Boots

I grew up in Alaska. I like saying that because that statement always gets a response. "OOO, Alaska! Neat!!" Neat if you like snow I guess. Neat if you love moon boots. I remember calling time and temperature to see if my mom was going to make me wear those fabulous boots that belong on the moon. 25 Degrees.

That was the cut off. Below 25 meant having to start my walk out with moon boots and above 25 meant I didn't have to play the shoe game. Below 25 degrees? Not a problem really, I devised a system. Tromp out the door with a smile and a wave, walk out of sight (of mom :)), hide ugly moon boots in the snow for later, put cute shoes on, and continue on my way with a another big smile on my face. I did all of this standing on ice and snow with bare feet by the way. Socks are for wussies.

So are jackets in Jr. High. I remember walking to the bus stop in 10 degree weather in the dark (because that is what you do in neat places like Alaska) in nothing but a cute t-shirt. No jacket because jackets aren't always cute. I am not sure if I hid the jacket along with the boots but I am sure that I was wearing those cute white Keds and no socks, because socks and jackets are for wussies.

A walk to the bus stop was cold (even with moon boots and winter jackets), dark (that is what a really neat winter in Alaska looks like), and would occasionally resemble a zoo train ride. My favorite animal to chat with on the way was the moose. I would run into those darn things when walking in the dark, through the woods (because that was the best place to hide the boots and jacket) at least once every other month. (Let's do the math shall we? That would be 9 months of winter, because neat places like Alaska have nice long winters, divided by 2 equals about 4 times of stopping short because I just almost walked right into the side of a very tall, brown, hairy animal that liked to be called Bullwinkle.) Great thing was: I didn't care. I wasn't scared. My heart rate didn't even go up. I remember stopping, looking up, and saying "Oh, Sorry.", and turning around to go the long way to the bus stop...after chucking the boots and jacket of course.