Winter

We had a bit of snow yesterday morning. Guess it's time for me to go out and get some boots. I didn't get boots last year because my feet are hard to fit and they're really expensive.

The last time I got winter boots that didn't have me limping in an hour and didn't make me completely broke was about seven years ago. Don't shoot me, but I got them at Walmart (which I don't shop at anymore, honest!). I bought men's boots, which helped considerably. It seems that all women's boots have at least a slightly-raised heel, even the so-called "flat" ones. But men's boots aren't at all.

Why, oh why doesn't Birkenstock make boots and closed shoes?? Why?? I'm willing to pay up to a couple of hundred bucks for a pair of boots that don't hurt and aren't leather. And they're so hard to find!

[ 17 November 2007: Message edited by: Michelle ]

Yeah, we had a bit of snow yesterday, and it's still on the ground.

Spike, the new cat, actually ran backwards (not turning around, actual backwards steps) when I opened the door for him to go out at his regular time when I left for work.

I dug out my gloves, my kodiaks are ready to go, and the snow brush is in the van.

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Why, oh why doesn't Birkenstock make boots and closed shoes?? Why?? I'm willing to pay up to a couple of hundred bucks for a pair of boots that don't hurt and aren't leather. And they're so hard to find!

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Mark's Work Warehouse has some boots on sale right now, that have rubber lowers and fabric uppers.

I don't know if the rubber is synthetic, or the real stuff-- in which case you might want to check and see if it was harvested in a way that isn't offensive to the environment or social concerns.

Okay-- I am being facetious-- a bit. It just hurts me to see people turn their backs on good tanned dead cow skin.

By the time leather is used for boots, gloves, coats, jackets, shirts, pants, skirts both long, short and tight and glorious underware for all genders and orientations you know, the cow doesn't really need it anymore.

Besides, we enjoy it on so many levels a cow really can't appreciate.

[ 17 November 2007: Message edited by: Tommy_Paine ]

Yes, our snow was lake effect, which would explain it's absence in Winnipeg and presence here in the deep south.

BTW, is it true that "Winnipeg" is a Cree word meaning "...but the summers aren't bad..." ?

Oh, sorry to have Winnipeged with my erroneous translation.

Up until the 1960s I think Ottawa had the distinction of being the coldest capital city in the world. With global warming, I suppose it's lost that distinction - they've had a few winters when it appeared even the Rideau Canal would not freeze in time for ice skating, although eventually it always did.

I miss Ottawa, but I can't ever move back, because I have terrible summer allergies there, and I can't take the heat anyway.

I've certainly not been around this country as much as others, and I can't claim to have seen enough to pass judgment on the coldest, but the coldest I have ever felt is April in Toronto. It's all relative. I've certainly been in much colder places, temperature wise. Winnipeg being one of them. Thompson another.

But there's something about that wind coming up off lake Ontario, after you've had a few warm teasing days in spring...

I thought London had the market cornered on late fall and late winter bleakness, until I visited Ottawa in November.

I’ve heard from a number of people that Ottawa got hit! I always loved the first snow in Ottawa. A month or two later I was over it, but that first covering in Old Ottawa South made me so happy! Not much yet in the concrete jungle, I’m afraid!

How much snow in Edmonton? There's a dusting of snow here in Winnipeg.

As for the Prairies, it seems like November's not really that much warmer than previous times, but I really notice the difference in the (lack of) precipitation. The southern Prairies also don't seem to get nearly as much end-of-winter snow in March as they did previously either.

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Today was the first real snow in Toronto. Alas, no soldiers!

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There wasn't a winter that went by in Ottawa, where the people around me didn't give me a hard time about that one when they found out I was from the GTA! It seems we'll never live it down.

Did I say first taste of winter in Ottawa? Make that full-on, no turning back, here to stay winter! [img]tongue.gif" border="0[/img]

The snow is thick on the ground and shows no intention of leaving.

I agree. Your suggestions have certainly made my life here more enjoyable. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img] [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img] [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]

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Originally posted by Michelle:

Why, oh why doesn't Birkenstock make boots and closed shoes?? Why?? I'm willing to pay up to a couple of hundred bucks for a pair of boots that don't hurt and aren't leather. And they're so hard to find!

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I've seen some stylin' ones at I think Shoe Warehouse that appear to be quilted insulated nylon, (like with Thinsulate), all black, comfy platform-style rubber sole and zip up the back or the sides - can't remember. Just a little higher than an ankle boot, but definitely made for winter.

Expect coldest winter in decades, say forecasters (for what that is worth):
[url=http://tinyurl.com/yp6kt4]http://tinyurl.com/yp6kt4[/url]

[i]QUEBEC CITY — Every year, Fernand Ouellette, a retired sales representative in Quebec City, gets his snowmobile out and packs the snow to make cross-country trails for local ski enthusiasts.

