Perspective is Everything

Living in the Upper Mississippi River Valley, we have a wide range of weather. Our climate affords us temps that are well below zero in the dead of winter and in the upper 90's in the heat of the summer.

This winter has been a bit on the colder side of our norm and there has been more snow this winter in comparison to the average. Though it is hard for a desert rat like myself to get adjusted and acquainted with, you learn to cope and adjust by wearing the proper amount of layered clothing and the right thicknesses depending on the weather conditions. For me, this can include a pair of sweats, a pair of cotton socks, a pair of thermal socks, jeans, long sleeve shirt, undershirt, second sweat shirt with hood, insulated coveralls, insulated boots, jacket and gloves. I also take with me extra socks, gloves, knit cap and a head sock - the latter of which is probably the best piece of winter gear that I have ever come across. When I leave for work in the morning, I look like the 'Sta-Puff Marshmallow Man' and it is extremly difficult to bend over and tie my boots up. It is a ritual, but a neccessary one.

Each morning, I get out of bed, check the weather and my email and then turn on the weather radio and listen to the National Weather Service report and forecast. Based on that, I determine what layers I dress in and what I can forego. For the past few weeks, I have had to wear all this clothing as we have been below freezing and I work either outside or spend an extraordinary amount of time outside. This morning was not an exception as the temp was only 20°F so hurridly I threw on all my layers. It didn't hit me until I was getting in the car outside that I was a little more toasty than I thought I should have been.

A valuable lesson was learned this morning. I have even joked in recent days that we were going to have a heatwave and that I should break out my shorts, but I never imagined it to be true. What I didn't figure into the equation of what to wear was the difference in temp. Yes, it was only 20°F, but it was 30° warmer than yesterday. Comparing the temp this morning when I left for work to yesterday when I left, we WERE in a heat wave.

I know that my ideal comfort temp is around 70°F - same as most people. If I was to add 30° to that, I would be baking like when I was in Phoenix. Take 30° away from that and I am looking for a little more clothing. This I completely understand, but I just was not ready for the surreal experience I had this morning with temps below freezing and the idea that I would have been comfortable with a long sleeve shirt and pants.

Something else that hit me while I was driving to work is the teperature differential over the course of a year here and in Phoenix. From the coldest low in the winter to the hottest day in the summer, here in Dubuque that is a 115° difference. In Phoenix, it is only a 75° difference.

Now, If I could just convince myself that perspective is everything in the summer.