The Polar Vortex is on PED's, or How Much Do You Love Snow Days?
Mates,
You downstate types are having some real winter weather. Saw the wind chill in Detroit was -30, and some crazy readings in Chicago, -50 or they say even -75. That's some serious cold, anywhere, any time.
The Governor has declared a state of emergency, the Post Office isn't delivering mail, most schools are closed (up north for a week now), all the athletic events have been cancelled, and most state agencies are closed too.
How has the cold impacted you/your family and what are you doing to beat it? Does anyone else worry about FauxMo's kids since he probably hasn't posted today? Got your fire lit, snow shoveled, car/truck/tractor plugged in?
Be safe,
XM
January 30th, 2019 at 8:04 PM ^
I have lived all 42 years of my life in the shadow of a Great Lake. This will be my last. You yoopers are nuts!
January 30th, 2019 at 8:06 PM ^
Nuts? You betcha!
January 30th, 2019 at 10:57 PM ^
That's gold rob f! Gold!
Too much snow? Buy a snowblower.
Too cold for ya, good. Buy a winter jacket, and I'll never live anywhere other than the UP.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:43 PM ^
Hopefully you're just going to move, and not die or something
January 31st, 2019 at 10:00 AM ^
Moving. Got 37 inches since last Saturday. Hasnt been warmer than 12. Now its supposed to be 40 Sunday.
January 30th, 2019 at 10:22 PM ^
I love this state too much to leave for too long. I may move away for a better job at some point but I’ll always come back and retire here.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:05 PM ^
I went into the office Sunday to gather my things and I've been working from home; about half of my co-workers are too. Wife lady is nearing the end of the pregnancy so I thought it would be a good idea for me to stick around in the event anything happened. I'm going to WFH tomorrow then head back in to work Friday because the storm is supposed to end Thursday at 7pm.
The dining room chairs are becoming increasingly uncomfortable and the couch isn't much better. Definite cabin fever going on.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:29 PM ^
Good call working from home just in case anything went down. On week two of paternity leave for our little one and my wife was feeling nothing nothing nothing and them BAM... time to go to the hospital and baby was out in two hours.
And so I sympathize with your cabin fever as well. Good luck to you and your wife!
January 30th, 2019 at 8:35 PM ^
Thanks, Laser. This is our first and we can't wait! Tons of UM gear packed for the little one to wear home!
January 30th, 2019 at 8:39 PM ^
Congrats on the pending addition. I'm 21 months into this whole fatherhood thing - been a blast so far!
January 30th, 2019 at 8:52 PM ^
My wife and I have 4 kids. With the first go round, just about everything made me anxious. Getting there quickly after her water broke, waiting around for the baby to come, making sure my wife was okay. Wondering if it was okay to sleep if my wife was awake. Was my new little girl going to be okay. How to change a tiny little person without hurting them.
By the 4th time, the only concern was how soon after delivery could we get home.
January 30th, 2019 at 10:17 PM ^
Haha the shift in mentality from #1 to #2 has been dramatic for us. We had about 12 billion questions the first time around. This time? Meh it’ll fine.
January 31st, 2019 at 12:08 AM ^
LOL, yes! When the first one dropped anything it was boiled and sanitized before it was given back to him. On the second go-round, we would wipe it off on our pants and hand it back.
January 30th, 2019 at 10:38 PM ^
Congrats and good luck, Fugitive. Parenthood is the best.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:36 PM ^
With the first one, my wife’s water broke 3 weeks before her due date when we were in a restaurant 30 min away from our apartment. Thought that shit only happened in a movie. She was still a long way away from going into labor but with our first child it scared the shit out of us.
January 30th, 2019 at 10:18 PM ^
That’s a very out of body experience, especially the first time. You can do all the planning in the world and then it actually happens and it’s “ohhhhhh shit”
January 31st, 2019 at 11:48 AM ^
My son was born Dec 31. The doctor wanted to induce labor on the 30th but, I put my foot down.
I said, "Michigan is playing in the Holiday Bowl tonight, can we hold off another day?"
My other demand that he be named Mercury, was ignored.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:05 PM ^
Well, I got an automated call very early this morning from my trash collection service stating they wouldn't be picking up garbage today, so I didn't take my garbage out. Then I saw them picking up our neighbor's trash. I feel violated.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:06 PM ^
Assistant principal at an elementary school. Snow day Monday, Cold Days today and tomorrow. A nice two day week which each are followed by two days off. Wife also works in education, so we have been able to get a ton down around the house. Much needed.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:08 PM ^
Don't you mean assistant TO THE principal?
January 30th, 2019 at 8:36 PM ^
Don’t get it twisted, there’s nothing assistant about me.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:04 PM ^
yeah, brutus. you just got yourself detention after school. that'll teach you smart off to the asst. principal - always the enforcer in any school setting. and you're going to need to write, 'qmatic is the man!' 25 times on the chalkboard.
January 30th, 2019 at 10:13 PM ^
I think he missed the Dwight Schrute reference.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:08 PM ^
I loved snow days as a kid. Now as a working parent, having 3 straight snow days is a giant PITA
On the plus side I avoided driving my normal commute down 94 and it was shut down multiple times in a few places I travel thru daily
Spent some time outside shoveling today...despite brutal temps and crazy high winds and ground blizzard I was super warm. Striker Ice Climate suit is absolutely amazing. It was actually too much warmth given my physical activity
January 30th, 2019 at 8:14 PM ^
Just keep this in mind, we are one day closer to next winter.
