Knowing all of this, she crocheted me a scarf so that I wouldn't be cold (yes, I am quite lucky).
And as awesome as all that was, that's when the fun part started. First of all, I've never really worn a scarf. I had to meekly ask how a guy is supposed to wear a scarf. I mean, I get the basic idea that you're supposed to wrap it around your neck, but I didn't quite understand how to deal with the scarf length. Was it supposed to be really long on both ends? How did one make sure it was even on both sides even though you couldn't see how long one end was until you finished wrapping it? After laughing at me for a little bit, she helped me out (if you more or less treat it like a tie, you're in good shape). She even taught me a "tuck the ends into your jacket" trick should the need arise.
Given all of this, I felt fully prepared to deal with any potential frigid mornings I might encounter while on this trip. I had my trusty beanie (the one that earned some sales person some extra exercise), I had a jacket, and I had my new scarf. Plus, I knew how to use said scarf. Bring it, cold. You don't scare me.
Then I got to the hotel, and we were mostly indoors for the whole thing. There were a few trips to the adjacent building, but that only involved a 5 minute walk outdoors. For the most part, I didn't have to worry about it. All that planning was for naught. I couldn't help but laugh at myself a little bit. All that prep work, and then it wasn't strictly necessary.
The best part, though, came when I got back from my trip. I drove to work the same way I always did, but for some odd reason, it started to get really cold in the morning. It was cold enough that I made sure to zip up my jacket and keep my beanie on during the walk to the office. But still, I was cold.
Well, hell. This was a known problem with a known solution. I had a scarf, I knew how to use it, and I wasn't about to let my training go to waste. So, I threw it on and walked to the office in comfort. In fact, I got to the point where I didn't know how I'd deal with chilly fall and winter mornings without said scarf. Interestingly enough, I noticed that almost no one else was bundled up (that's West coast style for you, I suppose). I was way too warm to care, though. Those other folks were welcome to wear whatever they felt like, but I was going to keep my neck warm, thank you very much.
The best part is that each time I walk to the office, I am reminded of some of this back story. I can't help but chuckle just a little bit each time.
Occasionally, though, I get to travel for work. It used to happen a little bit more in years past, but these days, it's a little bit more rare (apparently they realized that having me represent the company wasn't the best idea). Even so, I still end up with funny travel stories on those trips. Those stories are a particularly rare breed, but they're all the more fun as a result.
In this particular case, I was traveling to the East coast for a conference. The timing of the trip wasn't particularly important, other than the fact that it was some time in the fall. Me being me, I didn't really think too much about that fact; I just figured I'd grab a coat and get myself to the hotel. It's not like I was planning on being outdoors for hours on end.
On the other hand, the Mild Girlfriend immediately noticed that I was going to be in a place where seasons actually exist during one of the seasons known to be cold. I'm sure a small part of that was because she's lived in that rough area before, but if I'm being honest with myself, she just paid way more attention to detail than I did.
Now, not only did she pay more attention, but she also planned ahead for this eventuality. Like she told me, the humidity and wind chill were different, so 50 degrees back home was not the same as 50 degrees (both in Fahrenheit) where I was headed. Knowing all of this, she crocheted me a scarf so that I wouldn't be cold (yes, I am quite lucky).
And as awesome as all that was, that's when the fun part started. First of all, I've never really worn a scarf. I had to meekly ask how a guy is supposed to wear a scarf. I mean, I get the basic idea that you're supposed to wrap it around your neck, but I didn't quite understand how to deal with the scarf length. Was it supposed to be really long on both ends? How did one make sure it was even on both sides even though you couldn't see how long one end was until you finished wrapping it? After laughing at me for a little bit, she helped me out (if you more or less treat it like a tie, you're in good shape). She even taught me a "tuck the ends into your jacket" trick should the need arise.
Given all of this, I felt fully prepared to deal with any potential frigid mornings I might encounter while on this trip. I had my trusty beanie (the one that earned some sales person some extra exercise), I had a jacket, and I had my new scarf. Plus, I knew how to use said scarf. Bring it, cold. You don't scare me.
Then I got to the hotel, and we were mostly indoors for the whole thing. There were a few trips to the adjacent building, but that only involved a 5 minute walk outdoors. For the most part, I didn't have to worry about it. All that planning was for naught. I couldn't help but laugh at myself a little bit. All that prep work, and then it wasn't strictly necessary.
The best part, though, came when I got back from my trip. I drove to work the same way I always did, but for some odd reason, it started to get really cold in the morning. It was cold enough that I made sure to zip up my jacket and keep my beanie on during the walk to the office. But still, I was cold.
Well, hell. This was a known problem with a known solution. I had a scarf, I knew how to use it, and I wasn't about to let my training go to waste. So, I threw it on and walked to the office in comfort. In fact, I got to the point where I didn't know how I'd deal with chilly fall and winter mornings without said scarf. Interestingly enough, I noticed that almost no one else was bundled up (that's West coast style for you, I suppose). I was way too warm to care, though. Those other folks were welcome to wear whatever they felt like, but I was going to keep my neck warm, thank you very much.
The best part is that each time I walk to the office, I am reminded of some of this back story. I can't help but chuckle just a little bit each time.
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