Col Wickham

Nicely answered thanks Adrian....and another of life's mysteries solved
So you posted when you got home from work, 8 minutes after I posted before going to work. We're a bit like Ralph and Fred Sheepdog of Looney Tunes fame

Rdrokit

Yieks that's hot Col. 45C!! The hottest it gets here during summer is about 40C (104F) and that's 24hour a/c weather. It is funny how people get acclimatized to their weather. I once visited my sister & brother-in-law in northern Washington state in the US and my brother-in-law, who was a carpenter at the time building new homes, comes home in the middle of the day. I ask him what happen at work and he says the foreman send everyone home because it was too hot to work. The temp that day was 95F. No one here would think of quitting work because it was too hot.
On another note, I was trying on an old tee shirt the other day and it no longer fit me, seems my stomach has gotten to big. Since I retired about 5 years ago I have put on about 4 inches around my waist. Since most of the expats in my neighborhood are retired and have the same problem I have decided to start a boot camp to get us back in shape. You could call it the boot camp for the sick, lame and lazy seniors. We will meet at 8am and start by doing some stretching, light calisthenics and a half mile walk. I hope to have everyone jogging at least a mile in a few months. We start on Tuesday Feb 8th and meet 5 days a week. I will keep everyone abreast of how it goes.

Ausraven

That sounds like fun B but I wouldn't last long as I get too much exercise at work so the novelty would wear off pretty quickly I am only 140 pounds

95F are you kidding me? We get over 110F some days in summer at work and we still don't get to go home and if they said to go home we would probably call them a bunch of girls followed by "go the the cement silo and have a spoon of cement and harden the f@#k up" Thats just how we are at my work No whining allowed

Now you know what I do for a living you can fully understand the odd beer at 6 in the morning Col So what do you do for a buck Col?

Adrian

Col Wickham

Yep...45c today and I've attached proof. Same again tomorrow.Still around 39c now at 8pm.
Adrian I do as little as possible, but while ever they're watching I travel around the southern half of NSW teaching AMP's Financial Planners how to provide debt advice and loan structuring for their clients and then I put my relationship manager's hat on and help them sell AMP Bank product which is ultimately what I'm on the hook for. I do around 45,000km yearly, work with some great people and see some fantastic country. Plus I work from home a lot. It's a good job but I don't tell them that.
Rdrokit you guys would probably have a similar climate to Northern Australia / Darwin I guess. Wet season / Dry season with little temp fluctuation but massive humidity in the summer-wet season? Darwin is 32c all year round, but in summer it's that 24/7 and unless you're acclimatised it's bloody uncomfortable. We drove up there in Autumn 2000 through central Australia and got a flat on the way. I had to put gloves on to get the wheel brace out of the trunk. You could not touch it with bare hands.
Janet had the kids Easter Eggs in the trunk 3 of those big chocolate Easter Bunnies. Looked like road-kill by the time we got to Darwin. Only an Irish lass would put chocolate in the trunk on a 5,000 km trip through one of the hottest regions on earth
Be careful with boot camp. Middle aged spread is a natural occurrence and boot camp isn't
This years resolution was to do 3 times as much exercise this year as I did last year. So far I'm on track.
You guys up North want to print out the attachment and sit around it. It might warm you up a little. 113F

(sometime later)...just checked out the photo album in your post Rdrokit....awesome. Those motorcycle shots are classics

arodenhiser

We got that hot last summer in the Washinton, DC area of Virginia. That is too hot for my Canadian blood. Here in Hailfax, NS where I have just moved home too, it is -17C. Environment Canada is calling for 5-10cm of snow this afternoon, 10-15cm overnight night and 20cm tomorrow. It is the first major storm this year. Since christmas when I moved we have only gotten about 7-10cm total. My brother in law is in Oshawa, ON and he posted this to his facebook about a week ago. It was cold there, and "Hot as Hell" in Oakville, ON about a 45 minute drive away.




-19C in Oshawa and +210C in Oakville. Glad I am not in Ontario anymore.

