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Post by stepper on Jan 7, 2015 16:32:52 GMT -6
Brrrr d@mn cold - I heard International Falls was more than 20 below freezing yesterday - real temperature. The wind chill was -40 something. The local weather guesser mentioned it because southern Flordia was more than 100 degrees warmer.
Sorry about the cold and snow Phalon. At least your appt isn’t with the dental dominatrix. If it were, you’d find a way to reschedule it.
The weather here was fantastic – yesterday. Today it’s clouded over, cooling, and blowing. The guessers are saying the temps are going to fall for the next day and we’ll be freezing soon. Friday evening there’s a chance of freezing precipitation – but not snow. It would be a bad idea to be out driving on TX roads when they’re coated with ice. The locals have no concept of what to do.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 7, 2015 22:33:47 GMT -6
Phalon: It isn't active there at all anymore. Q spends her time on Facebook now. She sent me a link, but I don't do Facebook . . . yet. Pretty much the only person who posts there is Vlad, and she joined here not too long ago. She just hasn't made an appearance since I accepted her membership. (And, of course, XenGab is still a member here.)
whooshorg.proboards.com/post/132092/thread
I don't know if you can see Q's email addies listed in her profiles, but I can. If you want me to, I can PM them to you. I know Q wouldn't mind me sharing them with you. I believe she does lurk here every now and again. I just don't know how often that is.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 7, 2015 22:37:32 GMT -6
But, I see you have your computer back, so I guess you don't need my help now.
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Post by stepper on Jan 8, 2015 17:54:00 GMT -6
The weather is about to turn towards the dark side here. They're saying to watch out for freezing rain and iced over roads thru Saturday.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 8, 2015 20:22:04 GMT -6
Yikes! My lights keep flickering here. They flickered once last night, and twice just a few minutes ago. Me scared! It was pretty much sunny yesterday, and is cloudy today, but there's no real reason, weather wise, why the lights should be flickering. Animals are sometimes the cause, and limbs, but with the way the wind has been blowing, you'd think the flickering would be more constant. And you'd think an animal wouldn't keep getting near the wires two days in a row?
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 8, 2015 20:24:10 GMT -6
Okay. It happened again! I may be without lights tonight. I'm glad I have my laptop, router & wifi on battery backup. I couldn't keep posting like this.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 9, 2015 10:39:25 GMT -6
Stepper, stay off those icy roads; cars do not drive on ice - trust me.
Hope you've still got electricity, Joxie.
Yesterday - more snow, more cold, more wind. No school for BP. Telework for Hubs. Cancelled orthodontist appointment for LX because the highway was shutdown due to accidents.
Today - lots more snow, more cold, more wind. No school for BP. Telework for Hubs. Walked five blocks to hospital for 730am yearly mammogram appointment; could not drive due to 3 foot drift behind car in driveway. Hubs snow blew driveway at 830am; sliced finger open using plow improperly - probably broken; admits stupidity which caused accident; stubborn, he refuses at this time to be driven to doctor's or urgent care. I left house with LX for rescheduled orthodontist appointment at 9am; at 9:30 am highway partially shutdown due to one car accident (us).
Reason for accident - ice. Slid off road, spun around in opposite direction, slammed into guardrail. Nobody injured, thank god. But my poor, poor car!!! Not totaled (I don't think) because we drove home after being hauled out by tow truck (poor tow truck driver - he's been in his truck working straight through since 7am yesterday morning). Damage looks pretty extensive...er...expensive, though.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 9, 2015 18:08:49 GMT -6
I still have lights, thanks Phalon. Sorry to hear about your car, and hubby's finger. But happy it isn't worse than it is. Right now we've just got the cold, which is bad enough. I had to get out in it yesterday. Mom had her routine appointment with the Kidney Clinic. I put on long johns, and we only stayed in the city long enough to stop off at Cracker Barrel, and then straight home. Mom's dog refused to go back into the house when we left, so she was outside until we got back home. Did she go into the doghouse or garage or down to my sister's house? No. She was on the front porch like she was waiting for someone to open the door and let her in when we got back. Silly girl.
