The Official "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

[Bears Discover Fire]

This is so not the most wonderful time of the year for me, and I suspect for many others as well.

I'm constantly cold now. The the lack of sunlight, the rain, the denuded trees, the grinding, crass holiday season that is mercifully almost over and the overcast skies are contributing to my downward emotional spiral. Furthermore, I broke my foot a year ago and the winter moisture and cold is making it stiff and angry.

In winters past, I've survived by driving to my local mountains and hitting the slopes. I find ski season is winter's only redeemable trait. However, for the past few seasons I've been unable to afford lift tickets, gas, or the time off. So, I'm stuck down here in LA, soggy and sad.

Yes, yes, people who live in colder climates are laughing in derision at me right now. Well, there's a reason why I haven't joined you folks and why I pay through the nose to live some place relatively temperate. That reason's name is WINTER.

The first day of California's relatively mild winter was yesterday and I am already so over it that I could rip my hair out in dispair. Except I won't, because 90% of your body's heat escapes through your head and and I'm freezing cold in my unheated apartment as it is.

I want my heat and sun back. I want to be floating down a desert river, sipping mojitos in 110 degree heat until the sun sets at damned near 10 pm.

My goal is to be rich, so I can afford one home in the northern hemisphere, and one home in the southern hemisphere. That way I can just chase summer year around.

Anyone else chilly, snowed in, soaked out, and generally miserable?

Share the misery and your coping skills here. If you're in the southern hemisphere, I'm chattering my teeth in rage and jealousy at your summer time fortune, but you're free to contribute to how you deal with the other six months as well.

If you love winter, this is not your thread!

 

[doubleohfive]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

It does seem much colder this year than last. The past two weeks or so have been absolutely freezing at night. Not what I moved here for.

My advice: get a sunlamp for your apartment. It at least attempts to re-create the sunlight you aren't getting and will help to allay the seasonal affectation disorder that can sneak up on you, the way it does to me. Sock hats help too, as you can emit/lose a good portion of heat from your head. Back home, it was always a tried-and-true way to keep warm in the winter months.

Otherwise, hang in there.

 

[roliver]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

Yes, yes, people who live in colder climates are laughing in derision at me right now.

You got that right, sister! Parts of Maine got 41 inches of snow yesterday. Only about 15 where I live, but that's still bad enough.

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

This winter has been weird so far. It came out of nowhere! It was in the 70s around here during Thanksgiving (when we normally have snow), and then within the last couple weeks it just got blistering cold!

I don't really mind. I'm used to winter. And today's 4 degrees F actually felt very mild compared to the last couple days of -32.

The only thing I really hate about winter is having to warm up my car and dealing with the shitty drivers on the road. "It's snowing! Let's all drive like idiots!"

 

[Maestro]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

Drove for six hours in shitty weather to a music convention last Tuesday night. Drove six hours back in shitty weather. Should have only taken three and a half hours.

Motor on the blower in my car went on the fritz. Stays on. Even when the car is off. Pulled the fuse. Now I've blown the fuse. No blower. Might get fixed by 2009.

Blizzard battered the Midwest Saturday. Got no Christmas shopping done.

Went out in subzero temps with insane wind chills Sunday to do my shopping. Braved the fuckface crowds.

Woke up this morning freezing. Checked the themostat. Yep. Furnace was out. Checked the school cancellation site. Yep. 2 hour delay. Instead of sleeping in or going in and getting something accomplished, I spent my 2 hour delay waiting for the furnace guy.

Winter is likely to kick our ass again over night. Probably a cancellation tomorrow. When I need to finish my Christmas shopping. Worse, it'll be another snow day meaning we'll have to make up more. The last thing we want is to have three snow days before Christmas and have the third be a vacation release day.

Balls to winter? I'm a hearty Wisconsin boy who grew up North of "The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field." Yeah! Balls to winter. It can get fucked. I want my 90 July of global warming back. Fuckin' winter.