“I've been snowmobiling for over 20 years. With tonight's expected snowfall, this will be the first year I can remember where I will have enough snow to open up cross-country ski trails this early in the year,” Mr. Ouellette said Sunday.

“The last two years I had to wait until mid-January to make my trails. It looks like we're in for one heck of a winter.” Across the country, forecasters have been warning of the coldest winter in recent memory. Well here it is, and it is hitting the country with a vengeance.[/i]

[ 03 December 2007: Message edited by: Geneva ]

Snowstorm in Ottawa + snowstorm in Quebec City = trapped in an Ottawa hotel for an extra night...

I actually don't mind slush too much, it's when it freezes into ice that it sucks.

What a day. I'm just sitting in the living room right now with my laptop in the semi-dark, with nothing but the Christmas Tree on for light. (Well, and my monitor.) And I'm looking out the window at the driving snow. It's really gorgeous when you're looking at it from inside!

I was planning on taking the munchkin to a craft fair and then for some tobogganing today. But I don't know. I'm hearing the snow CRASHING on my window, which sounds like either sleet or hail.

Hopefully it'll have blown over in a couple of hours, leaving only the snow on the ground. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]

It's a snow storm out there. This is unusual for Toronto. We were lucky to get any white stuff by Christmas last year. Lots of firetrucks and first responders out and hardly any real traffic at all. I love the way it looks and actually don't mind going out in it much as long as I'm dressed warm. Last night skating was on in full force at Nathan Philip Square, despite the wind whipping the snow in everyone's face, and the streets were packed with people downtown.

Michelle, I can't wait to sit in darkness with just the tree on. It's such a pretty and comforting sight. This is the first Christmas in years I bought a tree. Now I need to get a couple more strings of lights and I'm good to go.

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful..."

It's too damn bad there isn't a sound function on here. I have this most marvellous deep robust singing voice you're all missing out on. Of course you wouldn't have to if you attended the NDP Federal Convention November 21-23 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Not at all, Michelle. On both counts! A: As baseball great Dizzy Dean said: "It ain't bragging if you can do it." And I can. When I do "You've Lost That Lov'in feeling" I get phone numbers - every time. I'd love to to "Unchained Melody" but there are three notes I cannot hit. I can get one of them if I have a cup of hot tea before a performance, but there are two that are forever lost to me. B: It costs a lot to attend Convention. A thousand bucks airfare, five hundred for hotel, a hundred in meals, a hundred in cabs and delegate's fees. That's about two thousand dollars right there. That takes some financial planning. The time to start thinking about it is now.

Well that's if you live in Regina, 2,665 miles away from Halifax. Being a mere 1,153 miles away, your costs should be signifigantly lower.

It started here a couple of hours ago, and it looks like we're in for another good one. Last year, we'd had 38cm of snow by now, and it had all melted. This year, we've had 127cm (not counting the 30-40cm to come), and none of it melted.

OTOH, the skiing is great. Almost all the runs are open, and since there are no tourists yet, there's no waiting for the ski lifts.

It began snowing heavily here in Halifax about an hour ago. We're also expecting lots of it -- up to 20 cm I guess and then, as so often happens here, it's going to turn to rain. And no doubt there will be freezing rain during the transition.

I'm with clersal. I hate winter.

Well, last week I had my mechanic inspect for a noise during an oil change. Turned out to be a cracked housing on the alternator. This is going to cost.

I dug out a bit last night, and again this morning so Rebecca could take Snarfy the Wonder Girl to school, and get herself to work. I had to get the van with the cracked alternator housing out, and deliver my 18 to the bus depot.

Mission accomplished, but the battery light stayed on all the way to the bus depot, so I took the van to my mechanic directly after dropping off my 18 year old.

I still have some snow blowing to do, but I feel rather weak and feverish at the moment.

Maybe I'll get that done, and sleep the rest of the afternoon.

Hate winter? No, but it certainly puts an edge on things.

Oh my GOD. That's awful! I'm so sorry to hear that, Sineed. Which streetcar line are you on? Aren't most of them 24 hours?? St. Clair was running last night, surprisingly enough. (Oh, never mind, I see you said this happened during the height of the blizzard, which was during the day, not last night.) Makes me glad we didn't try to go tobogganing yesterday, if the buses and streetcars weren't running during the storm. We'd have had to take both to get to Christie Pitts.

I managed to go to and from Mississauga without incident last night.

I'm glad you were able to rest today. Couldn't you have stayed with the neighbour too? [img]frown.gif" border="0[/img]

[ 17 December 2007: Message edited by: Michelle ]