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Post by stepper on Jan 9, 2015 18:24:52 GMT -6
Accident??!! Damaged car??!! But not people??!! Whew!! I'm very glad to hear that damage was restricted to your vehicle. That you were able to drive home safely is a good sign, but if your vehicle is elderly the insurance folks could easily decide the cost of the repair exceeds the value of the vehicle. What ever happens with that, I'm on your side. You'll have to let me know what "we" want, but what ever that is, I'm all for it!! From more than just myself I'm sure...
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Post by Phalon on Jan 10, 2015 9:11:04 GMT -6
Our dog - a silly girl also - loves snow, but this week, there's been no refusal from her to come back into the house. She goes out, does what she needs to do, then is immediately back up on the porch to come inside. She hates the wind; I don't blame her.
Hubs thinks they'll total it - the body damage is extensive; both passenger side doors need to be replaced (they don't open anymore), as well as the back quarter panel, back bumper, taillight, and probably the trunk lid. The 'guardrail' was actually one of those 3ft high steel cable fences with absolutely no give (as luck would have it, on the right side of the road was an empty field; I was driving in the right lane, but slid across to the left and into the median). I'm sure there is damage that's not visible - I took the back roads home; traffic flow on the highway was about 40-45mph, but on the back road it was only 25mph, and even at that low speed there was a noticeable vibration.
I have mixed feelings about whether it's totaled or not. I really love the car (granted, I've had love affairs with all my cars). The only thing I dislike about it is that for whatever reason, Chevy made their 2007 Impala models without anti-lock brakes. I don't know if the outcome of the slide would have been different if the car had anti-lock brakes, (we fishtailed for what seemed like forever before the back-end finally slid around), but I do miss having them.
I'm extremely thankful there wasn't much traffic, and that we only hit the fence. I'm guessing you've seen on the news those other two Michigan highway pile-ups that occurred around the same time yesterday? What a nightmare!
This morning - not as cold, very light snow, but check this out - NO WIND!!!!
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Post by stepper on Jan 10, 2015 15:59:28 GMT -6
Possible front end damage or alignment issues caused by spinning out - or perhaps the frame is bent - and there are other possibilities. Adding this to the described damage, I think you should start thinking about your next car. Sorry.
You need one of those smaller four wheel drive trucks. I can't imagine why they aren't more popular up there - they have more space than cars, you can get four door versions (which I'd recommend) and they have FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. Much better than two wheel. Much safer. And you won't have more posts like this one.
I take it hubs cut is okay? But you and LX get banged up, spun around, limp home, and nary a word about seeing a doctor? Hmm. Bit of a double standard isn't it?
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 10, 2015 16:13:01 GMT -6
Really sorry to hear about the car, but so glad the car is the only casualty. I don't even want to think how bad it could have been.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 11, 2015 10:13:59 GMT -6
I'm pretty sure you're right. Sigh.
Maybe because the bed would still have to be packed with snow or sandbags because the back end is too light? <shrugs> I dunno. My little truck doesn't have 4-wheel drive and it DOES NOT drive in the snow. Actually, it drives fine, but doesn't stop. It's completely unsafe in this type of weather, and it doesn't matter how much weight I put in the back. Something about the bigger tires I put on it.
LX and I are completely fine - not even a bruise on either of us. Hubs, on the other hand...well, hmmmm...his two fingers look better today. At least they're not black anymore. Stubborn man.
Me neither, Joxie!
Better weather yesterday. I even heard a bird chirping, although I didn't see it....I haven't seen any birds all week. This morning, the crows are out. It's nice and calm, and looks like we might even have some sun. LX was supposed to go back to college yesterday, but her friend's dad (who is the driver this time around; we take turns) and Hubs decided the roads were still too bad; still a lot of spin-offs on the highway from what another friend reported. Not worth the risk, so they're leaving today. Sniff. It's been nice having her home.