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

What I think is interesting about this year is that summer was very mild and winter now is very harsh. We never hit 100 degrees this summer, which is unheard of, and now winter has been extraordinarily cold.

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

Drove for six hours in shitty weather to a music convention last Tuesday night. Drove six hours back in shitty weather. Should have only taken three and a half hours.

Motor on the blower in my car went on the fritz. Stays on. Even when the car is off. Pulled the fuse. Now I've blown the fuse. No blower. Might get fixed by 2009.

Blizzard battered the Midwest Saturday. Got no Christmas shopping done.

Went out in subzero temps with insane wind chills Sunday to do my shopping. Braved the fuckface crowds.

Woke up this morning freezing. Checked the themostat. Yep. Furnace was out. Checked the school cancellation site. Yep. 2 hour delay. Instead of sleeping in or going in and getting something accomplished, I spent my 2 hour delay waiting for the furnace guy.

Winter is likely to kick our ass again over night. Probably a cancellation tomorrow. When I need to finish my Christmas shopping. Worse, it'll be another snow day meaning we'll have to make up more. The last thing we want is to have three snow days before Christmas and have the third be a vacation release day.

Balls to winter? I'm a hearty Wisconsin boy who grew up North of "The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field." Yeah! Balls to winter. It can get fucked. I want my 90 July of global warming back. Fuckin' winter.

Fuck Yeah! That's the spirit! More, More!

Feels great to say it, doesn't it?

I'm crossing Maine and the entire Midwest off my list of places to live before I die.

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

I'm crossing Maine and the entire Midwest off my list of places to live before I die.

Yeah, I've been in Illinois my entire life. My next goal in life is to move somewhere where one does not require owning an ice scraper.

 

[The Great Meech]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

Screw winter. Toronto keeps getting hit by snow--not bad snow, exactly, but the kind of snow that's just bad enough to screw with traffic and make it hard to get anywhere.

 

[Jadzia]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

Are you skinny, Bears? Skinny people often suffer the cold more.

I'm skinny, and if I ever get cold, it's saps my ability to enjoy anything. All I really want, all I can really focus on, is wanting to feel warmer. So I do feel the cold more strongly than most people I know.

I make sure that I keep myself warm, by regular intake of warm drinks, warm food, use of warm clothing, and keeping my house adequately warm.

Although funnily I do prefer the winter season more than the summer. Being tucked up in bed all cosy on an evening and seeing the frost outside, just feel nice to me. So I am happiest at this time of year.

So go run a nice hot bath with a few drops of relaxing lavender oil in it.
Then make yourself a big mug of tomato soup and some fresh crusty bread to dunk in.
Then stick a hot water bottle in your bed so your feet don't get cold and keep you awake as you're trying to fall asleep.

Respond to pain with self-indulgence. Enjoy the winter!

 

[nevermore]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

I like winter. I don't like that my car is a piece of crap and the parking break is frozen. If I'm going to be inconvenienced, I wish it would at least snow...

 

[RJDiogenes]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

I'm one of those skinny folk who doesn't do well with cold; and it's been pretty cold and snowy the last few days. And my apartment is kind of drafty, so it's worst when the wind is high, which it has been frequently lately. I've had my little portable heater going almost non-stop.

 

[Maestro]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

Drove for six hours in shitty weather to a music convention last Tuesday night. Drove six hours back in shitty weather. Should have only taken three and a half hours.

Motor on the blower in my car went on the fritz. Stays on. Even when the car is off. Pulled the fuse. Now I've blown the fuse. No blower. Might get fixed by 2009.

Blizzard battered the Midwest Saturday. Got no Christmas shopping done.

Went out in subzero temps with insane wind chills Sunday to do my shopping. Braved the fuckface crowds.

Woke up this morning freezing. Checked the themostat. Yep. Furnace was out. Checked the school cancellation site. Yep. 2 hour delay. Instead of sleeping in or going in and getting something accomplished, I spent my 2 hour delay waiting for the furnace guy.