Adam

Rdrokit

Col, Thanks for the compliment on the pixs. Nice scenery over here. I like that resolution to do 3 times the exercise you did last year. Problem over here is for some of the guys that would be 3 x 0= 0.
The only time it is humid over here is during rainy season otherwise it is 50% or less during the day as I live about 3 hours from the beach up on a plain with elevation around 400 meters. Here a list of temps and rainfall by month from where I live. Sorry for being blurry.
B
Attachment 184245

citcapp

Nice thing about Washington State, no extreme temp swings. Our shop never quits working, except when it snows then we won't let the service trucks on the road until their clear. Just have boring gray sky's to contend with 8 months out of the year which can get depressing sometimes. The excessive heat you Aussies get would be to much for me. I am kind of a 70-80 degree kind of guy.

cutlassgal

Morning All!

It's icy and snowy here. Got about 5 inches of snow with ice. It's in the 20's. The roads were horrible when I took Nicole to work. Not much better going on 8am!! The underbelly of the Intrigue was hitting the piled up slushy icy crap. Makes it hard to turn corners when the crap is that high! They do an awful job of clearing Rt. 91. They plow all the parkways right out onto 91 so that slushy crap just builds up. They need to push it on across and get rid of it. There's probably 8 to 10 parkways that come out onto 91. It's not a good road to drive on. Then where the freeway comes off, it gets pretty messy there too. Once you get close to the square in Twinsburg, it's pretty clear. Of course the school is down that way, Starbucks on the corner, etc...

I guess this is Round 1 of the storm they're saying. Supposed to get worse today.

Boy that's a pretty Blue Vista on the calendar this morning, isn't it?? Fall seems like it was years ago, lol!

Have a great day all, and stay safe!

442much

-19C here, however with the wind it feels like -30c. Tomorrow they now say 5c about (40F). I've got the t-shirt I'll be wearin' already picked out.

I was watching the Boston channel and they are looking at a lot of snow for the next few days. I switched to Rochester and they are getting even more. And when the channel landed on the Detroit station... looks like everybody's getting nailed with snow. Filpped to the Atlanta channel but the news wasn't on. Nobody is going to forget this winter in a long time (or sumer for you guys way, way south). Most news here is talking about Egypt more than the weather. Stay warm, stay dry, have a good day.

Ddbord

It's 37f here in the beautiful Blue Ridge foothills. High for today is supposed to be 46f.

It's raining here, but I guess we'll miss the "Big One!"

Sandy, you BETTER leave work early. I just saw on the Weather Chanel and you're in for some deep s@%t.

I'm on the way to the DMV (ugh) to renew my handicap placard. I might get a "wheelchair" plate instead.

Good luck, everybody......

--Don
.

cutlassgal

Well it hasn't been doing anything out here all day, but now there's a little rain or something you can see on the cars, but you can't see it in the air yet, comin down. I walked at lunch and could feel it every once in a while. Our Oklahoma plant is shut down today cause of the blizzard conditions they're having. We're supposed to get it worse tonight. Yipee.......

Don, I'd love to leave now, lol!!!

So I may go to Don Sitts tonight and look at a little 2007 Rav4 4x4 he has. It has 17,000 miles on it and he's asking $18900 for it. It looks really clean and nice in the pics. I called and talked to him at lunch. He said to come over tonight and he'll put a tag on it and I can bring it home and drive it for a day to see if I like it! I said I'd be over if it wasn't getting bad out.

I looked up the Kelly Blue Book price on this vehicle, and got a price of $20,690 in excellent condition, NADA showed a "clean retail price" of $18,600, so I don't feel he's that far out in price. Of course he said he'd "work closely with me" on the price. He better, with all the money I give him for working on Teepo!

I'm curious as to why the owners traded it in with such low mileage? One of Toyota's many recalls maybe? Sticking pedals?? Gas leaks? Gotta be some reason. That's only a little over 4000 miles a year put on it - kind of like I drive my cars.

Anyone know anything about these Rav4's??

bulldog

Sandy, Some people don't look at mileage but rather they look at what year it is. They keep a car 4 may'be 5 years and trade it in.

cutlassgal

I suppose that's true. I always think there's a reason I guess, cause I keep my stuff forever, lol!

