My first winter and the one coming up

When I lived in Texas I thought I knew what winter was. We never go anywhere if there is even a thin layer of ice of the roads, if someone did try to drive you'd hear the screaming of tires the whole time because no one knew how to drive on the stuff. Wrecks would be a plenty. I took a defensive driving course the summer before I moved up to Missouri and got excited when I saw a section on driving in snow and ice...their advice "Don't do it", that helped a lot, not! Imagine my surprise when I learned that I was still expected at work when it iced or snows!
So when I moved up here and it was in the 70's I was chilly after coming from 100+ weather. It did warm up though for a few weeks later on though. Then mid-September hit...I was DYING, I HATED the cold...I was always wearing a few layers of extra clothing. At time I was tutoring and the mother of the children ask me is if I was ready for the winter and what kind of coat I had...I told her "Oh its a lot like the one you have hanging in the foyer" She looked at me like I was crazy and told me that kind of coat would only get me through the fall. As an early Christmas present she and the children bought me a thick winter coat and gloves to go with it. I was very touched and thrilled.

As soon as we had report of possible snow everyone was giving me advice on how to drive in the stuff and asking me if I'd be okay. The first snow of the year, my first snow, I was at work and they sent me home early so I wouldn't have to drive in it because it was supposed to get to a couple inches thick before my shift was over. So like any warm blooded Texan,I raced home to hole up inside...little did I know that the hill my dorm was resting on would be covered with students playing in the snow! Oh goodness! The fun we had, I built my first snow man, went sledding for the first time, thew my first real snow ball! I was hooked! I loved the snow! But ummmm, I couldn't walk...at all...I would try to throw a snowball and I would fall on my butt. It was funny to me and to everyone watching.

After awhile I got use to the snow and ice(after many many large bruises covering my backside and thighs from slipping all the way down the hill and stairs). Let me tell you, boots help so much! I am in love in with my winter boots and cannot wait ti put them on again. I utterly hate the cold, I really do, all my friends tease me about how much I shiver and bundle up but it is a nice change from hot all the time. I had my first white Christmas last year, so much white in fact my beloved had to shovel my car out of the snow and I had to wade in the fluff that was up to my thighs! We had a lot of good laughs and he would tease me about my awe in the snow. I would just look out the window and grin like a little kid and beg him to take me out and play in it =) He would put his hands on my shoulders and point to the sky "Little Texas girl...this is what we call snow!...It falls from the sky, but it doesn't mean the sky is falling!" He would say all this because I told him once "Snow is really wet and cold!" I had no idea how cold or wet the stuff was.

This year, I am ready, I am already buying thicker lotions, looking for tights to wear, planning knitting projects, and planning the shortest ways to get across campus! So what are you looking forward to about winter? Any winter survival tips?