Where Do You Go When It's 12 Below?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

21. Going to a party later today.

I'll do what I would do anyhow but wearing warmer clothes. This is what normal midwinter temperatures used to be up until about 25 years ago; this is what I grew up with. We expected that right after Christmas or thereabouts the temperature would go below zero and stay there for a couple of weeks. So, since we knew it was coming we'd just make some adjustments. We had to go to school or to work anyhow, and there were other things to do as well and we couldn't just stay inside. I didn't have a garage most of those years so I had a block heater installed in my car and I'd plug it in every night so it would start. My house wasn't as well-insulated as it is now so I'd let the water run a bit in the bathtub (the water pipe to the tub ran along an uninsulated wall in the basement) and open the cupboard doors under the sink so the pipes didn't freeze. The house is warmer now but the floors are still cold so I wear wool socks in the house. The cats sleep on the radiators.

I will probably break down and wear a hat when I go out later today (maybe my pink pussy hat; it's warm).