Canadian Buffoon's Exhausted Vacation - Update 09/01 - New TR link!

[franandaj]

I just walked wearing nothing but pajamas, slippers and a robe.

Of course that was inside.

When I'm in my sleeping clothes, I'm walking around in my....oh wait! Family board! Then again only two of us live here and the cats don't care!

 

[pkondz]

When I'm in my sleeping clothes, I'm walking around in my....oh wait! Family board!

I learn so much from the DIS!

Then again only two of us live here and the cats don't care!

Unless they're trying to climb up you.

 

[franandaj]

I learn so much from the DIS!

Unless they're trying to climb up you.

They know better than that!

 

[pkondz]

They know better than that!

Does that include Clancy???

 

[lvcourtneyy]

It didn't make you cold??

i have the heat on and it was 47 degrees today so clearly I’d never make it in the north.

That's right.
I live in Winnipeg now.
Still cold, but... not quite
as insanely cold as up North.

Gotcha. Cold does seem better than insanely cold.

Churchill on the other hand...
I highly recommend.

officially on my bucket list!

Love your new avatar, by the way!

thank you!

 

[franandaj]

Does that include Clancy???

Well he's gone so it doesn't matter, but especially Clancy. All he wanted to do was get away from us.

 

[pkondz]

i have the heat on and it was 47 degrees today so clearly I’d never make it in the north.

You'd be in trouble!

Gotcha. Cold does seem better than insanely cold.

Sometimes it's insanely cold here too.
Like... now.

officially on my bucket list!

Good!

 

[pkondz]

Well he's gone so it doesn't matter, but especially Clancy. All he wanted to do was get away from us.

Ah. Good point.

 

[Tracy161]

Clever girl...

I really don't recommend
winter visits...

I don't even recommend winter visits to New York!

Yes. He consulted me when
he made his movie.

As he should have!

So... I won't expect you to
show up on my doorstep
for a few months yet.

Precisely. Summertime sounds marvelous!

 

[pkondz]

I don't even recommend winter visits to New York!

Unless you're a fan of
tunneling through snow?

As he should have!

Precisely. Summertime sounds marvelous!

It really is.
When ya coming up?

 

[Tracy161]

Unless you're a fan of
tunneling through snow?

I'm not. But even still, I spent a good chunk of yesterday doing just that

It really is.
When ya coming up?

ASAP!!!

 

[pkondz]

I'm not. But even still, I spent a good chunk of yesterday doing just that

I bet.
Saw the news about the major
snow dump out your way.

We're getting that today
(though not quite as much)

We've had 6" so far but the
wind will make it bad a bit later
(50mph winds forecast.)

Should make for a fun day/evening.

ASAP!!!

Yay!
(As long as "ASAP" means after
the snow is gone... )

 

[Tracy161]

I bet.
Saw the news about the major
snow dump out your way.

We're getting that today
(though not quite as much)

We've had 6" so far but the
wind will make it bad a bit later
(50mph winds forecast.)

Should make for a fun day/evening.

Ugh, we sure got it. Somewhere between 8" and 12"... who can tell with the wind blowing it all over the place

I hope your day/evening was less "fun" than expected Thankfully, our snow landed on a day I had off from work, so I didn't have the "joy" of driving in it at least!

Yay!
(As long as "ASAP" means after
the snow is gone... )

I think that would technically be ATSIG... just sayin'

 

[YYCmom]

Hello Pkondz and friends,
I've been slowly reading through the TR and enjoying it all!

As a Californian transplanted to Alberta - 16 years ago - I wanted to chime in with a detail regarding winters in cold and snowy places...
One thing I didn't see mentioned (so far... I'm on page 57) is dealing with two sets of tires for each car. The winter tires are designed for more traction on snow.

Anyway, here in Calgary, we usually get our first snowfall sometime between September 1 and mid-October. If we happen to be paying attention to the calendar and the weather, we will swap out the tires (or take the car into the shop and have them do it) around mid-October before the snow gets too bad.

We do not own tire chains. My brother-in-law once was driving in the Sierras in California when it was snowing, and he was super offended that they required him to put chains on his car.

