Day 1.011: Waste-scarf want-scarf

As I arrived at work this morning I was greeted by this wonderful garment - I hoped it was called a waistscarf or scest or some similar combination of scarf and waistcoat/vest but my research suggests that the more prosaic 'button scarf' is the accepted name. It is interesting to note that my first reaction was about the form of the garment rather than the Burberry check. Here there are no chav-related overtones here to keep it in the front of the mind.

It was cold today and I wore scarf (buttonless), hat and gloves for the first time this year. It turned out that the walk outside the building from our office to the cafe was bearable thanks to a bit of sun and a shelter from the wind, but the indoor route was used more than on any other dry day so far this winter.

The walk back to the cold car on leaving work in the dark was always the most painful moment last winter - today we got away with it thanks to finding a parking space very close to the building. The reason for this aberration was that it was one of the partially-observed holidays that happen through the year here. The shops were open, our bins were empted, but state and federal employees and some others were on holiday and the schools were closed. About a week ago, Exile #3 told me that they had sung a song in assembly about Dr Martin the King - it turns out that it was about Dr Martin (Lu)the(r) King rather than being a misspelled paean to the inventor of the air-cushioned boot or any other medically qualified or otherwise highly educated Martin/Marten(s). Today's holiday is held each year to honour his peaceful civil rights work on the occasion of his birthday (give or take a week or so).