Winter is likely to kick our ass again over night. Probably a cancellation tomorrow. When I need to finish my Christmas shopping. Worse, it'll be another snow day meaning we'll have to make up more. The last thing we want is to have three snow days before Christmas and have the third be a vacation release day.

Balls to winter? I'm a hearty Wisconsin boy who grew up North of "The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field." Yeah! Balls to winter. It can get fucked. I want my 90 July of global warming back. Fuckin' winter.

Fuck Yeah! That's the spirit! More, More!

Feels great to say it, doesn't it?

I'm crossing Maine and the entire Midwest off my list of places to live before I die.

If we have a cancellation tomorrow and have to make up the fucking half day right before Christmas break this June, I'm going to go fucking ballistic and spam this entire thread with the f-enheimer. That's how balls to winter I'll be.

And it does feel nice to bitch about the furnace. Especially to people who aren't my wife who's pissed because she had to get up at 5:00 and see if we could actually relight the damn thing.

And the crowds tomorrow. When I'm done with school and have to finish shopping. Anyone wanna be at Best Buy in the Midwest on 12/23 in the middle of a snow storm? 4"-7" may close schools, but it will also send every Tom, Dick, and Douchebag right to the Mall. They're'll be traffic pandefuckingmonium.

You're right it feels good to complain about winter.

 

[broberfett]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

Al Gore has assured us that the planet has a fever. I'm freezing my ass off every winter, but I'm sure Al Gore hasn't noticed the snow yet.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

I love snow, but hate the cold and winter. Unfortunately, it never seems to snow anymore. If I have to suffer through these temperatures, I should at least get snow.

But, yeah, count me as another person who vastly prefers summer to winter.

 

[Elmo Dukat]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

I've liven in MA my whole life. Northern Central Massachusetts, where I grew up (I currently live in Southeastern MA), just got hit with an ice storm that killed power for 1.5 million inhabitants. Nine days later, some are still without power. We get several snowstorms a year, with >2ft per storm the usual.

AS SOON AS I CAN, I'M MOVING TO FUCKING TENNESSEE.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

Remember the "Heat Tolerance" thread I started?

It shouldn't surprise you that I HATE winter. I have no tolerance whatsoever for cold. I hate the power bills I have to pay just to maintain the place at a temp that is STILL nowhere near enough for my optimal comfort (68 F tops, when I would really like it to be 80-83 F). I hate it when it gets REALLY cold and I have to pump gas outside and manage to damn near freeze my butt off.

I should move to Cardassia. Or failing that...Phoenix.

 

[Elmo Dukat]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

I should move to Cardassia. Or failing that...Phoenix.

Damn, if you're moving to Cardassia, I'm in. Let me know which ship you go out on, and we'll pack up and meet at the loading dock.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

I should move to Cardassia. Or failing that...Phoenix.

Damn, if you're moving to Cardassia, I'm in. Let me know which ship you go out on, and we'll pack up and meet at the loading dock.

You find me the ship, and I'll be glad to have you!

Something tells me I would be comfortable there, or at least be able to tolerate it. After all, my first reaction to Garak's complaint about the station being too cold in "The Wire" was, "It's a public facility--OF COURSE it's too cold! They ALL are!"

 

[Elmo Dukat]

Re: The Offical "BALLS TO WINTER!" Thread

I should move to Cardassia. Or failing that...Phoenix.

Damn, if you're moving to Cardassia, I'm in. Let me know which ship you go out on, and we'll pack up and meet at the loading dock.

You find me the ship, and I'll be glad to have you!

Something tells me I would be comfortable there, or at least be able to tolerate it. After all, my first reaction to Garak's complaint about the station being too cold in "The Wire" was, "It's a public facility--OF COURSE it's too cold! They ALL are!"

Oh god, no kidding. Have you ever walked into the DMV on a summer's day? EFFING FRIGID.