February Banter 2020

[Maestrobjwa]

Shoot...as winter like this...is plenty of justification for an online meltdown of epic proportions. I don't have anywhere else to vent where folks would even remotely understand...

I can't even look at any video or new stories about snow elsewhere right now without being depressed. Worst I have ever felt in the middle of winter...knowing that things are so stuck in the worst possible position. I can't chase right now either. It's the feeling of...having not much else to look forward to until it snows again. Not logical, and not true...but that's what it feels like. How do you just process and accept a winter like this without it ruining your entire day, week, month, etc...This thing got me depressed when my energy is needed elsewhere. Yet it's hard to think about anything else...

...but we can't control the weather.

[Stormpc]

Snowi/Rain mix on the shores of the Currituck sound NC. 4TH time I have seen snow fall this season. Wooooo!!!

[WinterWxLuvr]

Just now, Maestrobjwa said:

Shoot...as winter like this...is plenty of justification for an online meltdown of epic proportions. I don't have anywhere else to vent where folks would even remotely understand...

I can't even look at any video or new stories about snow elsewhere right now without being depressed. Worst I have ever felt in the middle of winter...knowing that things are so stuck in the worst possible position. I can't chase right now either. It's the feeling of...having not much else to look forward to until it snows again. Not logical, and not true...but that's what it feels like. How do you just process and accept a winter like this without it ruining your entire day, week, month, etc...This thing got me depressed when my energy is needed elsewhere. Yet it's hard to think about anything else...

...but we can't control the weather.

Make a list of 20 things in your life that you would never want to lose. I promise you that snow won’t make the top 20.

Moral: Don’t lose sight of the the things in life that really matter.

[DanTheMan]

Decided i'm gonna spend a weekend visiting family in Cleveland second week of March, maybe i’ll finally see some snow

[North Balti Zen]

9 hours ago, Bob Chill said:

It's hard to go wrong anywhere in NE or north. Very rugged and beautiful basically everywhere. NH has no state income tax and that's very important as we are trying retire early. MD is awful with both income and property taxes. No chance we're staying here unless they drop income tax. We all know the chance of that is 0%. If we both end up north we can hook up, ride sleds and weenie out. Lol

@C.A.P.E. @Bob Chill huh- my wife and I are circling around on New Brunswick for the next step - if that doesn’t work - New Hampshire is our fallback. We turn 50 this year and our youngest of two is off to college - when he clears school is the window to try and make that transition happen. We want four seasons still.

[showmethesnow]

6 hours ago, losetoa6 said:

Isn't it wayyy past your bedtime.  I haven't seen u up this late since Jan 2016

Getting to bed at 10:00? Yeah, way past my bedtime when I am normally getting into bed at 6:30-7.  Had my favorite nephew fly into town with his wife of 3 months so we went out for dinner. Went to Texas Roadhouse in Westminster and it drove home one of the reasons we got out of MD 15 years ago. The place was an absolute mad house. Spent 15 minutes just trying to find a parking spot along with another dozen or two cars as we circled the restaurant. Finally parked up the hill around the Pizza Hut. Kind of irked me though when both my nephew and his parents who joined us were both able to find spots instantly when they pulled in 30 minutes later even though it was just as busy. Didn't help matters that we had an hour wait, outside no less because of what limited waiting space inside was jam packed with people. Yeah, don't miss MD at all. 

[showmethesnow]

7 hours ago, losetoa6 said:

Winds are ssw here soooooooo.  

In all seriousness I think flurries are likely at least 

28/25

Might have had some flurries while I was sleeping but nothing to show for it when I woke up this morning.

[JakkelWx]

I just had a dream that I was at one of my relative's house and it was absolutely ripping with huge and small dendrites mixed in, along with low visibility. You know it's desperate when you're dreaming about snow in February.

[George BM]

5 minutes ago, JakkelWx said:

I just had a dream that I was at one of my relative's house and it was absolutely ripping with huge and small dendrites mixed in, along with low visibility. You know it's desperate when you're dreaming about snow in February.

Was there any thunder with the snow?

Also, what would you guesstimate the snowfall rates to be? 

[JakkelWx]

12 minutes ago, George BM said:

Was there any thunder with the snow?

Also, what would you guesstimate the snowfall rates to be? 

Nope.. no thunder. I would guess probably around 2-3'' per hour since as soon as I stepped outside it was an instant coating on my jacket and pants. Also not sure if this happens to you but some dreams I have it's like a weird distortion effect and even with the sun out it's still somehow "dark". It's as if the Earth had no atmosphere, but the sun is shining directly overhead.

[Bob Chill]

11 hours ago, Maestrobjwa said:

You're fortunate to have lived long enough to learn that. See this crap ruins my entire day, week, and month.

Just to get this out of the way first... I'm not a doctor or a scientist or have any professional training in the medical field. Ok, done with that.

I just want to point something out that really concerned me with your posts last night. Busts, duds, and lame winters are 100% out of our control. Always have been and always will be. That's actually what makes it fun for many of us. Digging in and trying to solve a complex riddle that nobody can change the outcome of. Do we all get frustrated, mad, or sad? Oh heck yea man. Like a boss. But that can be controlled at least a little right?

