There’s nothing worse than stepping out on a cold winter morning to start the car and the engine rolls over, but refuses to hit that spark and fire to life. It’s that realization that suddenly strikes you. “You mean I have to walk in this crap?”
Well, the only thing to do is ensure that you have the necessary means to survive the cold and ward off anything serious, like frostbite. I’ve had frostbite, it isn’t fun. With all the fashion crazes out there, I have to say I go for functionality over fashion. I want to be warm. I’m sure I’ll look much better being warm than with the latest trend, but looking like an icicle.
The key is layering. Make sure you’ve got enough layers on in order to keep warm outside and warm inside. You don’t want to wear a big bulky sweater inside, only to find that it’s too hot, but removing it will mean you’re too cold. So start off with something simple. Like a turtle neck shirt. Thin, but warm, it’s the basis of the layering. It’s the last article of clothing that will be worn should it get too hot in the office.
Next on the list is something warm that goes over the shirt. In this case, I chose a bunny hug hoodie (yes, dammit, I said BUNNY HUG HOODIE) and a fleece lined vest. Stylish while at the same time very warm. As it is, neither of these articles of clothing ever goes out of style, plus it gives to look that tells people “I’m damn warm.”
Of course, the next item has to be something that covers up your neck. Sorry, but the turtle neck alone ain’t gonna do it. You’ll need a scarf for this. A good, heavy scarf will do the trick. Me, I’ve got a few, which includes this lovely number I got for Christmas a few years back. In extreme cold situations, I also have a scarf my mom knitted for me, that’s about six feet in length. If that won’t keep out the cold, then nothing will. The scarf, if long enough, can also double as a neck warmer and be wrapped around your head to help keep you warm. Combined with the hood of the BUNNY HUG HOODIE, that should do the trick. Alternatively, a tuque will ensure that your forehead and ears are kept snug and warm.
Next on the list is a decent jacket. Depending on the temperature, you can settle for a good fleece lined wind breaker. Especially if there is little to no wind. On much windier days, get ready to pull on a thick, down filled jacket, like a parka. I honestly like the military surplus jackets, which I bought in Saskatoon at Quinn the Eskimo. But for days like today, which are still cold, but not too bad, I opted for the fleece lined wind breaker.
Gloves come next, as you have to keep the fingers dry and warm. The three places that cold air can affect a person are the head, the feet and the hands. Keep those three warm and you should be safe. A pair of gloves made with Thinsulate should help, and it doesn’t matter what they look like, as long as you have good mobility in your fingers. For colder weather, keep the smaller gloves, but have a good, thick pair of snowmobile gloves on standby.
Let’s not forget the last piece of clothing that you will need when getting ready to head out on a walk in the winter wonderland of Saskatchewan. Shoes. While you don’t need a pair of snowmobilie boots, as the snow is not that deep, nor snow shoes, you still need a good pair of shoes to keep the toes warm. So your loafers, no good. Leave ’em at home. I’m sure everyone in the office can forgive you if you’re wearing a good pair of insulated hickers. Hickers are good, because they are tough, durable and warm. Combine that with the fact that many look really good, and you’re good to go.
With all of these little tid bits, you’ll be good for the cold weather outside. Just make sure that you have a good route to go that keeps you sheltered if the wind does decide to pick up. Keeping warm is the key, and keep your thoughts on that destination, because at the end of it all is a good cup of coffee or cocoa that could very well be waiting for you.
Stay tuned, because in the coming days I’ll take a look at what your car needs for continued winter survival. From the outside to the inside, in the event that you ever should become stranded.
Until next time…
…keep ’em flyin’!
Edits brought to you by Zodi. Keeping Tim Americanized (sorta) since 2007.
Bats are mammals in the order Chiroptera (pronounced /kaɪˈrɒptərə/). The forelimbs of bats are webbed and developed as wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums and colugos, glide rather than fly, and only for short distances. Bats do not flap their entire forelimbs, like birds, but instead flap their spread out digits[2], which are very long and covered with a thin membrane or patagium. Chiroptera comes from two Greek words, cheir (χειρ) “hand” and pteron (πτερον) “wing.” There are about 1,100 bat species worldwide, which represent about 20 percent of all classified mammal species.[3] About 70 percent of bats are insectivores. Most of the rest are frugivores, and a few species feed from other types of animals than insects. Bats are present throughout most of the world and perform vital ecological roles pollinating flowers and dispersing the seeds of fruit. Many tropical plants depend entirely on bats for the distribution of their seeds. Bats range in size from Kitti’s Hog-nosed Bat measuring 29–33 mm (1.14–1.30 in) in length and 2 g (0.07 oz) in mass,[4] to the Giant golden-crowned flying fox which has a wing span of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) and weighs approximately 1.2 kg (3 lb).
