The cold front they were talking about finally arrived. Now for some of you out there, I know that I will get laughs but for us down here that are use to the 90˚+ temperatures, a 40˚ temperature drop is considerable. Even a 30˚ temperature drop is considerable. You also have to factor in the humidity with it.
Considering we had been in the 80˚s just a few days earlier, to wake up to temperatures in the low 50˚s was a surprise. When I first looked, the temperature was actually sitting at 54˚, but when I checked before we left and when I returned, the temperature was sitting at 52˚.
We rode bikes anyway. Lance proudly put on his Frog bicycle helmet cover and ear muffs made specifically for his helmet straps with love by mom. He had on jeans and a sweatshirt. He was ready to go.
I am the other hand, while I hand on long knit pants I did not think that 52˚ was that cold. So we left. Me in my short sleeve t-shirt. I was fine. Until we got to the end of the street. By that point I was reconsidering how wise that decision had been.
Of course, we were far enough away from home that I was not going back for a windbreaker.
Yes, the wind was blowing and yes, it was chilly but I was going to suck it up. It was only one and threw quarter miles to go to the school roughly and then the two miles to return home. I could make it. I would produce some heat while riding. I kept telling myself, “I would be fine in a few minutes.”
The problem was, the further I got, the colder I got. Not funny.
The wind blew harder and no matter how fast we pedaled my body did not warm up from the fact that my body was generating its own heat. I was just cold. It was that simple. By the time I got back home, I had a bad pins and needles tingling sensation in my fingers because they were so cold. They clearly were not use to the weather either.
The problem is, we never really get used to it down here. There is never enough opportunity. We suck it up a lot because we do not own winter coats like people in the great up north but we really do not get used to it. We go from cold to warm all in the same 24-48 hours and then turn around and do it again over and over and over. So even when we get down to colder temperatures where we do experience what real cold is, we enjoy it because we are only going to see it for a a couple of hours. We know the sun will warm us before it drops again. We have that internal reassurance that “we will be okay.” After all it will not last long.
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