The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

[Herbaceous]

Welp, the “snowstorm” was a let-down - we had rain, then a teeny bit of freezing rain, then maybe about 5 cm of wet snow. Really nothing to write home about.

We live in an older neighborhood (1950s) with mature trees, so we have lots of wildlife. In the time we’ve lived here, I’ve seen raccoons, rabbits, rats, possoms, skunks, we had a mother fox and her 5 babies living under the deck a couple summers ago, and Norm, our resident groundhog (he’s the groundhog in my avatar). I’ve also seen photos of coyotes wandering down the street. We also have the usual chipmunks, grey squirrels, and red squirrels. I don’t mind having them around, although I did set up a motion-activated sprinkler to keep Norm out of the garden after he ate all my tomatoes one year - he got SO FAT.

 

[TastyReuben]

32F/0C and flurries, with a windchill well below that real temp.

 

[Windigo]

32F/0C and flurries, with a windchill well below that real temp.

Been like that for a week here, even down to -7. I haven't been able to go outside for a week due to the real risk of falling due to limited mobility and blood thinners.
Hopefully tomorrow I can go to the Christmas market, it's supposed to thaw then.
But a white Christmas is predicted after a few mellow days.

 

[TastyReuben]

But a white Christmas is predicted after a few mellow days.

Last year, we had a proper white Christmas - it snowed both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

This year, temps are supposed to nosedive this coming week, with real temps below 0F, and they say we might get a dusting.

 

[caseydog]

It is sunny and 42F/6C outside. I'm going to need to layer up for the football game tonight.

I'm hoing Mean Joe Greene will be at the game. He is a UNT alum, and NFL Hall of Famer, and was a member of the best defense ever in the NFL, the Steel Curtain.

He also did one of the best remembered TV ads in my lifetime...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjaWKK6ylQg


CD

 

[Windigo]

Last year, we had a proper white Christmas - it snowed both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

This year, temps are supposed to nosedive this coming week, with real temps below 0F, and they say we might get a dusting.

Well you've always had lots more snow than us anyway. I can count the times we had a white Christmas in my life on one hand, because it's only twice. And actual real snowfall has also only been 3 times in my life, meaning a load that lasted more than a week and covered everything. The last time that was was in 2020. Usually winter here is frosty and rainy, but not enough to produce a lot of snow.
So you're lucky with that amount of white Christmasses!
And I really hope we get to enjoy one too, because me being unable to go out much then doesn't matter because there's nothing to do outside anyway.

 

[caseydog]

Last year, we had a proper white Christmas - it snowed both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

This year, temps are supposed to nosedive this coming week, with real temps below 0F, and they say we might get a dusting.

It is supposed to get cold all over the US for Christmas, even in Houston where they are predicting highs in the 40s, and lows in the 20s (that's well below zero in Celsius). But, no snow.

CD

 

[TastyReuben]

I can count the times we had a white Christmas in my life on one hand, because it's only twice.

When I was a kid, I’d say we had snow on the ground at Christmas about half the time. Now, I’d say it’s about 25% of the time.

We get most of our snow now in January and February, and our cold temps as well. It’s been cold much earlier here, so maybe that bodes well for snow.

My wife’s hometown…they just got 13 inches!

 

[Yorky]

"Older than God" guitarist with the "Rolling Stones", Keith Richards is actually only 79 years old. His birthday is today.

 

[Yorky]

We woke up to this this morning:

I retrieved the tools from under the back seat, got down on the floor to assess the situation then concluded "bugger this for a game of soldiers" and rang the garage.

Two guys arrived in less than 10 minutes, removed the wheel, took it back to the garage, returned with it fixed and back on the truck within 20 minutes. ฿300.00 (around US$8.50).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

We woke up to this this morning:

View attachment 93812​

I retrieved the tools from under the back seat, got down on the floor to assess the situation then concluded "bugger this for a game of soldiers" and rang the garage.

Two guys arrived in less than 10 minutes, removed the wheel, took it back to the garage, returned with it fixed and back on the truck within 20 minutes. ฿300.00 (around US$8.50).

It's annoying isn't it.
We went through a spate of nails and screws in tyres when we first moved to this property. My parents who were over at the time, borrowed one of the magnetic blocks on wheels from someone. We ran it over and over the driveway/track multiple times until we finally started not. I was stunned at what it collected from that track, but we've not had another flat at home since.

I've also had my 4×4 in the garage and they spotted a screw in the thread of my off road tyres, so dealt without without asking. They knew I wouldn't be able to change that wheel! Their charge was $10 (£5) because they had the wheels off the vehicle for me at the time as it was (hence it getting spotted).

 

[Yorky]

It's annoying isn't it.
We went through a spate of nails and screws in tyres when we first moved to this property. My parents who were over at the time, borrowed one of the magnetic blocks on wheels from someone. We ran it over and over the driveway/track multiple times until we finally started not. I was stunned at what it collected from that track, but we've not had another flat at home since.

I've also had my 4×4 in the garage and they spotted a screw in the thread of my off road tyres, so dealt without without asking. They knew I wouldn't be able to change that wheel! Their charge was $10 (£5) because they had the wheels off the vehicle for me at the time as it was (hence it getting spotted).

Some years ago I took my truck to the garage (same one that came out today) to have a slow puncture fixed (usually ฿50.00). However, it wasn't a puncture but a faulty valve and the fitter told me it would be ฿80.00 - did I want the valve changed?

I felt like saying "No, just leave it; I'll call in here every day to have it blown up!"

But I said "Yes please".

 

[caseydog]

We woke up to this this morning:

View attachment 93812​

I retrieved the tools from under the back seat, got down on the floor to assess the situation then concluded "bugger this for a game of soldiers" and rang the garage.

Two guys arrived in less than 10 minutes, removed the wheel, took it back to the garage, returned with it fixed and back on the truck within 20 minutes. ฿300.00 (around US$8.50).

That's borderline sidewall. I assume you don't do a lot of long-distance highway driving, so a patch should be okay. 10mm further outside and that would require a new tire. You got lucky.

CD

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

That's borderline sidewall. I assume you don't do a lot of long-distance highway driving, so a patch should be okay. 10mm further outside and that would require a new tire. You got lucky.

CD

I was looking more at how clean that wheel is! I don't think I've ever seen either of our vehicles that clean with it without a flat tyre.

 

[Yorky]

I was looking more at how clean that wheel is! I don't think I've ever seen either of our vehicles that clean with it without a flat tyre.

It was in the car wash on Tuesday and it hasn't rained since.