For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 12, 2025

Being stubborn lets you freeze.

Make mistakes to learn from them, and nice to have someone there when you fall to help you up.

Back in NYC, I saw grown men wearing shorts in that kind of weather. Figured it was just a “macho guy” thing.

Liz would rather freeze her tail off than be nagged by her mother!

NOT FOR ME! I HAVE NO DESIRE TO BE A POPSICLE!

Yes. . . That kind of temperature makes your face hurt !

It’s a young girl thing. Every year I see some of them walking around on a cold day, under-dressed. Often with bare midriffs and a light jacket.

I never wear a thick coat if it isn’t far, far below freezing. Also will have my coat open most times, unless there’s a very cold wind blowing. My mum used to nag me about it, but I just hate(d) being all buttoned/zipped up. The less I can wear and still be warm enough, the better I like it.

It was 9 F degrees the other day. I saw a lady in a parking lot with a big bulky sweater, stretch pants and sandals. BRRRR

In January 1970, it was -21º three mornings in Mountaintop PA when I delivered the Wilkes-Barré Record (ended publication in February 1979). (It was so long ago, I was still using -5ºF.) I wore two sweaters under a coat, long underpants, and thermal socks. I should have had a ski mask back then with the wind, and when I delivered the Times Leader in Wilkes-Barré in 1985-6, I wore one. The coldest I remember was around -15º (I metricized in 1976, when we were supposed to do so.) (5º F) It is rare for it to get to the minus double digits in suburban Philadelphia.

Yeah… We do have a thing called “wind chill”!

Of course, that would -4 degrees fahrenheit.

You get similar things here in Spain, the locals wearing trousers and coats, the tourists in shorts and t shirts because they “are on holiday”!