Hey, we're freezing over here!

We're ahavin' a heat wave . . . temp just hit minus one . . .

I am sure that Mrs. Timber is a good sport. After all, she has Slovak blood in her veins! Sounds like not much fun though.

Those plucky Slovaks!

Patiodog, we had that problem in Madison -- lived on the top floor, old house, thermostat elsewhere -- and did some complicated house-wide adjustment of the vents (in the basement) and the grates (in each room), worked OK. We had amiable neighbors, though, I seem to remember that yours are kinda prickly. And hey, free heat can be a good thing.

I've got no complaints. I've been down there, and it's on the cool side when ours is on the toasty side. Since the landlord picks up the gas bill (and we're being gouged on the rent), I'm happy to let the blower blow. (The psychopath downstairs is long gone. His summons was mistakenly delivered to our mailbox, and he's run on back to NY.)

windchill -20 C.
feels not too bad because it's not windy. a bit damp, but not disgusting.
flurries all round - sometimes big big fluffy handful-sized flakes - it's quite pretty on top of the old, dirty snow.


ohhhhh, the dead circulating pump. That happened here a couple of years ago. When the repair guy got here, he said "it's sure cold in here. you should have told them it's an emergency." Well, d'oh - I did tell them my house was ice cold - that seemed like an emergency to me.

Yep! These wintry conditions in the rest of America sound truly awful.

I can't complain about our rain... at least it is useful.

50F -- no wind -- 0.84" rain

Complain about it, Piff. It's awful. It's monotonous and wet. God, I hated that rain.

Well, you'd hate it today, patiodog. It's one of those Hawaiian Express days, I think. Freakishly mild, but really wet. I dig it, though--love to hear the sound of it coming down, especially when I can be dry inside. Getting home may be a drag, though...

timber, that sounds like a monumental pain in the J-Lo.

I still recall the terrible fire you had, what? A year or so ago?

Ever considered moving farther south into something a bit newer? Just a suggestion...

Piff and D'art, that's kind of what we have down here today: currently 57 degrees, rain, a little sloppy for the Super Bowl parties tonight.

More sunny and mild forecast through to the Big Game on Sunday, when we may get some more showers. Highs in the low 60s, lows in the upper 40s.

Sounds like good football weather!

Soz wrote...


It's a recurring nightmare, at least a couple times a years I suffer the consequences from a frigid skiing experience I had several years ago.
The weather is so cold here and all though it's supposed to warm up a bit in the next few days, it will only warm up to -20Cish, by the end of the week. At minus 35C, skin freezes in minutes, thus the recurring frostbite.
At this time of year we always have a few major fires. I don't know why but in the last few days, a 100 unit condo, a chinese supermarket and a chicken processing plant burnt to the ground. We were evacuated today because of the "chicken" fire. Firefighters were afraid an amonia tank would blow.
One fire tanker, several cars and most of the fire hoses from the Condo fire are still encased in half a meter thick ice and cannot be removed till we have a thaw.
I feel really bad for all the homeless people who have to surrive on the streets. This deep freeze is one of the worst we've had in years.

Homeless on the streets there, Ceili? Eeeeegads........

It's about 5 pm and 56 degrees F on my back porch, grey sky, a bit of gustiness, hmm, what does That portend..

I'm all involved with my own eyeballs these days (hoping this passes soon) and so very much don't want a lollapalooza storm going on. Need to drive to work and get some details done (as so to bill and be paid.) Yes, I am licensed to drive, even post surgery, but being Very Careful. Like CI, my right eye vision is fine, and work is fifteen relatively short blocks away.

This of course harkens to the many out there who are debilitated driving in one way or another. Some by alcohol, some by drugs, some by inattention, some by emotion blaring, some by immaturity rampant, some by conversation happening, or the load of salty fatty delight from Burger King ... some by growing but not acknowledged senility, or gross lack of sleep, or, something going on on the car phone... Some with kids screaming, or dogs tearing off the seatbelts in dogfury.

some by eye drops at the optometrist or opthamologist's, some by various med circumstances, including ... eek, someone having to get to a bathroom/equivalent.

OK, y'all, watch your asses.

Speaking of bad reactions to the cold, any of you have Raynaud's Phenomenon? It's a condition wherein the blood vessels in your fingers and toes spasm when they get cold. This cuts off the blood flow and can be very dangerous. My daughter has it. No winter sports for her, unfortunately.

My ex had it, I think, although never diagnosed. I think Raynaud's was a symptom of Sjogren's disease... not sure every one with the symptoms has the whole shebang.

I also suspect that batches of people with low blood pressure??? might have cold extremities? (guessing wildly..)

Thanks, PDiddie, I appreciate your concern. Yeah, the fire was last March. Prolly shoulda thought about repalcing the circ pump then, but it never occurred to me. Hiindsight is a royal pain, ain't it: No biggie, though. That sorta stuff happens, and no way would I wanna be closer to folks and traffic and lights, and there;s nothing that compares to listening to a hundred-plus-year-old house whisper sweet nuthins to ya in the wee hours. Besides, there's The Puppies and The Ponies ... none of whom go well with sidewalks and strip malls. And in a few weeks, the eagles will start flirtin' with one amother ... that is so cool to see.

The high today was -12 F, no idea what that woulda been with the windchill factored in. The house warmed up nicely, Nrs Timber is content, I spent most of the afternoon sittin' on an upturned bucket, my truck pretty much serving as a windbreak, a few hundred feet out onto a frozen lake. Got a bunch of nice bluegiills and a couple nice walleyes ... no braggers, really, but superb dinner. Sittin' here now in the livingroom, tummy stuffed, wearing' just my longies, the fireplace cracklin', I'm sippin' thick hot chocolate with a good dollup of Rumpleminze topped with real, thick, fresh-from-the-cow-this-afternoon yellowish cream, whipped with a little sugar., and I'm about to pull the debate up on the PVR. Life is good, and we're supposed to get down to around 30 below tonight. Bring it on. I'm not on call.

Yayyy, so nicely descriptive, Timber.

Temperatures in Winepeg today were colder than antartica. Apparenty we are now the coldest place on the earth.
I would rather that distinction go somewhere else, but if it's gotta be this cold at least us canucks are a hardy bunch.......

Well, our furnace is kaput again.

Just checked the weather, saw a nice round zero, then a red "severe weather" thingie, clicked on it:



Ah, nice weather for no furnace.

Thermostat is at 57 right now, not so bad, we are all dressed in lots of fuzzy layers and will huddle under our truly amazing THICK down comforter and hope for the best.

Ceili, too bad about frostbite. I've had it on about 3 fingertips, one in particular is really bothering me lately. I'm a little concerned I might have done something to it again, will probably have the doc check it out if it persists.

Real bummer 'bout the furnace, Soz ... seems there's some of that goin' around. Sorry you caught it too. If it gets down to around 40 or so, set all the faucets to trickle, and prop the flapper valve in the commode open just enough to keep water runnin' there. Hope it doesn't get to that point ... hope you've got help on the way. I'd send my freind's freind, but I think although his work is good, his trip charge would prolly be exorbitant in your case.

Oh, and be careful w/frostbite ... you can do lots of damage the second time around without realizing it 'til its already done.. Take care of yourself.

Thanks, timber. You too. Yeah, we're planning on the water thing. Our landlord is pestering the furnace guy who says he can't come until the morning, landlord seems to think there is some possibility that he can make him come earlier. (Furnace guy says he doesn't have a part, but I don't quite get how he could have it first thing in the morning and not 7:00 PM when we called?) We do have a radiator, setting that up in a strategic spot.