The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Gabe1]

This isn't normal for us. Our normal lows are in the 20s, not the single digits. We're not hitting the records, but we're getting pretty darned close. This is Maryland, not Vermont. We're supposed to be in the 30s and 40s. Single digits have happened, but staying this cold for this long has not. At least not in my lifetime, and my young memory is working just fine.

A couple years ago we went 45 days without reaching 32 once. It snowed on average every 3rd day. My kids were in college. It was snow, then snow ice because of the cold-chop ice outside for safety, nice day and snow again, repeat. Last year we had a nasty December but the New Year brought very nice for winter weather and temps. This year the New Year brought the opposite. It speaks to me as Weather is unpredictable, no more no less.

 

[Cesar R M]

Help with my culinary skills and limited knowledge of Mexican foods and confused by Tex Mex what is the difference between a burrito and a chimichanga?

I think Chimichangas are loaded with salsas in and out on top and filled with beans, lettuce etc.. (like a hamburger). A burrito usually isn't, also a chimichanga is deep fried, a burrito isnt..

Infact, it stops being a burrito when they load sauces and sink the burrito in. They become "enchiladas" .

 

[Cesar R M]

Yep. That is why I gave the examples of the wide range of extremes we had over the last few decades. We tend to put those things aside, me because of my profession tended to remember them. We tend to wrap ourselves up in the current buzz from global warming to climate change. Actually yearly I've experienced climate change in my 55+ years of living from one extreme to the other in every season. Some of us take it in stride from extreme summers to extreme winters or the opposite.

I've watched from a bus at Disney with a single lightening strike a wild fire take place in a pine forest. I also saw one year with a drought everything turn brown that corrected itself the next year. Weather is ever changing each year. Nothing will change my mind, cold is sucidoodles. Still give me 100 degrees and humid and I'm not going to jump for joy over that either as I can add layers but certainly can't take them all off. We can do the best we can to take care of our environment that powers to be allow us too but beyond that we can just roll with it.

While these changes are somewhat normal, these changes seem to be more and more extreme.

For example, your normal fire that used to burn 1,000 acres per every 5 years.. now burns 5,000 and spread to all the coast.

Droughts who usually got you 5mm of rain .. now gets you 1mm of rain or less, destroying everything in its path.
Floods that were contained in several smaller areas, now sweep almost entire states with heavy loss of life.

 

[Cesar R M]

just watched THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM. Very worth it for those who like mystery, horror and crime.

 

[Figgy1]

I am sorry about your mom. I know Skype is not the same as being in person. Hopefully she is wrong and there will be another happy reunion.

Exactly

 

[Figgy1]

Beats our windchill. It was in the negatives this morning. Now we're at zero.

I never thought I would be relieved to see temperatures go into the 40s...but that is our forecast for next week and I am suitably relieved.

I'm not sure 40 would help. Maybe 40 in Florida would. That's the current Orlando temperature

 

[Figgy1]

Binge watching Friends again? Think for it to be Again I would have had a break in the watching thing. I always go to sleep watching friends. Light humor just helps me drift off and it is a nice night light.

Works for me

 

[Figgy1]

Sorry. I hate winter and snow.

You're very polite, me not so much

 

[Figgy1]

OK gang, behind on the thread big time...
So very sorry about all of y'all's horrible freeze.
I know most all of y'all are used to the winter, but, good Lord, I could never live up where y'all do.
Those temps are beyond insane...!!!!!
We'll take our as much as 112+ summer temps...

Works for me

 

[Figgy1]

The place I first read it seems to have some well vetted sources. Even if Brazil backs out apparently the CMs are moving their rehearsal spot. So another family attraction bites the bullet in the Land.

 

[Figgy1]

Help with my culinary skills and limited knowledge of Mexican foods and confused by Tex Mex what is the difference between a burrito and a chimichanga?

Burrito not fried, chimichanga fried.

 

[Figgy1]

Wish me luck. I need to get to the grocery store. I could have put it off until Monday but there was only 2 days of school this week

 

[MinnieM123]

They better not. Living With the Land is my favorite ride. I could live in those greenhouses. In fact I wish I could pack my bag right now and go. I would pitch a tent and live happily on the sand floor with all those gorgeous plants.

I LOVE your comments. (I still need to catch up on the N&R thread about all this--I only glanced at a few pages, just to get a gist of what might be going down.) The Land is one of the most beautiful and unique attractions in EPCOT. Although I wished they had put Soarin in another place (used to be calmer there before Soarin, but whatever), The Land is still such an awesome place on so many levels.

 

[MinnieM123]

We got a foot. Maybe a few inches more. The town near me got 15 inches. But we didn't lose power, the wind was a nasty little ******. Even today the wind is supposed to be a pain. I was shoveling last night and the snow on the ground kept coming sideways down the street.

We got around 14 inches and deeper in drifts. Lots of shoveling, but good exercise and I liked it.

Due to the extreme cold, however, even though the city plow drivers kept up with plowing streets, the salt hasn't kicked in enough yet where the snow was worn down on the roads--ice is there now in many spots, even on the main roads.

I think today might warm up to 25 or so in the afternoon and as long as the sun is out, the roads might get a bit better. We're up to 5 degrees now, so I think we're starting a slight warmup--we're still supposed to get winds today though.

 

[MinnieM123]

19? It was 9 when I was driving to work this morning.

Ha! It was negative one when I left for work yesterday morning!

 

[Figgy1]

Olaf is the only snow I like because he keeps it to himself

 

[Figgy1]

@Mr Ferret 88 has the weather gotten any better on your side of the pond?

 

[MinnieM123]

I have never been arrested but always willing to try something new.

Never been myself, either, but if I ever did, I'd want to end up in the jail in the old Andy of Mayberry tv shows. Not sure if you saw that show (in reruns) overseas, but the sheriff of a small town had a 1-room prisoner cell, and his Aunt Bee would bring delicious home-cooked meals in a picnic basket, for whenever Andy had a person in jail there.

 

[MinnieM123]

We usually see my brother and his family every 2 years or so and my mom is not in the best of health

Sorry to hear that your mom is not doing well. At least she has family (even at a distance) to let her know she's loved.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Hahaaa...!
Book away...!!!!!
We'd love to take one once a month...!!!
I keep looking back at the pics, and still can't believe how amazing it was...!!!!!
I too want to get to the point where I can't remember everywhere I've cruised...!!!!!!!

I have been on 7 cruises, I know we stopped in Mexico but can't remember the name of the town, but I do remember buying a cool Starbucks mug with a turtle on it.
I wish I could cruise once a month but I still have to work and pay bills etc. Your trip report just makes me want to be irresponsible and go cruising instead.