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Post by stepper on Jan 11, 2015 17:10:15 GMT -6
You're thinking about a light pick-up but I'm talking about a Blazer like this one.If I knew there was ice on the roads I would carry a couple bags of kitty litter for traction just in case, but never had to use them except in my driveway before I got started. My driveway has a bit of a down grade to it. As for tires, I always use all weather radials. In your area of the world I'd consider snow radials, but again, I never got stuck with the radials. Neither did mom. If the truck doesn't suit you, ever think of getting a jeep? I can see you in a jeep. It'd make the trip to the cemetery a snap! Well, he's got a new vehicle to purchase and med bills add up quickly. Yeah - that's it! He's only thinking of you. But she'll be back for the summer - it's only a couple of months away - and I bet you guys chat it up while she's gone too! And you've still got BP! Does school start Monday? Here the weather is getting nice - meaning the sun is out.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 13, 2015 7:34:29 GMT -6
Oh, a Blazer! I think of them as more of an SUV than a truck. Funny though, ever since I got my driver's license, I've wanted a Blazer; Dad always drove a Suburban, and a Blazer was like a mini-version of that. Third choice was a Jeep.
My first choice back then was a Corvette - a yellow Corvette. On my 16th birthday, Dad handed me a small wrapped package - the perfect size to hold a car key! He had this huge grin on his face when I got excited, thinking beyond belief it was keys to a shiny new Corvette. Oh, how naive 16-year olds are! It was a new Corvette. And it was yellow. Inside the box was a yellow Matchbox Corvette.
Dad thought this was the funniest thing ever, and actually, I was quite touched he'd go take the time to hunt down a Matchbox to fit the description of my dream car.
She'll be back for Spring Break too; that's her idea right now, anyway - she's saving her money, and not planning on taking a trip with her friends this year. And I'll see her at the end of this month when I take BP up there for "Sibs Weekend", which is a big deal at the college. They had a blast together last year.
Yes, after a full week of "snow day" closures, finally there was school yesterday, and the kids here were happy about it. I think they had a couple of days off due to snow in November also (it seems so long ago, I honestly can't remember), so I'm guessing they're either right at the allotted number of closure days, or just over it. Anything else and they'll have to make it up in summer, and what kid wants their school year extended into summer?
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 13, 2015 21:12:28 GMT -6
There is a couple at my Church who each have their own Corvette. They do not make a lot of money either, they bought them from one of those government repossession type deals. I hear you can buy cars dirt cheap that way.
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Post by stepper on Jan 13, 2015 21:54:33 GMT -6
A guy at work once purchased one of those US Post Office vehicles that way - on a lark he put in a $500 bit for a used jeep and got it. Sometimes you can get lucky - look for one of the monthly police auctions. Never can tell what they'll have avaliable.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 14, 2015 7:59:49 GMT -6
Still don't know what insurance is going to decide; I got an damage estimate from the repair shop Monday. The estimate was $4,581.08; he said that's 60 percent of the Blue Book value, but he doesn't think they'll total it. The insurance adjuster supposed to be coming out today to look at it.
We got quite a bit more snow Sunday night, but it's been clear since. Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous - sun shining, pretty sparkly snow - but dang it was cold! Highs in the single digits, and today it's supposed to be even colder - my thermometer says is -4 degrees now. Again, that's brrr-damn-cold!
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 14, 2015 18:52:21 GMT -6
For the past few days my fingers hurt whenever I go outside. When they need gloves for protection, I know it's brr-damn-cold. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow and Friday.
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Post by stepper on Jan 14, 2015 20:57:37 GMT -6
For me it's not the cold nearly so much as blowing cold getting to my ears. If it's blowing a bit and it's cold, I need a hoodie or something like that. The rest of me just acknowledges the cold and ignores it. I heard one of the local guessers say even though we're in the dizzily 30's and have been for two days, by the weekend we'll be in the 70's.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 16, 2015 7:42:32 GMT -6
It's been so cold here that my fingers hurt even with gloves. Typical attire has been two pairs of socks, long johns, jeans, a long-sleeved shirt underneath a sweater. And that's just inside the house. Outside, gloves, lined hiking boots, a scarf/hat combination thing, and fleece-lined wool jacket are added. And that's just if I'm going somewhere in the car...though sometimes I find I forget to take off the scarf from around my neck while I'm inside. If I'm walking or shoveling, a woolly pair of mittens go over the gloves, my Mud Boots replace the hiking boots, and coveralls are worn.