Hey...... where is Jamesbo today?? I miss him!

bulldog

May'be he is making up a new receipe for us to try.

cutlassgal

Could be.....

Col Wickham

Sandy...Friend of mine is a pretty good mechanic specialising mainly in Jap cars and he's just steered his Mother away from Rav 4s. Not what they used to be apparently. Not sure about 2007 though.
That's a very temperate climate as far as temperature fluctuations go Rdrkit. When do you get a chance to sit around a fire with a few beers? That's what I love about Autumn down here. We lose these stinking hot days and the nights get cooler. My favourite time of year. And you picked my exercise resolution in one 3 x 0 = 0.
Very slushy on the roads down here at the moment as well...... except it's melting tar.
A whole month of looking at this blue station wagon on the Olds calendar. Thank God Feb is a short month. Is anybody else missing the month of May in theres

Rdrokit

Just a short note as I am off to the mall to get some shopping in before the holiday starts here. Today is the start of Chinese New Year which they will celebrate all weekend. There are many Chinese/Thais here. Also Thais will celebrate any holiday, my type of people. They celebrate 3 New Years, ours Jan 1, Chinese, 1st full moon in Feb and theirs in April. Their new Year is celebrated for 7 days. Definitely party people.
Col, The only fires we have here is when the locals burn their trash.
B

Jamesbo

Happy Ground Hog Day

I don't believe he's even coming out of his den much less will see his shadow. Ergo. only 6 more weeks of wionter.

Nope, I haven't been cook'in.

Ralph [The wonder dog] red blood count wont stabalize. It's not looking good. Plus the lady who used to work for me red blood count is way down so she had to have a transfusion yesterday.

From my perspective, The frigg'in world has gone completely nuts. And we get to watch it 24/7 on the boob tube.

I think I'll just go back and do some ironing [not clothes but problems]

Sorry about the weather up north, it looks like a mess. Say home and stay safe.

Like my old famrer friend use to say, "There will be plenty of work left to do when I gone."

Col Wickham

Jamesbo..That's not good news re Ralph. I really hope for the best there mate. Dogs are the most important people in my life (immediate family aside) so I feel your pain.
Had my little Staffie to the vets yesterday & today. Something has bit her foot and it looks bad. Fingers crossed.

Jamesbo

Col,

I tried to find out but couldn't............Has the storm hit Queensland yet?

Col Wickham

It's about to Jamesbo...in the next hour or so.
I can't find a decent website to check out. Most of it's media hype like they'll be pissed if it doesn't flatten the place. Suggest you google cyclone Yasi and follow what's happening. I just hope it fizzles out as it hits land cos sometimes that's what they do.

citcapp

Truly a mess weather wise everywhere you look. We the people must have pissed the one above off big time. There is gonna be sum tragedy come out of all of this. I hope people stay safe trying to go to work in that much white stuff is not worth it. Its white out conditions and if you leave your car and get lost you'll die. The heat will get you as well if you don't hydrate. Geez what a bitch these weird weather patterns,

Jamsbo, I feel bad about your friend. Watching a slow decline is hard.

Same way about your dog. My current dog Toby is 13 and still doing fine for the most part, blind in one eye but still has energy. He brightens my day when he comes down stairs and visits me in my office. Makes a stressful day better just petting him and watching his tail wag.

Col don't get that road tar on the Olds its a bitch to get off, have another beer and turn the AC up

Col Wickham

Pat. 1 minute after midnight and the air con is still on. Not sleeping tonight, not while Cyclone Yasi hits Qld. I had lots of family in Darwin in '74 when Tracy hit and this one's much worse. My Grandmother lived in a first floor apartment and a timber beam, 6" x 6" x 8' came through the brick wall. Nature...nothing, not even an Olds, has that power.
That same Grandma had a Toby...fox terrier ...for years. I have 3 dogs and I love them all... there's no better friend.
The biggest selling liquid besides beer down here is Bug'n'Tar remover. Amazing how much tar gets splattered on even a weekend car in these parts, and doesn't it give you the sh@ts. Anyway, too hot to take the Olds out. 10 minutes in a convertible in this heat and you'd be carbonised.

arodenhiser

Your not missing much, just some odd looking Chebby green Supreme.

