Glasgow

[indigo_rose99]

I slept in on Sunday, which was lovely and overdue.  Then I spent the day pleasantly wandering Glasgow with thereisnomagic.  I have recent pictures for those who know him and have not seen him in even longer than the 1.5 years since my last visit.   In his usual way, he did not warn me in advance that things had changed in his life, just waited for me to figure it out for myself.  Embarrassingly, he filmed me while I did it.  *sigh* 

Today I got up at a usual (for me) ungodly hour and went to work out in the 24-hour hotel gym (love this recent string of open-always gyms).  I had a large and probably insanely expensive breakfast, and then walked to work.  The walk was bitterly cold, windy and raining.  I don't know exactly what the temperature was, but it was likely around freezing.  The high for the day was in the 40s, and at 7:30am there is no sign of sun or warmth. 

I have mixed feelings about walking to and from my hotel.  On one hand, walking is healthy.  I hate interacting with taxi people, paying them or waiting on them.  On the other hand, I find that my extremities (and not so extreme bits) become quite cold during the 30 minute walk.  My legs in particular ache badly, and after 45 minutes back in the hotel, my feet still haven't warmed up.  I had a similar-in-distance morning walk to work in France, but the cold here is making the experience considerably more miserable. 

Perhaps I will become accustomed to it.

Comments

[pamwheatfree.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you will come to your senses and buy some long underwear. It even comes in silk if you so desire and you can sleep in it if you want. If John and I are going for a long walk we wear long underwear. It simply keeps you warmer. I would suggest a good hat and scarf or a "hot hoodz" as they call them here. It is ugly but in the coldest weather I still tend to sweat in it if I am active. It is a stand alone hood that is long enough to cover your neck. It also can be folded into different shapes. It really keeps your head and neck warm. Mittens are much, much warmer than gloves. Even good gloves let your fingers get cold, so unless you are picking stuff up in your hands as you walk mittens are a good way to go. Amazing what you can learn in a significantly colder climate about keeping warm.

[indigo-rose99.livejournal.com]

Huh. Long underwear. A decent idea, and even do-able. But not one that occurred to me when I was packing. Silk takes up a small amount of space. I probably could have done it.

I do have a good hat and scarf and 180s. I wear them constantly here. Though I am interested in your hot hoodz. The strength of having them separately is that I can add them as need. In Ireland, for instance, just the 180s and scarf are enough for my short walks to car or around town.

Mittens? Really? What material would you recommend? I currently wear the only pair of gloves I've ever found that actually fit me. Leather, lined in that thin-but-really-warm-stuff. Most gloves are either WAAAY to big, or I cannot fit more than 2 fingers in. My gloves are nice for driving, but I could probably hold onto the umbrella and rolling briefcase in mittens just as well.

My current major learning is that I stop about five feet before I step outside and put EVERYTHING on. Everything. Work jacket, scarf tucked in, 180s, hat, coat, gloves... THEN I step outside. I think initially I was losing a good chunk of my body heat in the first 25 seconds outside pulling on coat and scarf and gloves and hat. And I just never got it back. Is this what you do?

[pamwheatfree.livejournal.com]

I always put on everything before I start to move toward the door. J waits until just before going out. I think that I need to put it on a little earlier to warm it up first. Plus the cold doesn't affect J nearly as much as me. I am okay when it is too hot out. Here is the Hot Hoodz web address. http://www.malibushades.com/
Sorry I don't know how to put it into this as a link. Anyway, the way they are pictured is good. I will probably wear mine today because it is -20C outside. It really makes a difference to have your head and neck fully enclosed. You can probably buy silk long underwear where you are at easier than getting them back home.