In addition to winter tires, the city will put down salt or gravel or some combination on the streets. Salts will lower the freezing point of water so that more of the snow melts, but they only work if it's warm enough. If it gets too cold, then they put gravel down which gets packed into the snow to provide some traction.

Also, in Calgary, they don't clear the residential streets of snow. We just drive on the packed down snow until it melts.

And then hopefully the last worst snow is over by the end of March and we can swap our tires back to the summer tires sometime in April. We have to store the tires we're not using in the garage. (I'm not a tire expert, but my understanding is that the winter tires are softer than regular tires, and so you don't want to leave them on when you don't need to because they will wear out faster, but I'm not sure on that.)

My husband used to swap out the tires himself, but now that the cars all have tire pressure monitoring systems, we take the cars to a garage to have it done. That way when the TPMS throws an error code, the mechanic gets blamed.

 

[pkondz]

Ugh, we sure got it. Somewhere between 8" and 12"... who can tell with the wind blowing it all over the place

Ugh.
Lovely...

I hope your day/evening was less "fun" than expected

Actually... it wasn't as bad as I thought it might get.

Thankfully, our snow landed on a day I had off from work, so I didn't have the "joy" of driving in it at least!

Bullet dodged!

I think that would technically be ATSIG... just sayin'

Picky, picky, picky...

 

[pkondz]

Hello Pkondz and friends,
I've been slowly reading through the TR and enjoying it all!

Well hi there! And to the TR!
It's finished now, but... you're still more
than welcome to plow through it.

As a Californian transplanted to Alberta - 16 years ago - I wanted to chime in with a detail regarding winters in cold and snowy places...
One thing I didn't see mentioned (so far... I'm on page 57) is dealing with two sets of tires for each car. The winter tires are designed for more traction on snow.

1. I saw the YYC and immediately
thought Calgary.
Glad to see I was right.
2. I didn't write about winter tires,
because I don't use winter tires.
I know... I know... I should.
But I have no room left in
the garage to store them anyways.
I've never driven with them, so don't "miss" them.

But yes... I should.

We do not own tire chains. My brother-in-law once was driving in the Sierras in California when it was snowing, and he was super offended that they required him to put chains on his car.

I would too!
"Snow chains? For moi????"

In addition to winter tires, the city will put down salt or gravel or some combination on the streets.

Gravel? Really? Not sand?

Also, here we use a "brine"
(mixture of salt and water)
on the roads instead of
straight salt.

Also, in Calgary, they don't clear the residential streets of snow. We just drive on the packed down snow until it melts.

Not at all?
They don't clear the residential
streets often, but they do clear
them a couple times a year
(depending on snowfall amounts.)

We have to store the tires we're not using in the garage.

Yeah... there's the rub...ber

(I'm not a tire expert, but my understanding is that the winter tires are softer than regular tires, and so you don't want to leave them on when you don't need to because they will wear out faster, but I'm not sure on that.)

That's correct.
The softer compound helps the
tire adhere to the surface, but also
causes it to wear faster in warm weather.

My husband used to swap out the tires himself, but now that the cars all have tire pressure monitoring systems, we take the cars to a garage to have it done. That way when the TPMS throws an error code, the mechanic gets blamed.

Good plan!
My car doesn't have TPMS,
but DW's does.
So I'd probably change mine,
but not hers.


Thanks for chiming in!
I'm sure for a lot of southern
readers that's something that
they'd not be familiar with.

 

[YYCmom]

Well hi there! And to the TR!

I started off reading trip reports because we're headed to Florida in March. I saw your comments on a bunch of TRs, so I came to find your reports.

1. I saw the YYC and immediately
thought Calgary.
Glad to see I was right.

Yup!

"Snow chains? For moi????"

He still complains about the "chain-industrial complex".

Gravel? Really? Not sand?

I went and looked it up - it's "fine gravel". Certainly looks larger than sand to me.
From City of Calgary:
The City believes in using the right amount of salt or sanding product in the right place and at the right time.