Adam

cutlassgal

......Your not missing much, just some odd looking Chebby green Supreme.


EXCUSE ME.... SIR????? I don't think so!!! Colonel - see what ya started? Them are fightin words right there, lol! I'll go get copies of May made and send them to you all so you don't miss the best month! Love ya guys!!!

It's in the 30's and dropping, very windy and a lot of ice here today. It's spittin snow some, supposed to get really bad as the day progresses. Pretty thick ice out here. I threw salt in the drive this morning so I could get out and clean off this Rav4 I brought home last night. Salt didn't help a whole helluva lot, lol! Had to park it outside cause the Intrigue was in the garage. I tried to keep one foot in the grass/icy snow for traction. It helped some. I really didn't want any broken bones today! Our street is thick with ice - a few bare patches here and there, but the main roads were pretty good.

Nicole took the Intrigue to work this morning....... scary! But she made it ok.

So... this little Rav4 - I kinda like it. It rides nice. Seats are comfy. I feel comfortable in it. I can see out of it everywhere pretty good. No owners manual in it darn it. I like to read them. It sounds "tinny" when I shut the door - like not much metal there or something. I can't describe it. It's really clean, but it's been smoked in cuz you can still smell it some. The center console needs fixed. I opened it this morning and it's only held on by one hinge - it's cracked in the back and one hinge is broke. Like they had it open and whapped it with something. So that would have to be fixed.

It started making a "ding ding ding" sound this morning as I was coming to work and then it got faster before it stopped. I was looking for something lit up to tell me what it was, and then the passenger side airbag light lit up with the little red person and kept flashing. I don't know why? I did have my laptop, purse, bag with shoes in it and lunch sitting on that seat. Maybe it was too much weight or something that tripped the sensor? I dunno. No manual so I couldn't read about it.

The 4wd comes on automatically they told me. I was asking where the button was to put it in 4wd? I couldn't tell if it came on any or not. It was very icy last night coming home in it, but I didn't slide any. Cars were going off of 91 into the ditch - in a 1/4 mile by the house, there were 3 of them that slid into the ditch. It was bad driving!

It sounds "different" to me like when stepping on the gas. It's definately nothing like an Olds, that's for sure. I haven't had a chance to get down under it and see what it looks like. I imagine it has those p.i.t.a. low tire pressure sensors Wolfie was talking about. Stereo sounds nice. I forgot to bring a CD to see if that works.

I'll post a couple pics I took. Looks just like the rest of them I'm sure, lol!


Jamesbo..... I'm so sorry Ralph is not doing well. That breaks my heart. And your friend too. That's just sad. I don't know what to say, so just know that I'll be thinking of you and saying some prayers.

Colonel, you "plick" ...... hope all stays well with you all over there, and the storm doesn't do much damage to your area. Strange friggin weather, I swear.... we're gonna see those people holding those signs that say "The end is near" on street corners pretty soon, lol

Have a great day all, and our midwest friends, please be safe and careful if you have to go out. Don't do much shoveling by hand and rest alot if you have to do it. We don't want any heart attacks happening!

442much

Well we're on a heat wave again. Two days ago -30C (-22F) today +5c around 40F and blue skies. Ontario and Nova Scotia GH says an early Spring. Hope the one in PA says the same.

I tried to call Tulsa yesterday...no answer. So I tried to call St Louis, no answer. It's either a new American holiday or some people are not making it in to work.

Last night on the news, it seemed like the Americans were getting back at us. The announcer said "In Toronto and Montreal they are getting ready for a massive snow storm from the US". And here I thought it was only a one way deal... Happy Ground Hog day!

cutlassgal

Here are a couple pics of the Rav4 I took this morning. Can't decide if I want to buy it or not. Don't really want a payment, but I never will either, so..... It was too windy and slick to take many pics!

