In case you haven’t noticed (or if you’ve been holed up in your dorm, far away from the frigid weather), winter is upon us. Consider this your Winter Survival Guide.
**WHERE TO:** Get the coolest vintage sweater to keep you feeling warm and looking cool
_Maude Vintage Clothing & Costumes_
_818 E. Broadway_
I wear your granddad’s clothes. I look incredible — and toasty.
Maude boasts an impressive collection of vintage clothes from just about every decade and for just about every style. Prices vary depending on the item, but on a recent visit, many of the offerings from the store’s large selection of sweaters were around $15-20. If you’re looking for something with a little more character than the solid-color department store sweater your aunt gave you for Christmas, look no further than Maude Vintage for something funky, fun and, most importantly, functional.
**WHERE TO:** Fill up on coffee to warm up and give you the energy to finish shoveling your driveway
_Kaldi’s Coffee_
_29 S. Ninth St._
and
_Fretboard Coffee_
_1013 E. Walnut St. (behind Ernie’s)_
Okay, this one was a little hard. If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know that I’m kind of, majorly addicted to coffee (my location on Twitter is “Wherever there’s WiFi & coffee”). But here are my top two places for a cup of joe:
_Kaldi’s:_ Whether you’re looking for a single-origin espresso or a mocha made with CoMo’s own Patric chocolate, Kaldi’s has got you covered. The coffee shop, right in the heart of downtown Columbia, also features excellent menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner — great for long study sessions … or, y’know, sitting by the fire and camping out inside until you feel like braving the cold once again.
_Fretboard:_ I covered this new kid on the block not long after it opened its doors last November, so I’m admittedly partial. Nestled behind Ernie’s in Columbia’s North Village Arts District, Fretboard is the place to go if you want an experience complete with delicious coffee and great music. It’s a bit of a walk, but it’s certainly worth it.
**WHERE TO:** Stock up on movies and music to entertain you while you stay indoors sipping said coffee
_Hitt Records and 9th St. Video_
_10 Hitt St. (upstairs and downstairs, respectively)_
Full disclosure: Every time I go here, I feel like that scene in “(500) Days of Summer,” in which Summer and Tom go record store shopping and talk about how Ringo Starr is Summer’s favorite Beatle because of course she likes Ringo. I digress.
On the bottom floor of this Ragtag-adjacent complex is 9th St. Video. Stop in here before the snow starts to stock up on movies for an impending snow-in. Then head upstairs to Hitt Records for all the vinyl you need to give your snow day the perfect background music (or dancing-around-your-dorm-in-pajamas-music). The knowledgeable staff will probably have some recommendations either way.
**WHERE TO:** Stay informed about potential school closings and delays (eventually), and know just how many pairs of leggings to layer
_@MUAlert_
Patience is a virtue, kids.
OK, OK, so they made us wait for-EV-er before they made their “8 p.m. sharp” announcement. But don’t hold it against them; they did eventually come through. This is still the best and most legitimate source of inclement weather-related delays and closings.
_Text updates:_
It’s like getting a text from your crush, but better, because it sometimes means there’s no school. Log in to myZou and make sure you’re getting text updates on inclement weather-related closings and delays.
_Swackett:_
Is it sweater weather, or every-sweater-I-own-at-once weather?
I’m personally also a fan of Swackett, a handy app (available for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android) that gives you the weather forecast, then goes one step further by telling you how you should dress — i.e., heavy coat, light jacket, rain jacket, etc.
Stay warm, Tigers. Only 36 days ’til spring.
