Comments on Winter

[Point_Left]

I wrote this last year during a week when it was cold. I wonder how many people I am discouraging from coming to Canada in the winter? Anyway, I think that I feel like repeating it now:

Conclusions I have arrived at today (it being -32 degrees C BEFORE wind chill…)
-Heating in residence doesn’t work to well
-Down comforter covers are good
-Long sleeved PJs are nice
-Actually, just staying in bed is nice…
-Drying laundry in your room over night causes beautiful frost designs on the window, which are doubly nice because you can’t see how miserable it is outside
-There aren’t enough warm caves to crawl into
-I don’t have enough pairs of pants to be really warm, and still be able to walk.
-Ditto for sweaters/shirts
-gloves that keep your hands warm will invariably become sweaty
-Once your glasses fog up, they don’t unfog until you go inside.
-Arts students write poetry about the weather, then burn it to keep warm
-Science students lament the low co-efficient of friction, state that it isn’t cold until nitrogen freezes, and create spheres of dihydrogen monoxide crystals to launch in a vector sufficient to make contact with the arts students
-Engineers build catapults to launch the spheres at whoever happens to be nearby…
-When you are outside and your watch is under three layers of clothing, time is irrelevant
-The best route from class to class is the one that is inside, even if it means you are late.
-Ice freezes well to the scarf over your face

Observations on others:
-You are cold because your coat is undone.
-You cannot drink hot chocolate through a scarf
-Blowing on your glasses to melt the snowflakes that have attached themselves there is generally ineffective.

General complaint: Why did I come NORTH for Uni?

[cornflower]

You need a hat like mine. It has NEVER failed me. Although I think it needs to be washed because I keep getting a mysterious rash on my forehead.

[ThatReallyHurt]

I'll do my best:

Conclusions I have arrived at today (it being -32 degrees C BEFORE wind chill…)
-Heating in residence doesn’t work to well
Does anything in residence ever work well? Isn't that part of the residence experience?
-Down comforter covers are good
Oh yeah. Warming the bed up with a hot water bottle first can make you feel like royalty, let me tell you.
-Long sleeved PJs are nice
Very true... flannel sheets are something else, too.
-Actually, just staying in bed is nice…
Also true. You have to admit, though - there's nothing better than being really comfortable in a nice, warm, soft bed when you can feel cool air outside the covers. Induces a great secure feeling.
-Drying laundry in your room over night causes beautiful frost designs on the window, which are doubly nice because you can’t see how miserable it is outside
Heh... I've made it _rain_ in my room by drying laundry in it. No matter what kind of temptation you may have to open the window briefly and let some of the moist air out, don't - I've frozen the window open twice. That wasn't altogether fun...
-There aren’t enough warm caves to crawl into
This is a good thing - warm caves would tend to have animals or packs of animals living in them... No sense you getting eaten by something because you're cold and wandered into some cave. Best to put on your toque and woolies.
-I don’t have enough pairs of pants to be really warm, and still be able to walk.
Again, woolies are where it's at. Leg hair doesn't help at all. Neither do socks. Go for the gusto and pick up some Hanes' or BVD's!
-Ditto for sweaters/shirts
I'm a t-shirt guy all year round. Hmm... I guess having several extra layers of fat helps me with this one.
-gloves that keep your hands warm will invariably become sweaty
You, my friend, need a good pair of garbage mitts. They're like 7 bucks a pair and they'll last almost forever. Plus, they'll get all deformed and lumpy - great places to hide kleenex for when you need to blow your nose.
-Once your glasses fog up, they don’t unfog until you go inside.
This is definitely a character builder, and makes you appreciate how much you use your eyes.
-Arts students write poetry about the weather, then burn it to keep warm
Better burnt than allow it to fall into society's hands. Some of that poetry is really bad. Limericks are, in my opinion, the highest form of written word.

When going outside
-Science students lament the low co-efficient of friction, state that it isn’t cold until nitrogen freezes, and create spheres of dihydrogen monoxide crystals to launch in a vector sufficient to make contact with the arts students
Frozen dihydrogen monoxide is for sissies - I drank a WHOLE LITRE of it today, and it was so hot it was a liquid!
-Engineers build catapults to launch the spheres at whoever happens to be nearby…
-When you are outside and your watch is under three layers of clothing, time is irrelevant
Yeah, especially when you go to school when it's dark, and come home when it's dark.
-The best route from class to class is the one that is inside, even if it means you are late.
Yes, but think of all the beautiful scenery you're missing! Plus, those heated corridors are overrated and horribly crowded.
-Ice freezes well to the scarf over your face
Hey - try growing a moustache/beard. It's really fun when you've been innocently breathing, but everyone thinks you've got either a big lump of snot or drool hanging off your facial hair. Actually, I was just kidding, it's not fun at all.