But yesterday! I was down to the car attire minus the scarf/hat even while walking! It was a balmy high twenty-something/low thirty-something degrees; it may have even gotten above freezing. And this morning, my thermometer read 33 degrees! I feel free and unfettered! It's not easy walking around wearing all that stuff.
Car update: parts are being ordered, and I take it in Monday have it repaired. Insurance didn't total it! It'll take about a week to fix, but the shop is giving me a loaner so I won't be carless.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 16, 2015 17:26:12 GMT -6
Wow. I really hate when I can't keep the house warm. In certain weather conditions the house keeps a chill and I have to wear more clothing. (Wet/Damp/Rainy) Sometimes I swear a window or door is open, because I feel a draft going through me chilling me to the bone. But when I go look, everything is closed up tight.
Good news about the car. (If it's how you wanted it to play out. Which it sounded like you did.)
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 16, 2015 17:53:31 GMT -6
Oh, by the way, I saw this recently, and then Phalon told about her Dad getting her a corvette, so I thought I'd share:
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Post by stepper on Jan 16, 2015 18:34:59 GMT -6
Just don't be careless or you'll end up carless again! Um - Joxcee - share what? I don't see anything in the post except for the text.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 16, 2015 22:29:24 GMT -6
Really? I posted a link, and I can see an image in a Twitter box. I guess you have to have a Twitter account and be logged in to see it? Okay. Let's see if this will work:
MY DAD. HE JUST BOUGHT ME A NEW CAR
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Post by Phalon on Jan 17, 2015 8:19:25 GMT -6
No - I see it fine. Having "been there, done that", it's pretty funny. Dads are so corny.
"Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." I wonder what's in store for today; I thought it was supposed to be nice outside.
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Post by stepper on Jan 17, 2015 18:11:32 GMT -6
Still can't see the first post, but I can see the second one. Strange huh.
I'm slowly running into unsupported browser problems in more and more sites.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 17, 2015 18:53:51 GMT -6
It's a major pain in the a$$ when you're forced to buy new machinery to keep up with all the recent updates. I may have to buy a new printer in the near future. It wasn't all that long ago when I bought it either. I can't find the light ink colors: Cyan & Magenta. Wal-Mart & Best Buy no longer carry them. Thankfully I was able to buy them from HP's website. Now, if they stop selling them, I will have to get a new printer.
The printer knows when the ink is past it's expiration date, and gives a warning about continuing to use it. And it makes a loud screeching noise when I ignore the warning and continue to use it. If I take out the ink cartridge and leave the spot empty, the printer refuses to do anything other than to alert me that it's missing an ink cartridge. I can't get it to print with a missing ink cartridge. It's really funny how the screeching noise disappears once I've put in a brand new ink cartridge. I think it's programmed to screech just to keep me from saving money by using all of the ink up before putting in a new one.
store.hp.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PDPStdView?catalogId=10051&productId=501040&storeId=10151
store.hp.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PDPStdView?catalogId=10051&productId=502983&storeId=10151
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Post by Phalon on Jan 18, 2015 9:02:43 GMT -6
Could be...just like squealers (I'm not sure if that's the actual term) on vehicle brake pads.
Coincidentally, I just replaced ink cartridges too, although my printer doesn't screech at me when they're low. I just get a pop-up with a bar graph that lets me know the ink levels in each cartridge when they're low...which I ignore until I try to print something and it doesn't print...like yesterday. It used to be you could take your low ink cartridges in and have them refilled; or maybe you still can depending on the cartridge.
We had a melt down yesterday, and all the snow that fell actually fell as rain. Temperatures dropped overnight, and it looks like an icy mess out there now.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Jan 18, 2015 9:49:18 GMT -6
So I realize I'm about to whine about winter in a way that is probably not waht people think of when they post in the wine-ing into winter thread.....
It was 75 degrees yesterday. Pfft. That is not winter.
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