I got a new coat

I was talking to my work buddies the other day and we were conversing about shopping, of course. We were on the subject of things we might add to our Christmas list when I said, sounding like my grandmother, "I really need a coat."

And they both looked at me like I was the Little Match Girl needing a warm place to sleep, or my grandmother asking for cotton panties that "covered everything amply." I guess I sounded kinda pitiful. It's not that I don't have warm clothes or a place to sleep at night or that I am a grey/blonde haired woman scooting across the floor with a purse on her arm.

It's all in the weight of a coat. I have lightweight jackets, good for cool mornings and nippy afternoons. And I have a down jacket, good for subzero temperatures, good to fight off frostbite and perfect for snow skiing, if I ever went skiing. What I needed was, (and it gets even worse), a sensible coat, something warm enough to wear when it gets colder, but that won't make me sweat all the way to work, hence forcing me to wear it all day to conceal the fact that yes, I do sweat.

I had already designed in my mind what this coat would look like. That's not a good thing when it comes to shopping, as you rarely find your dream.

Over the last weekend, I spied a coat at Sam's. Yes, Sam's, between the three-gallon jugs of pretzel bits and Jennifer Aniston DVD collections. It was sensible, it was chocolate brown, it buttoned up the front, hit mid-thigh, angled in at the waist. As I type this, I realize it's exactly the sort of coat my grandmother would have wanted. Maybe I am an old woman.

So, I tried the coat on, there in the middle of a warehouse store. I spun around, tugged at the sleeves, stood up nice and straight. In the end, I was pleased. But I hung the coat back on the hook along with all of the other suitable coats and we left.

Then last night, between work and meeting Cynical for dinner, I stopped by to pick up my coat. I guess I could have waited until Christmas, but that sort of defeated the purpose of having a coat this winter, as winter would be half over.

And now I have a coat. One that won't me me sweat. One that is suitable for all of the winter functions ahead of us. One that would make my grandmother proud.

Knitpicks Decadence that I snagged recently. Bound to be a scarf (along with a pretty rose color) to match my new coat.