Observations on others:
-You are cold because your coat is undone.
Ah, they may be cold, but they also think they look cool. It's funny watching the smokers outside between classes - all huddled together with their jackets undone, trying to light their cigarettes in the wind...
-You cannot drink hot chocolate through a scarf
I can honestly say I've never tried this. Sounds dangerous.
-Blowing on your glasses to melt the snowflakes that have attached themselves there is generally ineffective.
Yeah, so is trying to rub them off with the thumbs of your gloves. Keep the wind at your face, and you'll be fine. Until, of course, your glasses suck the heat out of the bridge of your nose and ears and they start to freeze...

General complaint: Why did I come NORTH for Uni?
Think of all the pity you'll get! All the character you'll build! All the people you'll meet!
When I was at university, there was one fellow there from Zaire. When it got down to +2, he was out in winter parka, mitts, toque and hood, scarf... the whole nine yards. That was the year that it stayed below -30C (without wind chill) for over three weeks straight... poor guy - I don't think I've ever seen anyone wear that many clothes at once.

[telkanuru]

I hear a lot of whining

It's not cold until your spit is frozen before it hits the ground. If you want cold, go climb Mt. Washington in January.

My complaint is why did the school wait until it was -10 F to give me an exam that was across campus while scheduling the one 50 feet from my dorm on a day that's 40 F. Damn New England weather.

[Zilverzmurfen]

You need a hat like mine.

Ha ha, that's a...er...hm...
No, I can't tell you what we call those hats in Sweden, it'll trigger someones filter...

[pammie003]

I suggest fleece p.j's... warm and toasty.

Also, snowpants. Who cares what you look like? They're warm! Besides, there's nothing better than getting to class and having to strip off four or five layers...

[Aeric]

I have that hat too! So glad I got it for Christmas. Though now I look like a Russian in Siberia, but it's better than having my ears freeze off.

[Soldier]

Here's how you do it:

Start with a layer of thermal underwear (black and issued, in my case, and ever so wonderful) - long sleeve, and bottoms. Thin dress socks, worn with the legs of the thermals over the sock. Then thicker boot socks over those, worn over the leg of the thermals.

Add a long-sleeve t-shirt and a good pair of pants, preferably lined, over that. Sweatshirt next, followed by synthetic down jacket. Snow boots on next - must be huge (air is your friend). Tuck the liners of them into your pant legs, then tuck the pant legs into the main boots.

Next, add fleece "Polar Poncho", thoughtfully sent by sister while in New Zealand, over down jacket - this will cover your entire neck, and goes down over your chest and back a bit, meaning you're well insulated at the neck. Also long enough to pull up over one's face.

Now put on the large weatherproof outer shell, zipped all the way up, snapped/buttoned all the way, drawstring pulled tight around the waist.

Add a balclava, tuck into the Polar Poncho. Now ski goggles. Now, pull the Polar Poncho up over the lower half of the face and balclava, to the bottom edge of the goggles. Knit cap next, pull down to overlap the top of the Polar Poncho. Hood up, for extra wind protection.

Finally, now that you no longer need any kind of dexterity, a thin pair of tactical gloves (or other suitable liners) goes on, tucked beneath the various sleeves. Good skiing/mountaineering gloves over these, overtop of outermost sleeve, pull tight at the wrist.

Congratulations! You now look like a shock-trooper in black armor. But damn if you're not warm, even if it's 90 below (-68 C).

Optional: Tuck a small MP3 player into the layers someplace, then run the headphones up your back (probably underneath the down layer), for your own personal soundtrack. With four or five layers of cloth over your ears, the sound will be insulated, as well as the headphones held firmly in place - very good sound quality.


Now...who was complaining that it's too cold to go outside?

[HillBilly]

hey I always dress like that...






edit: except then i need to go to the bathroom...

[cornflower]

Ha ha, that's a...er...hm...
No, I can't tell you what we call those hats in Sweden, it'll trigger someones filter...

Ooooh! I'm curious now!

[Westley]

Aye, now you have to tell us.

