I even put on a light summer jacket over my Mobile Warming jacket and turned it on to HIGH and went for a walk to test it out . I went down the block and notice that this bike is still locked to this pole. It has been here for a few months now and probably abandoned
I decided to walk up these steps to the park
In case you were wondering, I am wearing my Merrell Barefoot Life Tour Gloves which I mentioned Here4 . I actually liked them so much that I ordered another pair from a local store and they are yet to arrive. They are not really a winter shoe and are quite thin but I seem to be okay in spite of the sub freezing temperatures.
Part of this park is ungroomed but you can see downtown Vancouver in the distance. We are only about 4 miles from the city centre and about a 10 minute ride by car
I would have thought that my jacket would have felt warm by now but there is more cold air being felt than warm air
Even though the sun is shining there is no warmth and it is casting a long shadow. In our part of the country it doesn't snow when temperatures get below freezing. It is going to be colder tonight and with the wind chill factor it is going to feel like it is -15°c , mainly due to the forecasted wind.
Today the Apple store was calling my name so I went inside just to take a little peek. It was busy in there. Lots of people looking at Stuff and they were giving lessons on how to use their machines. I know nothing about X iOS or Maverick but if I did I would be thinking about one of those Macbook Pros but I don't want to have to learn another operating system at this late stage in life so I will stick with what I know and keep using PC's
I don't know why I am here but since I am I decide to go over to the Source (which is the old Radio Shack). I like to look at electronic gizmos. There are sales going on everywhere and lots of people shopping for Christmas. I find that this time of year depresses me. People shopping and spending money they don't have to give away gifts that people don't want. While we appreciate the extra time off we stopped celebrating decades ago and we are not caught up in the stress of the season. Gift giving for us can happen anytime during the year if we notice something that the other needs, then we would just buy it then, whenever that is rather than waiting for a special occasion.
When you are young you look forward to your Birthday. As you age, not so much and you would prefer that they appear not so often. Time seems to go by much faster now
Taking photos of children that are not yours, is forbidden. I have been stopped many times in public places for snapping my camera so I cannot show you Santa Claus but only the line of people waiting for him
I visited a few more stores and headed home. My Mobile Warming jacket did not seem to be doing a very good job even though I "thought I set it" on HIGH and when I got home I figured out why it was not working. I had it set to the TOP LED for the high power level but it seems I had the controller upside down and it was only being set to 25%, rather than the 100% that I thought.
I'll have another chance to test it out tomorrow
It's just as cold if not colder in Oklahoma. My pipes just about burst, but we caught it in time. Hope your jacket keeps you warm the second time around!
ReplyDeletePat:
Deleteevery year I have to make sure to turn off our outside taps. I once had one nearly burst before so I turn them off inside and then open the outside ones to let the water drain. Glad you caught yours in time. My jacket should be okay now but I didn't turn it on today
I admire your resolve to behave yourself in the Apple store. I'd never be even remotely tempted there but then I'm one of those 'other' guys.......
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that Christmas time isn't what it once was for you though understand. I'm hanging on and will continue to since I still find it much more than presents.
Had no idea about Radio Shack becoming something else. I did a quick search, wondering if it was only a Canadian change?
Coop:
DeleteRadio Shack Canada was bought by THE SOURCE, but I still call them Radio Shack. I don't think the US operations were affected.
I still don't know how to use my iPhone. I managed to sync photos but I still don't know how to put music in it, nor understand what a playlist is. I wished I could just use it as an external drive and drag the files over using Windows Explorer. Using itunes is just a pain for me.
Christmas is not really a happy time for me. It makes me think about the past and makes me sad. When I enter a store with Christmas music playing it makes me NOT want to buy anything and just leave
Unusual for Vancouver to be colder than Ottawa, but we're enjoying the (relative) warmth of 0C and sunshine. It will swing back to normal quickly enough I expect.
ReplyDeleteCanajun:
DeleteI didn't believe it either. You are warmer than us. Can't wait for it to get back to normal as we are not used to it being this cold, nor do we have Winter clothing
Now, that are unusual temperatures indeed. I hope you manage to stay warm as long as it lasts. I hope it is just a glitch and you will soon be back to warm rain ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe are like you, we don't waste our time for shopping during Christmas, instead we give each other the most precious things we have to give away: time and love.
Sonja:
DeleteIt is slowly warming up but then in a few days the Arctic air is going to mix with humid air from Hawai'i which means snow for us next week
I don't normally go over to the Mall but I had nothing to do and lucky thing I walked as there was nowhere to park. Many stores had sales going on so sales must be sluggish to offer discounts before Christmas. The Bay had tables full of stuff at 50% off. The guy at The Source came over and told me everything in the store was 20% off everything, of one day only
You are right about the most precious things we can give
Bob!
ReplyDeleteCome on over to Ohio! We've got 8 inches of the white stuff and more is coming down! Been snowed in since Thursday.
Right now I'm wearing 2 layers of sweats, a tee shirt, a sweatshirt, a fleece jacket, 2 pairs of socks, Polartec Eddie Bauer slippers and this is IN THE HOUSE! LOL
What a beautiful mall you have there. I hope you enjoyed your snooping expeditions in the shops there. Maybe find some cool moto stuff too...
Stay warm!