I can't want to complain how hot it is.
Here in Temperance, MI, this weekend is going to be in the 40s and maybe hit 50.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:19 PM ^
No snow days when you work at a hospital. Honestly it hasn’t been that bad to get to work and I cannot afford to have any unpaid days off anyway.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:31 PM ^
Which side of the state are you on? This damn storm has parked its ass right on top of Grand Rapids and hasn't moved since it arrived Monday. It's pretty bad on the west side.
PS, thank you for your work in the hospitals. I know there have been several terrible crashes on the highways because of the conditions.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:24 PM ^
Ditto...although I had a sick day Monday after sealing with some nasty crud for 4-5 days. No snow days for us. Down in Iowa where it's...well it's shitty down here too.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:30 PM ^
On paternity leave with daughter #2 at the moment. It was a good day to be dead tired and indoors.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:37 PM ^
My furnace has run 15 out of 20 hours so far today.
Other than that a slow morning home with the kids bc daycare was closed. Breakfast, gym, visit mom at work, all of us napped, play a bit, pizza, movie, bed. Pretty good day. Tomorrow the same except kids go back to daycare.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:14 PM ^
Have fun with that gas bill.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:43 PM ^
I worry about the fact that Faux Mo HAS kids. That cannot be anything approximating a normal upbringing...my 18 pound Maine Coon Cat has barely left my lap in 48 hours, and I have the house set to 68 degrees when it is usually 64. Pipes, etc.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:47 PM ^
Impacts to my week:
- the kids have now been out on Monday, today and of course tomorrow. MAYBE Friday is the day we get a glimpse of normality.
- my car hissed and whined but did start this morning.
- I did the little field work that I was able to do today from inside my car
- we've taken the dog out on a leash in the back yard so she has zero opportunity to wander about and possibly get frostbite.
....and that's just for starters.
Now, I am preparing for temperatures near 50 on Sunday and Monday, so I can then worry about bathing the dog as she rolls around in a slushy, muddy hellscape.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:52 PM ^
LSA, I just saw the story about the fire at the Consumers natural gas facility, and how they are asking people to cut down on usage today. I think you are a DTE guy like my little brother-any update on this that you know of? I am NOT turning down the thermostat tonight of all nights.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:30 PM ^
MISO, which is the big authority for the electric transmission system in the Midwest, actually put out a Level 2 load reduction notice today, so they are basically asking people to turn down the thermostat a bit and cut out less than vital electric use if possible. Our own gas transmission system, which I know virtually nothing about being on the electric side of the business, is unaffected.
January 30th, 2019 at 8:51 PM ^
Furnace has been on the fritz, temps in house bouncing around mid 50's, set up a temporary heater and went to hotel. Just got out of hottub, and now having a Founders DKML... doin' ok ;)
January 30th, 2019 at 8:52 PM ^
The good news: My house is holding the heat pretty well. I have the furnace set to 71 degrees and it's still 71.
The bad news: The gas bill is going to suck
January 30th, 2019 at 10:02 PM ^
we keep ours at 60-62, although tonight the wood stove is stoked and the main part of the house is well into the 70s.
January 30th, 2019 at 11:01 PM ^
If it was really -75°, then it was literally 150° warmer here. That's a huge delta.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:02 PM ^
LA was gray and overcast today.
kind of slow day. got my oil changed and sent a lot of work email.
it might get down to low 40s tonight.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:05 PM ^
cop out funkadelic, you're wearing down vests and fleece when the temps get into the 40's. national guard on ready-alert status, too.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:13 PM ^
seeing people in LA wearing winter parkas and ski hats when it gets below 60 degrees is pretty hilarious.
January 30th, 2019 at 10:13 PM ^
First year of grad school at Berkeley was interesting. Everyone wearing parkas, scarves, winter hats/gloves when it dropped below 60.
I was walking around in shorts and a T-shirt and they all looked at me like I was the crazy one.
January 31st, 2019 at 12:12 AM ^
People in Phoenix wear coats and stuff when the temps drop into the low 70's in early November.
January 30th, 2019 at 9:19 PM ^
I’m going to an event in LA tomorrow and received an email:
”Be careful with the weather, dress in extra layers... it may rain.”
The horror!
January 30th, 2019 at 9:50 PM ^
if it is raining add about 30 minutes of drive time to any drive taking you on the freeway. seriously, LA drivers are terrified of rain and can't merge for shit in the best of conditions.
January 31st, 2019 at 12:36 PM ^
Just had actual thunder and lightning which just almost never happens in LA. roads are going to be a cluster fuck.
January 31st, 2019 at 2:32 PM ^
Lived in SoCal my whole life. The worst part of California drivers is their terrible decision making during the rain (not slowing down on curves, continuing to drive 85+ during a "California downpour") and their inability to merge. My wife just shakes her head at me everytime I call people out for their terrible merging skills like it's going to change how they drive.
January 31st, 2019 at 3:16 PM ^
First time driving in California I rented a car at the San Jose airport and started down toward Monterey. By the time I was halfway there I was experiencing a sense of bafflement and rage at the horrible drivers. It was like the stereotype of Californians--completely stuck in their own heads and not giving a shit about what anyone else does or thinks.
February 1st, 2019 at 4:37 PM ^
Sucks that we didn't give you a better welcome to California. Hope that didn't ruin it for you. There are some nice views along that drive