Attachment 184218


Attachment 184219

Jamesbo

Speak'in of Rav4s.

Ya know what sound a Japanese Camera makes?







Crick.

Well, Ralph [The wonder dog] made it thru another vet visit.

He gave me a look like "Thank God for instant read therometers."

X-ray is fine, [ no cancer] So, I've gotta drive about 30 miles [over near the Big Chicken Sandy] to get some new wonder drug from the only place in the northern hemisphere that has it. It's spose to get his red blood count under control. I guess it's like I'm in a doggie 12 step program. One day at a time.

car_designer

Can we send it back?

They were predicting that Ottawa was going to miss the worst of the storm, but they were wrong. Who would have expected that? We can be lucky sometimes since we are about an hour north of the St. Lawrence river which many storms follow.

I wonder if Toronto will be calling in help to clear the snow again? I'm sure at least Ken should get this one.

But I think I can deal with the snow over what is happening in Australia.

OLD SKL 69

A Toyota Sandy??? Isn't that sacrilegious in Ohio?

car_designer

Jamesbo, I hope the medication works for Ralph.

cutlassgal, I guess you'll get to test drive the Rav4 in some challenging road conditions.

cutlassgal

Well Darrell.... there are a lot of them around here, lol! The one guy I work with, Clay, he won't buy American anything, and him and his wife have Honda's and Toyota's. I don't know. I like the looks of the thing and it's comfy.... isn't too much out there that I like the looks of anymore.

Edmunds gives it a good rating, but reading some customer reviews, I guess they have to pull the engine to change the water pump, which costs lots of $$$$!! So I don't like that part. They say the steel wheels rust too. I know on any car there are going to be problems and expensive things, but I just don't know... I'm about to drive it down to Giant Eagle and pick up my prescription - the way it's snowin and blowin out here now I'll see how it's going to do.

wolfman98

I think the ding ding ding was a warning for you Sandy , that and no manual. Plus there might not be much warrenty left on it , 1 year? maybe look around a bit yet.
Well here in the Annapolis valley we are expecting about a foot of snow today and a little more tomorrow , should keep me occupied for a bit.
pat , maybe you could blame me for the weird weather. After the last big snowfall we had I went outdoors and looked up , mumbled to myself " is that all ya got ? " maybe he heard. At least I dont get snowed in, LOL.

wolfman98

Well there is the old expession ' it could be worse '. These were from the big storm of 2004.

cutlassgal

Man..... that is some snow there Wolfie!! I never ask if things can get worse, lol! That snow looks like what BigJerr is getting! Oh I feel bad for the midwest people and animals....

It's really blowing out there now. Burr..... I tried to get the little Rav4 to slide some, and couldn't get it to, which is good I suppose. The first Intrigue I bought didn't have an owners manual either. I had to buy one online. I don't know what people do with them, lol. Maybe they're like Larry - his is in a drawer in the garage. Lots of good it does you there. Mine is in the glovebox!

442much

LOL. They'll never live that one down. Unfortunately for them, the army is out of country.

Col Wickham

Sound feasible Sandy, but we'll need to know a few more details before attributing the "ding ding ding" to a passenger seat sensor issue.
1) How much was in the purse?
2) Were they chunky heel / thick soul shoes?
3) What was in the lunch bag? We'll need calories please

Doesn't sound right to me. I drive around all day with my laptop bag full of stuff (it's heavy) sitting on the passenger seat and the seatbelt light does not illuminate and no "dings". Although being a German car it's probably set up for a heavier person than a Jap car and the alarm is a "dong" more than a "ding".

You sure it's the airbag light & not a seatbelt light? Airbag lights should go out and stay out once the ignition is turned on.

citcapp

Sandy,

The best money you'll ever spend is to have it checked out by a mechanic at a qualified shop (not were you plan on buying it. For a 18K investment its worth a 100 bucks to have it done. From what you said I would keep looking around.

OLD SKL 69

Hey Sandy, maybe you can find a really nice late model Aurora, would be a lot less than 18k. After all, you have to keep it an Olds family!

Ddbord

Hey, Colonel..... Has the typhoon got to you yet?