Deb:
DeleteI can't imagine having 8" of snow on the ground but it must look beautiful. If you're putting on all your clothes now then how much more will you have to put on IF you go Outside ?
That mall sells mostly fashion so much more for women than men. It was one of Vancouver's first malls so it has been remodeled a few times. It looks much like white marble so no moto stuff there
Glad you are managing to stay warm. We woke to -17C this morning. The coldest temps in our area since December 1972. Frozen hot water pipes but at least we have cold water.
ReplyDeleteHope that jacket is warmer set on 100%
Trobairitz:
DeleteOH NO ! no water for washing or showering. Only a few more days for us before we get above freezing again so hope this is the same for you. You may need to get some electric pipe wrap for next time. At least you have heat and a "foot warmer"
Didn't turn on my jacket today but now I know I had the controller upside down. I will try it again tomorrow on my way to work
You look like you're really cold in the first photo. II would suggest wearing something on top of the heated jacket to hold it close to you otherwise you won't feel the warmth. I think that if I had such a nice mall close by, I would use it for walking on days like this.
ReplyDeleteRichard:
DeleteIt was cold. I do have warmer jackets somewhere but I have to dig them out. With no fur on my bald head I had to wear the toque and without gloves your hands freeze. I would have been okay if I turned my jacket on 100% rather than only 25%. I had the controller upside down and thought I had it set for the highest, rather than the lowest setting
I zipped the jacket up to the neck, then I put on my neck warmer to hold in the heat but with so little heat being generated by my electric jacket I was still a bit chilled
the layout of the mall is in a circle with a few branches, so you could just keep doing loops
going to a mall as Christmas approaches, you've a higher tolerance for crowds than I will ever have.....
ReplyDeleteDom:
DeleteI generally avoid malls. Even though this mall is so close I seldom go there. I was in walking mode and it was cold so I headed over
Nice old Nishiki. You knew I'd focus on the bike :) I see bikes like this all the time. Most are in use, but the ones that appear abandoned are soon stripped of parts until just the frame remains. This one looks like a great commuter.
ReplyDeleteIt's cold here too, but no snow just sunshine that has no warmth to it.
Kari:
DeleteNot sure but I think Nishiki was bought out by Norco. They made good bikes. Perhaps that one was being ridden daily by someone working at the Botanical gardens across the street. It has been parked there regularly for the past few months.
We have the same as you. No snow yet but forecast for next week, not much perhaps a few flurries then rain for next weekend
I've never really lived in such a cold climate. I spent 6 months, January to June, in Orem UT with my Dad & StepMom when I was 13. The snow was awful. I hated it. I'm all So Cal in my heart. I can say that with confidence now that I've traveled a bit.
ReplyDeleteChristmas makes me terribly sad. No matter how happy I am now, and I really am, it always reminds me that I have no family of origin that wants me. They'll all be together and be so happy, especially since I'm not there. Still hurts.
Hugs,
Sash.
Www.SashMouth.com
Tina:
DeleteWe are probably living in the warmest place in Canada but it still gets cold here, usually hovers around freezing for a few months. Wished I could live somewhere warmer like SoCal but not without medical coverage, which is expensive for non-residents
I am also happy now but not when I was young. I used to be so envious of those who had loving families when I also felt unwanted. Christmas had always been a lonely time for me with no home to go to and also not being part of any family. This is why I cherish so much the people I meet
As with you, the hurt comes back each year and Christmas music makes me sad and brings back the unhappy memories. People that don't come from broken homes will never understand. You are not part of either family as they want to forget too
Bob - it was freezing here on the island. We had -20 windchill the other day and when we took the poor puppy for a walk she was just looking at us like "Really you are dragging me out of my warm bed to pee?!" It was more of a short drag the dog around the block. I have been wearing multiple layers and my wool coat, but even still its cold. I remember when I lived up in PG and we would get
ReplyDelete-40 to -75 winters with 10 to 12 feet of snow, but after you live away from it for awhile you lose the survival instincts I think. I also think due to the humidity here it makes it really bone chilling cold, I would rather do a dry extreme cold that -15 coastal cold. I am sorry that you feel blue this time of year, it is a hard time for a lot of people.
Dar:
DeleteI was feeling so sorry for you. We didn't get any snow last week but we did get the Arctic air. Even layered it felt very cold.
I think those who grew up with loving families don't realize how lucky they were. I used to look at them and wished that I had a loving home too. I had no parents after they divorced and I was bounced around for a few years. It still makes me sad when I think about it and Christmas was always a lonely time for me. Not so much now but somehow my mind just keeps going back.
I have a huge down coat I bought from the Sears catalogue about 30 years ago back in the days when it was full of northern winter gear. Forty below in a stiff wind outdoors in Ft St John and I was a happy camper. Around here I only get to wear it once every five years or so. I had it on in the coldest part of our little cold snap. Eventually I did get too warm and had to unzip somewhat. I love being warm!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe only time I wasn't in that coat was in Northern China in the winter. In my killer coat I was feeling pretty smug until I got hit with bitter blasts of cold directly from the part of Siberia that is the coldest place on earth. THAT was a shock to my system. I looked around at how the locals were dressed and I don't know how they stand it. We have it pretty good by comparison here on the Wet Coast.