...my annual Winter Misery... ....

I woke up this morning to a observe my World enveloped in an icy cold Winter Hoar Frost!



The first day of my long Winter days and nights, with all my curtains closed to conserve warmth, and all my electric lights on to lighten the internal gloom.
The temperature in my bedroom last night dipped below freezing a couple of times, causing my portable fan heater frost protection setting to switch on, to raise the temperature slightly!

I have decided, for the first time, to ignore the massive electric heating bills, and keep my portable, oil filled electric radiator maintaining a temperature of 18*C  in my living room for 18 hours, 7 days a week to keep me alive until late late Spring!.

I certainly have no love for English Winters...all 9 Months of it!

If any Sim V Members have a liking for Ice and Snow, and Cold, they can have my share with grateful thanks!

Paul....Brrrrrr!.... ...! 

Roads dangerously icy, so no food shopping on my Motor Bike!

P.S. Just to compound my misery; Bing Crosby is singing; "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" on my radio!.... ...!

... ... ... ...!

My trees and shrubs in my front and back gardens desperately require "coppicing"....

.... but its too bloody cold to go outside!.... ...!

This is the time of the year, when the leaves have all fallen off, is the best time to do it, with the minimum of foliage to get rid of...
...but its much too bloody cold to venture outside for me!

Paul...."leaving" it for a while, 'till it gets warmer..... ...!

ViperPilot wrote on Dec 13^th, 2012 at 11:21am:


Hello Alan... ...

As frequent Sim Flyer around the SW and Mid-West USA, I always imagine that the temperatures would mostly be high, due to the desert regions of So-California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, etc.

http://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/usa-state-and-capital-map.html

I have great difficulty in visualising Tumbleweeds, Cacti, Rattlesnakes,  and Snow in Arizona at the same time!... ...!

I tend to attribute Cold, Ice, and Snow to the Northern States, bordering Canada?

Maybe, even Santa Monica (Los Angeles), gets a bit chilly in the Winter time?... ...!

Paul... ...!

1olehippy wrote on Dec 13^th, 2012 at 2:25pm:


Ta Dave!.... ...!

...then I could take a trip along Route 66, from Denver, on my Honda Motorbike, for a trip to Flagstaff, just wearing my shorts, sandals, and Levi Jacket (and shades!), and basking in the hot sunshine!.... ...!

.....instead of sitting here in my living room, with a blanket wrapped around me, freezing my nuts off!... ...!

Paul... ... ...!

I'm feeling for you Paul, horrible weather.

Luckily, NZ has nice weather today going to be about 28°C where I am.

Though, my father (a Scotsman) has been moaning that it isn't cold enough to be Christmas.

Paul

Got to my pub at 1400 hrs, just got home at 2130. You had one hell of a good time.    As soon as I can figure how to post a pic, I'll send them. Keep warm, we care 'bout you.

Dave 

1olehippy wrote on Dec 13^th, 2012 at 11:49pm:


Retirement... ...!

I've been retired since 1984, and it has its good points and its bad points.

The good news:
When I was working, during the cold Winter months, I spent all day, each day, in a nice, warm, cosy office, with someone else supplying the heating, and paying the heating and lighting bills!... ...!

The bad news:
...but when retired in the Winter, I spend all day, every day, in my house desperately trying to keep warm, and dreading the resulting heating and lighting bills!

But overall, I prefer to be retired...(and occasionally cold)... ...!

Paul.... ...!

I'm off to Sainsbury's Superstore in a minute, to warm myself under the heating fan at the entrance to the store...
...I may linger there for some time... ...!

..... ....!

Bass wrote on Dec 14^th, 2012 at 10:56am:


Sometimes happens when one retires...

..the important bits in the top (front) which control the overall workings, go missing...

(Engine in the rear?....Politicians!)... ...!

.... ... ...!

The best medicine for the present cold weather; including coughs, colds, influenza, runny noses, etc...

...is a knife and forkful of this, dispensed on a hot plate...>>>



Paul... .... ....!

The problem? for me, and the rest of the local residents, is that we live in a "smokeless zone", where burning things is discouraged, or illegal.

Even though our houses, including mine, have chimneys, we can no longer burn coal, wood, ex wives, undesirable aliens, etc, in our grates!
(Carbon dioxide fumes, etc).

Although this has eliminated air pollution from smoke, it has left me freezing my goolies off, every Winter!... ...!

We have to be very careful what we burn nowadays, to avoid tangling with the Law.

OAT at the moment = 10*C. Slightly more comfortable... ..!

Paul....Hot mid-day Dinner... ...!

I moved into my brand-new council house in 1962 which were built with open coal fires and chimneys, which served us very well until the; "Health and Safety" rules and laws where instituted.This resulted in the use of open coal, etc, fires being made illegal.
The same law also made my gas fire fitted in my fire place also being suddenly made illegal.
All this due to the fright of CO2 fumes being exhausted from the interior chimney brickwork walls into the rooms within the house.
"Central Heating" wasn't invented in the 1960's, and before. We all used coal fires!
It is the construction of brick chimneys which now prohibits the use of CO2 generating fuel.
I cant remember any of my neighbours dying of CO2 poisoning in all that time of stoking up all their fires!
Our council houses are gradually having gas central heating fitted, but after 50 years of occupation in a very large house, and accumulating all that that entails, the fitting of a full central heating system generates all sorts of complex problems in finding spaces to install the necessary appliances!
I have a rock on one side, and a hard place on the other!
Decisions, decisions... ...!

Paul....surrounded by most of the Hale Orchestra...and electronic computers...and 50 years of other "stuff"!... ...!

Hello Doug...

For an open coal fire to be used legally, it would be necessary to completely line the existing brick chimney from top to bottom with a metal tube and sealant (concrete?), and this, apparently, is too costly for the council to install..they say...

...so its gas central heating with hot water radiators....or nothing!

At the moment I am using a portable (on wheels) electric, oil-filled radiator in my living room...and nothing elsewhere.. ...!

Paul....still living in the 18th century... ...!

'elf and safety is the instigator of all my present problems!... ....!

In the olden days, an open coal fire kept the downstairs warm, and the heat radiated from the hot chimney kept the upstairs rooms warm.

I may pop into Maplins tomorrow, Doug...>>>

http://www.maplin.co.uk/1200w-halogen-heater-383988

£20...If it doesn't snow...and I can strap it onto the back of my Motor-bike... ...!

Paul...an even bigger electric bill!... ...!

That's health&safety fozzer,they do whatever they can to annoy the hell out of you.
We've been using an open fireplace for the past few years now and the only CO2 in our house comes from farts and open windows.

wahubna wrote on Dec 18^th, 2012 at 5:29am:


At your latitude, (similar to mine) I would have thought you would get some pretty cold Winters, Adam, with snow and ice, and frozen fingers, etc!
I never did find freezing cold weather pleasant....

...Butterflies and Tortoises don't, either!... ...!

Paul...Mid-day...7*C, 1015mb, clear blue sky, no wind, at the moment.

BLAZE wrote on Jan 16^th, 2013 at 1:28pm:


I wont tell all my secrets