I soon came to realize that the holding company that takes care of the apartment building had gone ahead and decided to renovate the balconies of the apartment. The east facing balconies are now complete. And they look very nice. I got a good look at the process while they were renovating (naturally, because it was right outside my livingroom window). The railings of the balcony were taken down, new covering was put on the deck (very nice, I might add, good on bare feet). And, of course, I got a chance to chat with the people working on it when I’d get my morning paper.
And thus, V proclaims himself to the heroine, Evey, in a movie that was just as much about ideas as the story itself. Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, the film takes some liberties with regard to the story. In the book, V is actually much more villainous than the screen version depicts. Perhaps this may be a reason why Alan Moore’s name does not appear in any of the credits of the film. Moore has been known to be quite protective of his work, to the point of a raging ego. I can empathize in some ways, as I sometimes feel that way about my own work.
V for Vendetta portrays a man who is a victim of the society that has created him. Set in the future, but not a futuristic film, V for Vendetta displays what the world would be like, and especially what England would be like, had a power hungry dictator risen to power in Parliament. Throughout the movie we are given tip offs as to the happenings across the pond, as the “former” United States is currently ravaged by civil war. How this affects Canada and Mexico is unknown. The message of the film, and to a point, the book, is quite clear. It isn’t about the man, but the ideas the man holds dear. The use of symbols is very evident, as the scarlet V, the red on black of the Conservative Party and even the building of Parliament are displayed as symbols of hope, villainy and survival. But the question becomes, who is the villain and who is the one to give hope.
I found it very interesting how the Chancellor Suttler was made to look very much like Adolph Hitler, and the government that rose to power very much like the Nazi Party. Even the discarding of Prime Minister as the country’s leader to use the title of Chancellor. One can only imagine what happened to the Royal Family.
V is driven by revenge, and seeks vengence against those who did wrong unto him, and those like him. But V never even counted on Evey.
First up was the ocean animals. There we were able to see different fish, sharks and other sea animals. My son was able to pet a shark, as well as a starfish. He thought this was probably the coolest thing, next to seeing real live versions of all the fish from Finding Nemo. The aquariums that they had set up were absolutely beautiful. It made you feel like you were actually under water.
When Tim, myself and our group came to the moon jellies, Tim and I tried in vain to get a decent picture of them. It was tough and I was the only one who managed to get a decent shot. As we wove our way through the groups of people and little kids, we eventually got to the penguins. It was amazing to see the large penguins, and the Macaroni Penguins. We even got to see some penguins chicks, soft and fluffy and cute.
Once we were finished at the ocean exhibit, we came all bought a churro, a tasty Spanish pastry that’s deep fried and coated with cinnamon and sugar. Thankfully it wasn’t too terribly hot, and the kids were still well behaved. After the Churro, we made our way to the dolphin exhibit. The announcer explained things about dolphins, like their personalities and the trainers helped to show them.
When lunch was over, we went back into the park and trekked through the jungle/forest area. The tigers were being lazy and didn’t feel like dealing the crowds. Though with a bit of maneuvering, we were able to see them lounging on their rock. Caution signs were put up everywhere to make sure that people didn’t get close to the enclosure. We even got to see the baboons, who were grooming and staring at us like we were in cages. Same went for the Ringtail Lemers that we passed.
We left the splash park and headed for the area where the elephants, giraffes, and other African prairie animals resided. The excitement over elephants was astronomical, even more so when they discovered that there was a baby elephant there. We seen rhinos, and my whole reasoning for going; the Komodo Dragons. The deadliest lizard in the world.
Finally on the way out, we walked through Critter Corner. Where I got some less than random pictures of Llamas and other farm like animals. The last destination for the day was the desert exhibit. Where I broke down. That’s right, I was crying in public. It wasn’t because of anything the kids did, it was because I was struggling to deal with financial issues and realized that I shouldn’t have used all the money to go to the zoo. Mind you, I’m glad I did. Everyone was concerned about and even more so when the tears started to fall.
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