I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was done. Fed up. Tired of all of the effort it took. Today, I refused to put on wool socks and snow boots.

Winters in Minnesota can be challenging. It takes a lot of effort to don the outerwear required to go outside. Coat, hat, gloves, wool socks, and snow boots. And this is just the basic gear. If it’s frigid out, you may also wear snow pants, a balaclava, and thicker, heavier outerwear. It’s a lot of work to leave the house in the winter. Moving around also takes more energy when you look like the little brother in A Christmas Story.

Today, I’d had enough of the socks and boots. I needed to free my little piggies. Just slip on some shoes and walk out the door. No wool socks. No suffocating winter boots. Winter didn’t exist today. Even if my feet got cold and wet, it didn’t matter. At least they were free from their wool coffins for a few hours. My little rebellion against the January doldrums.

Another significant dip in the mercury is forecast for Austin in a week. Highs will be in the single digits once again. I will wear my wool socks and boots to prevent frostbite. But today, I was free of them. Just the reprieve I needed.