• When road surface temperatures are between 0 and -10 degrees Celsius, and the temperature is not expected to go any lower, salt is used to melt accumulated snow and ice.
• When road surfaces are below -10 degrees Celsius, with colder temperatures forecasted, a sanding chip mixture (3% salt, 97% fine gravel) is used.

Not at all?
They don't clear the residential
streets often, but they do clear

Nope, residential streets not cleared at all. But our weather is super variable, so usually it warms up enough for much of the snow to melt off the pavement in between cold snaps.

Yeah... there's the rub...ber

That's correct.

Yay! I like being right.

Still reading... a few pages a day...

 

[orangecats2]

Over?!?! What do you mean over? It’s been going for more than two years, I certainly think we can keep it going until you take another trip.

My trip is less than a week away. I’m a little nervous with all the changes. Genie+, lightning lane, having to pay extra to ride certain rides, masks, Covid and everything in between. I hope we get on the new Star Wars, Remy, Slinky Dog, and Alien Saucers. I think those are the only ones we haven’t ridden. I did get Genie+ for every day. I’m not looking forward to getting up at 6:45am just to reserve a ride.
I’m renting a scooter this time so hopefully I won’t be so tired. First time doing a split stay too. But it might be the last time we go for several years.

I have to remember to put in my iPods on IASW. Thinking Metallica might be good. What did you listen to?

And what are the chances that I’ll get a Figment popcorn bucket?

 

[pkondz]

I started off reading trip reports because we're headed to Florida in March. I saw your comments on a bunch of TRs, so I came to find your reports.

So many Trs... so little time...

He still complains about the "chain-industrial complex".

I went and looked it up - it's "fine gravel". Certainly looks larger than sand to me.
From City of Calgary:
The City believes in using the right amount of salt or sanding product in the right place and at the right time.

• When road surface temperatures are between 0 and -10 degrees Celsius, and the temperature is not expected to go any lower, salt is used to melt accumulated snow and ice.
• When road surfaces are below -10 degrees Celsius, with colder temperatures forecasted, a sanding chip mixture (3% salt, 97% fine gravel) is used.

Interesting. I tried to see what
we use here, but all I found was
"treated sand".
No idea what that means.

Nope, residential streets not cleared at all. But our weather is super variable, so usually it warms up enough for much of the snow to melt off the pavement in between cold snaps.

Huh.
Wouldn't work here.
It'll melt...
But not until spring.
If it wasn't plowed every now
and then, it would get pretty
badly rutted.
(And deep.)

Yay! I like being right.

Way to go, you!!

Still reading... a few pages a day...

If you start feeling faint
or (more likely) nauseous,
put your head between
your knees and take deep breaths.

 

[pkondz]

Over?!?! What do you mean over? It’s been going for more than two years, I certainly think we can keep it going until you take another trip.

Well... I did do a road trip to
Toronto/Niagara Falls last fall, but...
While I took some photos, just didn't
think that anyone would be interested.
I mean... I've written about so much
that isn't remotely Disney related already...

My trip is less than a week away. I’m a little nervous with all the changes. Genie+, lightning lane, having to pay extra to ride certain rides, masks, Covid and everything in between.

I totally get that.
I'm looking at taking oldest DD
in August as a grad present.
And I'm already nervous.

I hope we get on the new Star Wars, Remy, Slinky Dog, and Alien Saucers.

I think A$$ is easy enough to get on.
The others?... not so much.

I did get Genie+ for every day.

I'm thinking of doing the same.
I suspect I'll use it most days anyways,
so... might as well just avoid the hassle
of buying it each day just to save one
day of not using it.

I’m not looking forward to getting up at 6:45am just to reserve a ride.

That actually doesn't bother me,
since I know I'll be up for RD anyways.

I’m renting a scooter this time so hopefully I won’t be so tired.

Good idea.
Let me know how it works out
for you. I've heard mixed reports.

First time doing a split stay too.

Where?

But it might be the last time we go for several years.

Got other things/places planned?

I have to remember to put in my iPods on IASW. Thinking Metallica might be good. What did you listen to?

AC/DC and Aerosmith
Great ride.

And what are the chances that I’ll get a Figment popcorn bucket?