[Point_Left]

Does anything in residence ever work well? Isn't that part of the residence experience?
Oh, the fire alarms work very well. Particularly when there are drunken parties...

-Down comforter covers are good
Oh yeah. Warming the bed up with a hot water bottle first can make you feel like royalty, let me tell you.
Must try this.
-Drying laundry in your room over night causes beautiful frost designs on the window, which are doubly nice because you can’t see how miserable it is outside
Heh... I've made it _rain_ in my room by drying laundry in it. No matter what kind of temptation you may have to open the window briefly and let some of the moist air out, don't - I've frozen the window open twice. That wasn't altogether fun...
That takes talent. I also learned last year not to open windows while my room is moist. Besides, that moisture means I don't need a humidifier.

-Arts students write poetry about the weather, then burn it to keep warm
Better burnt than allow it to fall into society's hands. Some of that poetry is really bad. Limericks are, in my opinion, the highest form of written word.
So there is a purpose to the burning. I had been wondering why they didn't simply burn the note books.

Frozen dihydrogen monoxide is for sissies - I drank a WHOLE LITRE of it today, and it was so hot it was a liquid!
Oh yeah? Well I drink the liquid stuff with some rather powerful chemicals disolved in it! You ever seen a bunch of people on a sucrose high? I tell you, pure H2O is nothing once you've done dissolved sucrose. I hear that some people do glucose, too.

Observations on others:
-You are cold because your coat is undone.
Ah, they may be cold, but they also think they look cool. It's funny watching the smokers outside between classes - all huddled together with their jackets undone, trying to light their cigarettes in the wind...
Makes you wonder why there are still smokers left in northern climates.

-You cannot drink hot chocolate through a scarf
I can honestly say I've never tried this. Sounds dangerous.
I didn't try it. I was walking outside, and I think someone forgot that they were wearing a scarf.

General complaint: Why did I come NORTH for Uni?
Think of all the pity you'll get! All the character you'll build! All the people you'll meet!
When I was at university, there was one fellow there from Zaire. When it got down to +2, he was out in winter parka, mitts, toque and hood, scarf... the whole nine yards. That was the year that it stayed below -30C (without wind chill) for over three weeks straight... poor guy - I don't think I've ever seen anyone wear that many clothes at once.[/QUOTE]
I was going for pity. Everyone keeps giving constructive advice, though. Oh, well. I do agree that the exchange students are amusing. Had one form Hawaii last year. I think she bought her parka the first week. She didn't come back second semester. Odd. She had said she was looking forward to seeing snow for the first time.

[Inquartata]

You need a hat like mine.

So---that's Victoria's Secret. At last we know!

[Schiavona]

Well here the little weather gods gave us a fun New Year's gift! Just after New Year's Day the temperature climbed to 50F and it rained, washing all the snow down. Not away, too much snow for that, just down as in compressed. Then the temperature dropped and dropped and then dropped some more, to -15F. Ice everywhere. A temperature difference of 65F in, what? 72 hours? Luckily it's gone up again, 12F this weekend. If only we got another couple of feet of snow.......

[Hurriranger]

winters here in australia is great. Gets cold in the morning but once the sun comes up it's all good.

However summers here suck!!! it gets soooo hot

[ThatReallyHurt]

winters here in australia is great. Gets cold in the morning but once the sun comes up it's all good.

However summers here suck!!! it gets soooo hot

Yeah - cold winters are better than hot summers because you can always put more clothes on... but you can only take so many off before you end up in jail.

[wildmoppet]

Doesn't really get to either extreme here... Boring, rainy country!

[VELISARIOS]

Cool!!!!!!!!!!

[telkanuru]

Well here the little weather gods gave us a fun New Year's gift! Just after New Year's Day the temperature climbed to 50F and it rained, washing all the snow down. Not away, too much snow for that, just down as in compressed. Then the temperature dropped and dropped and then dropped some more, to -15F. Ice everywhere. A temperature difference of 65F in, what? 72 hours? Luckily it's gone up again, 12F this weekend. If only we got another couple of feet of snow.......

Sounds like you have New England weather. This week our highs were approximately 25-30-25-50-60-30-20. We also had snow, rain, sleet, and ice. Huzzah!

[Inquartata]

Yeah - cold winters are better than hot summers because you can always put more clothes on... but you can only take so many off before you end up in jail.

OTOH, girl-watching is seriously hampered by weather which necessitates parkas, galoshes, ski masks, fur hats and mittens...

I'll take heat over cold any time.