Having your days and/or weeks being semi-ruined because of something nobody can control is not a healthy cycle. This game is supposed to be fun for the most part. Yes, it tries patience and nerves. That's just normal human reaction to disappointment. What you are posting isn't the same and it makes me concerned as a friend. I'm not judging a damn thing and I'm certainly not looking down on anyone. We all got problems man. But we're human and supposed to right?

I have no magic advice here but I will say that there are signs that this nutty game could be having adverse consequences on a larger part of your life than it should. And I never want to see anyone be excessively sad for any reason ever. 

We all deal with our own demons and voices in our head. I'm no angel there and neither is anyone on this sub if I had to guess. Life stress will eat you alive if you let it. I keep very simple guidelines in my life to help me think through stuff when I'm "off". Consider using these if possible:

1. There 2 kinds of triggers of stress or depression or whatever in life and they are easily divided in 2 categories: those that you can control and those that you have zero control over. Weather is cleanly in the latter category. 

2. When dealing with things you have no control over you have to recognize that and accept it. Don't run yourself ragged over things you can't control.  It's a vicious cycle. Tell yourself you will not allow things you cannot control to steal your happiness and well being. Tell yourself this often. It helps. Trust me. 

3. For things you can control, action is medicine. Sounds easier said than done but happiness is a valuable commodity. A little action makes a big difference. If you're down on something but you don't put any effort in to fix it then it only gets worse and worse. You can control your sadness over snowfall at least a little right? I can't give advice on how to do this because we're each unique but it all starts with guideline #2.

[mappy]

22 hours ago, wxdude64 said:

I was out a couple days. Wishing your sister a speedy and full recovery mappy.  Those calls are never what you want to hear/happen. Super glad it wasn't worse, and from the car pic it easily could have been.

Thank you! She was discharged yesterday and will be staying with our mom for a few days. But she’s doing well all things considered. 

[wxdude64]

45 minutes ago, JakkelWx said:

Nope.. no thunder. I would guess probably around 2-3'' per hour since as soon as I stepped outside it was an instant coating on my jacket and pants. Also not sure if this happens to you but some dreams I have it's like a weird distortion effect and even with the sun out it's still somehow "dark". It's as if the Earth had no atmosphere, but the sun is shining directly overhead.

Could you 'smell' the air? Was everything else stale? Have you been a bad boy? Be careful! You don't want the Langoliers to get you!

[wxdude64]

1 minute ago, losetoa6 said:

Lol ...That was a wicked movie when it came out . The imagination to come up with that idea .I believe it was 1993

I think Steven King either wrote it or it was based off something he did. It was an interesting movie.

[CAPE]

51 minutes ago, Bob Chill said:

Just to get this out of the way first... I'm not a doctor or a scientist or have any professional training in the medical field. Ok, done with that.

I just want to point something out that really concerned me with your posts last night. Busts, duds, and lame winters are 100% out of our control. Always have been and always will be. That's actually what makes it fun for many of us. Digging in and trying to solve a complex riddle that nobody can change the outcome of. Do we all get frustrated, mad, or sad? Oh heck yea man. Like a boss. But that can be controlled at least a little right?

Having your days and/or weeks being semi-ruined because of something nobody can control is not a healthy cycle. This game is supposed to be fun for the most part. Yes, it tries patience and nerves. That's just normal human reaction to disappointment. What you are posting isn't the same and it makes me concerned as a friend. I'm not judging a damn thing and I'm certainly not looking down on anyone. We all got problems man. But we're human and supposed to right?

I have no magic advice here but I will say that there are signs that this nutty game could be having adverse consequences on a larger part of your life than it should. And I never want to see anyone be excessively sad for any reason ever. 

We all deal with our own demons and voices in our head. I'm no angel there and neither is anyone on this sub if I had to guess. Life stress will eat you alive if you let it. I keep very simple guidelines in my life to help me think through stuff when I'm "off". Consider using these if possible:

1. There 2 kinds of triggers of stress or depression or whatever in life and they are easily divided in 2 categories: those that you can control and those that you have zero control over. Weather is cleanly in the latter category. 

2. When dealing with things you have no control over you have to recognize that and accept it. Don't run yourself ragged over things you can't control.  It's a viscous cycle. Tell yourself you will not allow things you cannot control to steal your happiness and well being. Tell yourself this often. It helps. Trust me. 

3. For things you can control, action is medicine. Sounds easier said than done but happiness is a valuable commodity. A little action makes a big difference. If you're down on something but you don't put any effort in to fix it then it only gets worse and worse. You can control your sadness over snowfall at least a little right? I can't give advice on how to do this because we're each unique but it all starts with guideline #2.

I will add one thing to this. Exercise.

Endorphins.

Today will again feature no snow, but it's a damn near perfect winter day to get out to a state park or wherever and bike/hike, or just walk and breath in some fresh air.

[Bob Chill]

14 minutes ago, C.A.P.E. said:

I will add one thing to this. Exercise.

