preparing for the onslaught of ass-cold weather

i'm heading home to my beloved DC this wknd to hang out with family and friends for the long wknd. i'm writing this quick last post before i head to the airport and am sitting on my couch with the balcony door wide open. the sun is streaming in, a gentle breeze is blowing, and it is a perfect 72 degrees (which is actually a bit cool!). in fact, earlier today, as i finished up some errands and stopped to chat with my dear EO, i decided to take the call while laying by the pool, settling deep into the comfy chaise lounge and stretching my bare toes to meet the sun.

yet as i was packing last night, i was confronted with a serious dilemma: what the hell am i supposed to pack for my trip home? i had just checked the DC weather forecast and it said the wknd would be really.freaking.cold (lows in the low 30s!), and i was having trouble figuring out what clothes to bring. a friend helpfully pointed out that i had lived in the DC area for over two decades of my life and should therefore be used to the schizophrenic weather that characterizes a mid-atlantic spring (warm and sunny one day, freezing temps the next)... but now that i've in sunny tejas for an entire year, i feel like i've forgotten how to dress for cold weather.

so this was me, packing last night: "okay, so, a sundress for my friend naomi's religious ceremony on sat morning, maybe a cute little sleeveless top and jeans and sandals when i meet some friends for dinner... wait, no, crap... 30 degrees, think 30 degrees, woman! shit. i'm out of practice. okay, try #2. sooo, wool skirt plus knee-high boots and nice sweater for naomi's religious ceremony, perfect... wait, no, crap... my knee-high boots have a tear in the leather and i never got around to getting them fixed because i hardly ever wear them here. and why the hell do all my sweaters look exactly the same? oh, right, it's because i didn't really buy any news last season because i didn't wear them that often. crap."

and on and on it went. DC buddies: if you see me this wknd stubbornly wearing a short-sleeved shirt and open-toed shoes in 34-degree weather and freezing my bollocks off, don't make fun of me, okay? promise? i live in texas now. have some pity.