Looking for some winter wear

Florida has been cold since December. We've had a handful of days in the '70s, which is unusual. In the umpteen years, I have lived here it has never been this cold this long. We've even had had freezing temperatures in the twenties. Farmers are loosing their crops. The winds have been crazy, the kind of horrible, biting winds that cut right through the body. My cheeks have been permanently red for days and it isn't from sunburn.

This Friday it snowed in northern Florida.

My Steelers jacket has gotten more wear out of it than ever before. My youngest daughter finally pulled her ski jacket out of the bin in the closet because her other jackets weren't keeping her warm enough. We live in jeans and sweaters instead of shorts and T'shirts. Our grass is brown. Our trees are brown. Our fruit is frozen. We could ice skate on top of our pool...okay maybe a slight exaggeration.

Today I went into Target to buy my oldest daughter long pants. She hates wearing jeans so she wanted some long exercise pants or sweats. Instead, we found bikinis, shorts, flip flops and swimsuit cover-ups. We searched frantically on the clearance rack to no avail because everyone in Florida had been there ahead of us and snatched up what winter clothes were once available. Usually, I'm whining about the sweaters that are sold. This time I'm whining because I can't find any.

Our friends and relatives in the north hate our griping. They know the cold weather won't last. We know it won't last. We know that soon the warmth will be back. We even know we will bitching about the heat come summertime. But for now, while we are slowly freezing in the south for the third month in a row, could we at least get some long clothing?

Chilly in Florida

Yes, I know it is cold in many parts of the country, but I live in Florida. The highs this time of the year are usually in the high 60's and 70's with the lows in the 50's. Since before Christmas, we have had highs in the 50's and since the beginning of this week, it has been even lower.

Most of the time I would just whine a little about the weather, but now that I'm out walking a dog and standing around waiting for him to do his "business" I'm really getting a taste of the weather. Here are 5 horrors regarding cooler temperatures in Florida:

• We keep breaking records this season for the coldest morning temperatures. I walked the dog the other morning and it was only 27 degrees!

• The wind is wicked when combined with the cooler temperatures. Walking the dog against the wind is a killer because I don't own a winter coat. I finally broke down and dug out my University of Evansville scarf and winter hat just to make it around the block.

• The farmers are losing crops, especially the strawberries which are scheduled for picking in a couple of weeks. Fewer strawberries mean higher prices, but I just keep thinking how miserable it has to be for the farmers out watering their crops hoping to freeze the fruit.
  
• Yesterday people reported frost and some ice on their vehicles in the early morning. My favorite photo was the top of a frosted car where someone had written, "the sunshine state" in the frost.
  
• Today another cold front is moving into the state bringing rain, and at one time even the possibility of snow. My children were very excited about this and are now going to be disappointed that the forecasters have since changed their stories.

I'm over this heat

In most parts of the country, fall has arrived. In my part, unfortunately, summer has not left. Our weather is so hot that we set a record yesterday in parts of Florida. Today's high at 93 degrees is bringing a heat index of 105 degrees. IN October. According to the experts, there is no end in sight. We have some kind of high-pressure dome that is locking everything in place and until something comes along to push it out we are living in summer weather.

Back in September, I was whining about the heat while vacationing in Disney and a friend of mine told me that the weather would be cool on October 1st. I pooh-poohed that because last year I was teaching swimming lessons into the beginning of November. Now, thinking back on that I realize the weather was still in the '80s and not the 90's.

On September 30th our weather changed. I woke up and went outside to my garage to get some bottled water and I was cold. Cold! Immediately I opened up the garage door and danced down the driveway in the dark singing, my arms in the air, twirling around in circles. It was wonderful. We had a high of 82 and a low in the '60s that night. I told everyone my friend was a meteorologist genius. But then October 2nd came and with it came the 90-degree weather and it hasn't left us yet.

The problem with living in Florida is at this time of the year while the rest of the country is getting out their fall decorations and readying their house for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas we are standing in our dried, dead yard sweat running down our brows thinking "Fall? We wish we had it!"

We just can't get motivated to enjoy fall when we are still stuck in summer. My kids aren't even into planning their costumes for Halloween because the thought of putting on something hot or long is enough to start them sweating. Not even the lure of chocolate and suckers can get them motivated. They would rather go swimming.

While I appreciate the fact that others in areas that are chilly right now might not feel our agony it is the same. When it is snowing in parts of the U.S. and homebound people are moaning we do understand. Because this is our time to moan. This is our snow. We are sweltering and we need some relief.