It was my grandfather who taught me about the hand in pockets rule.  He walked - a lot! One day when he was in his 80's he fell on the ice and hurt his knees (scrapped), his elbows (bruised), and his chin, nose and forehead (scraps). He said it happened as if in slow motion when he slipped on an icy sidewalk. With both hands in his pockets for added warmth he fell to his knees, tried to stop with his elbows and finally came to rest on his face.

He taught me to only warm one hand at a time!

As always - I loved your post.
MoM