Winter weathers sucks

Two full days and nights of hell. Caught the sleet and snow two hours south of Chicago. Had a Christmas Party at 5 in the western suburbs, but the interstate had stranded cars which were off the road because of the ice. Got there at about the five hour mark which two and a half times as long as it should have taken. Enjoyed the grandkids and exchanged gifts, but then back out into horrible weather. Traveled at 25mph and two hours later we were home. I cannot wait to get back to Florida.....old age and winter do not work. Hopefully the MRI and shots will be done on the 28th and back to reasonable weather.

2seaoat wrote:I cannot wait to get back to Florida.....

Oh, so now you love us again, eh?  Ha! Fair weather friend.    

Weather is not so fair right now, however.   The chill north wind has been pounding a very heavy rain against our windows for several hours now with more to come on radar.

Still, yeah, it beats the heck out of snow and ice in our older age, which is the main reason we left New England after 20 years of dealing with it, including far too many two-hour white-knuckled snowy commutes to and from my workplace, normally 45-55 minutes away.  Thanks for reminding me of just how treacherous it can all be up north.  

Rain, I can handle, even though, at this rate, our yard and driveway will be temporarily flooded by morning, same as in a typical tropical storm situation.  More rain than we've had in months.  I do hope Gulf Breeze and the mainland don't have big flooding problems; they don't enjoy the natural drainage the island provides, and this is way too much rain at once.

The funniest part of this journey is the dog hates Florida. She wants to be home where she gets a golf cart run of three miles every day, as she explores and chases geese and other wild animals. She is in dog heaven. However, when the snow and ice covers the ground, the causeways over to the islands are very slippery and dangerous so we only once or twice during winter take a walk because I tire far too easily and she does not get that golf cart adventure.

Well it was sub zero with snow on the ground and the three year old when it is time to go outside hesitates.....she does not like getting her paws cold. So she is a prancer and dancer when it is time to go outside. She will take 15 minutes to do her business. Not now. She rushes out and does her business and starts picking her paws up and runs up to the deck and starts whimpering. Last winter we totally spoiled her with Florida, as she has only had one full winter in cold weather, but now she thinks we are torturing her and we are responsible for the cold weather. We have never spoiled a dog like this dog, but whimpering because of a few minutes in the cold......part German Shepard......she is going to lose her credentials.

Now when we return to Florida she will still be pissed, but I think less so. She does get to run on the project we are working on, and after this two weeks of freezing her paws and not getting to run on the islands......she will just be mad at us, as if we have intentionally messed with her paradise.

TOOO funny - losing her German Shepherd credentials - LOL!!!!!!!

My daughter and son-in-law are here from ND. They've been dealing with subzero temps for months and are expecting an arctic blast after they return. We all went to the beach Saturday...windy but not too cold. But Sunday was a different story. Today is her birthday. My "baby" is 32.

I am seriously wondering if I have lost my mind as well . . . . awoke this AM to ten degree real temp with an ice covered deck! Do I miss Florida? DUH, although it is not only the weather it is my life long friends I miss horribly but here I am in my sweatsuit looking at icicles so yes this weather sucks!

Knot, I feel your pain. We've been here over 16 years and have not been able to develop anywhere near the friendships of earlier life. Can you/do you at least stay in touch with your old friends electronically or however?

I know this is no help at all but I think you should consider coming back if you don't get a lot happier by sometime next year.

RealLindaL wrote:Knot, I feel your pain.   We've been here over 16 years and have not been able to develop anywhere near the friendships of earlier life.  Can you/do you at least stay in touch with your old friends electronically or however?

I know this is no help at all but I think you should consider coming back if you don't get a lot happier by sometime next year.  

Yes I keep in touch with my bestest (sic) friends linda. Part of my early mornings is texting with them, one in particular, and he keeps me informed about the hood and I fill him in on how freaking cold I am but spring is right around the corner! Our closest friends (a couple) told my wife that their life had changed in many ways because we did dinner each week at our place and then theirs . . . we vacationed together and did a lot of fun stuff to put it lightly . . . my friends there who are North Carolina fans and another who is a Dukie always text me during the game when the Cats are playing . . .. I love them very much and they feel the same. That said I made my bed so I will have to lay in it I reckon but we will always have caring dear friends who welcome us back for a visit.

Sal wrote:

knothead wrote:but spring is right around the corner!

Hahahaha!

Good luck with that.

I will be jealous come May (maybe, I was actually at the Derby one year when it snowed).

Until then, pray that global warming hurries up.

I hear you Sal, it was said tongue in cheek trying to make light of this cold ass weather . . . . .

I will take a photo of the ice on the river........last year we did not have ice until the second week in January, and the year before it never formed. This is some cold asz winter weather, and I am leaving as soon as the medical stuff is done.

Be extra careful. Ice, as you know, is dangerous.

Be extra careful. Ice, as you know, is dangerous.

I have told this story on the PNJ about a decade ago, but I was in fifth grade and on Saturday mornings I was in a youth bowling league. I had a set of twins on my team, and they lived about a mile from the bowling alley. After they finished, they left, and instead of crossing the bridge at the post office, the river appeared to be solid ice. One of the boys fell through and the current took him under the ice. His brother tried to save him but the current took him to far downstream. He lost his brother. I used to play hockey on the river, and after he died we found a sewage pond that froze over at a military school and played our hockey there. Flowing rivers and ice are a formula for disaster. Since we have owned the islands, I have told the kids and grandkids that do not follow a dog onto the ice even if they have broke through......come and get me. I have done about three ice rescues and they are not fun, and are dangerous as hell if you do not have rope and ladders.....the hole usually just keeps collapsing, and having fallen in freezing water, you begin to lose all function in less than three minutes.

So tragic.

It is beautiful, but it is so cold and uncomfortable being outside with ice and snow waiting to trip old farts.

So beautiful....I like it for a short period of time. We are going to Durango in January. ....those trips are enough snow for me.

The folks at our local telephone company were suppose to send out a technician to change over our modem with a new one which will increase the speed from 10 mg to 25mg broadband speed. On Tuesday they said the technician would be out between 8 am and 5pm. Nobody has called and my wife and I have been stuck waiting all day. They are going to charge us $80 for this service call, but if they do not get here in a half hour, I am going to suggest they waive the fee. Everybody gives you morning or afternoon, but these folks need all day to schedule a fricking internet modem. I know with the winter weather we have had phone lines down, and maybe their techs are dealing with this winter weather, but a simple courtesy call would go a long way to appease irritated customers.

Well, I spent the entire day waiting for a tech, and when we called after five, they simply said they could not find him, and that they think he went home for the day. He will try to stop by Friday. I will be making a phone call to the Illinois commerce commission, and filling out an online complaint with them which I have done twice in the last ten years. It is a monster response to rude and negligent service by a utility. These complaints cause chit to run downhill. We are never rude with the people on the phone. I simply said today, that I will file a complaint, and I expect the installation charge to be waived. I would have rather paid double the installation than wasting this day when we had planned after the installation to go to my wife's brother's house where she had baked cookies, but they have left for the grandkids to spend Christmas......you just cannot get time back from these inconsiderate bastards, and getting a few dollars credit is meaningless when time is so precious.