I dropped my daughter off at school today with the mercury hovering at 10 degrees. I was amazed at how many kids were going in to the school in shorts with no coats on. I don't know if they were just trying to look cool, or maybe a jacket is just too cumbersome to cram in your locker. When you're running from the car to the school who needs a jacket right?
On my way home, I passed a girl walking toward the school. She had a bout a mile to go before getting there. She was wearing jeans and a light sweatshirt, cradling her books to her chest as if hoping to find some warmth coming from them. I would have offered her a ride if didn't result in sending the school in to lockdown with some stalker on the loose. If I had a spare coat in my car I would have gladly offered it to her though.
Next week, the forecast is for an arctic blast to slide down from Canada, sending nighttime lows in to the single digits with daytime highs in the teens. To prepare for it, I want to offer a free half hour session to anyone who brings in a winter coat to donate. It has to be a warm coat though, a stick to your ribs coat like a can of hearty chunky soap with big chunks of chicken and potatoes, steaming from a bowl next to a wood burning stove. Here's the fine print. Bring in the coat next week but you can use the session between now and the end of February. Our winter hours are shorter than normal since we are working around our hockey schedules, so please call ahead to 585-393-9242.
