See? It's nothing to worry about, though. This year, as opposed to last, I'm well-prepared for the onslaught of freezing temperatures and snow flakes.
As a sort of pre-emptive strike, a week ago I took advantage of one of the increasingly rare 60-degree days to venture down Broadway to H&M for the sole purpose of purchasing of gloves and a scarf. Last year, unaware of how frequently gloves, like umbrellas, go missing, I had only one pair to my name, which I wore night after night. Of course, it wasn't long before I was gloveless. By no coincidence, on the same night that my gloves disappeared, I learned that gloves are no mere luxury; they are, without a doubt, a necessity. Pockets do not -- I repeat, do not -- provide enough warmth to keep hands comfortable in that sort of weather. I now own three pairs of gloves.
Surviving the winter requires more than just warm clothes, however. You have to be mentally ready as well. Having endured one winter -- a winter that many New Yorkers characterized as abnormally bad -- my mind has attained a state of readiness that would have been impossible a year ago. Based on my experience, I know that the winter will be longer and colder than I expect; that I should stay in the general vicinity of my apartment when its snowing; that soup, particularly in the forms of ramen from Momofuku and pho from that Vietnamese place in Chinatown, is the fuel that will maintain my internal temperature at healthy levels; that snow can be beautiful one night, and hideous the next day; and that, eventually, the sun will reappear in all its glory and bring an end to the suffering.
Like any war, though, no amount of readiness can prepare the soldier for all contingencies. It's impossible to know what Mother Nature has in store for the next few months. Let's just hope that the coldest weather comes and goes while I am at home on vacation.
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