I've been wearing the same old coat for at least 10 years.  I think it originally belonged to my grandfather, and my sister wore it during her brief grungy stage before handing it down to me.

Through the years, other winter coats have come and gone, but this one has stayed with me because it's practical, not too bulky, and durable.  Although it's not very well insulated, it gets the job done.  It has been with me for below-freezing automotive repairs and oil changes, playing in snow (and later, shoveling snow), and sleeping in my car.

Recently, I've had to come to terms with my coat's mortality.  As it has become more threadbare and stained, even I have to consider the alternative – a new coat.

Yesterday, I set out to find something totally different and befitting of my character...

I put on my only pair of shoes, which have held up surprisingly well.  Unfortunately, they may be the next victims of nature that will force me to search for another pair.

Harvard Square turned up nothing, and Goodwill in Central Square had only coats for large people.  I trekked to the Garment District in Kendall Square.  Surely they'd have something old and practical.

After trying several "vintage" overcoats, I felt embarrassed that everything seemed too big for me.  When I tried on a very comfortable wool coat and asked for an employee's opinion, she said, "Uhh, yeah.  That's too big."  I must've blushed because she tried to console me by assuring me that she, too, had trouble finding a small enough coat for herself.  Great.

There are no pictures of the stressful and embarrassing process of shopping – it was awkward enough without the camera...

I briefly considered getting a needle and thread to stitch up the old coat, but I decided to make a stop at Army Barracks on Newbury Street.

I was reluctant to get another surplus coat because I'd rather not be associated with the military (whether accidentally or not), but in the end I bought a brand new "M-65 Men's Field Coat", but in black and without an Army label.  It's interesting that the design has barely changed in 50 years, except for the gold colored buttons and zippers and slightly different liner.  The size small seems to be larger than my old coat, perhaps representative of the super-sizing of our society.

I also note that this one was made in China...

I tested the new coat by walking home across the windy Mass Ave. bridge and the tundra of Cambridge.

Yup, it's just about the same as the old coat:  not the warmest, but good enough for me.