Endorphins.

Today will again feature no snow, but it's a damn near perfect winter day to get out to a state park or wherever and bike/hike, or just walk and breath in some fresh air.

Oh heck yea man. It's the safest and most effective free drug there is. I have 3 bad discs so I have to be careful (no jogging basically) but I walk a minimum of 3 miles every single day. I love it and so does my dog. I add in lots of hikes and bike rides. Almost daily in the warm season. I also have a very clean diet along with daily vitamins. If I'm on the run out the door early I eat a protein bar and nutrition shake. I have zero appetite in the AM but I always pack nutrition and energy in. Brain and body need gas even if my stomach isn't interested. I wasn't always like this. I got fat and lazy in my 40s. Bad path for sure... now I'm back to my teenage weight. Was hard AF but the rewards are worth it 10 times over. 

[vastateofmind]

15 minutes ago, Bob Chill said:

Oh heck yea man. It's the safest and most effective free drug there is. I have 3 bad discs so I have to be careful (no jogging basically) but I walk a minimum of 3 miles every single day. I love it and so does my dog. I add in lots of hikes and bike rides. Almost daily in the warm season. I also have a very clean diet along with daily vitamins. If I'm on the run out the door early I eat a protein bar and nutrition shake. I have zero appetite in the AM but I always pack nutrition and energy in. Brain and body need gas even if my stomach isn't interested. I wasn't always like this. I got fat and lazy in my 40s. Bad path for sure... now I'm back to my teenage weight. Was hard AF but the rewards are worth it 10 times over. 

Critical advice here, especially WRT eating breakfast. Doc was on my arse several years ago for skipping breakfast for so many years...which triggered eating habits contributing to pre-diabetes. Don't skip it.

[Chris78]

18 hours ago, nj2va said:

@Chris78 you going to the game tonight right?  Hope Ovi gets to 700 while you’re there — hope the philly fans aren’t too trashy.  Have fun!

Well the caps decided to play there worst game of the year last night. Lol

Oh well. Still enjoying DC and a weekend getaway with out  kids haha.

[Chris78]

18 hours ago, Chris78 said:

Thanks!

Just checked in to the hotel. Heading to Clydes for drinks and dinner. 

Hoping to see ovi's 700th in person. Would be awesome.

Couldnt even get into clydes. Green Turtle and 2 other bars  in the block have shut down since last year making cyldes a 2 hour wait. Last year we walked into clydes no problem and got a table. Went to legal seafood instead. Pretty good food but prefer the clydes atmosphere more.

[CAPE]

40 minutes ago, Bob Chill said:

Oh heck yea man. It's the safest and most effective free drug there is. I have 3 bad discs so I have to be careful (no jogging basically) but I walk a minimum of 3 miles every single day. I love it and so does my dog. I add in lots of hikes and bike rides. Almost daily in the warm season. I also have a very clean diet along with daily vitamins. If I'm on the run out the door early I eat a protein bar and nutrition shake. I have zero appetite in the AM but I always pack nutrition and energy in. Brain and body need gas even if my stomach isn't interested. I wasn't always like this. I got fat and lazy in my 40s. Bad path for sure... now I'm back to my teenage weight. Was hard AF but the rewards are worth it 10 times over. 

Yeah I am pretty freakish about my diet, even though I have never had a weight issue. Just makes sense to eat right to me. I stopped (intentionally) eating refined sugar years ago, and now if I have the occasional piece of pie or something around the holidays, I really don't even enjoy it. No sweet tooth at all. I believe in micro fasting, so I don't eat much of a breakfast- maybe some Greek yogurt or something with protein if I am going to workout before lunch.

[CAPE]

39 minutes ago, vastateofmind said:

Critical advice here, especially WRT eating breakfast. Doc was on my arse several years ago for skipping breakfast for so many years...which triggered eating habits contributing to pre-diabetes. Don't skip it.

I don't think this applies to everyone. I eat 2 "big" meals a day, and breakfast is not one of them. 

[LP08]

I feel like we need a thread posted every year in Feb proving to people that it can actually snow in March in the city.  It’s the same discussion every year.  We struggle with marginal events in January so ofc they struggle in March.  Get a legit pattern and storm and we won’t have any issues.  Snow never sticks around down here anyway except in very rare circumstances.  

 

 

[CAPE]

3 minutes ago, LP08 said:

I feel like we need a thread posted every year in Feb proving to people that it can actually snow in March in the city.  It’s the same discussion every year.  We struggle with marginal events in January so ofc they struggle in March.  Get a legit pattern and storm and we won’t have any issues.  Snow never sticks around down here anyway except in very rare circumstances.  

 

 

Totally agree. Way too much is made of sun angle too. Even if it snows in late Dec it rarely sticks around more than a few days because we don't stay cold that long, or it rains right after.

[CAPE]

3 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

The Mid/ long range thread has turned into Mosquito talk,  tracking sunny and 60s , Sun angle, viruses, March snow sucks etc . 

Well get in there and give em' what they really need- an ensemble mean 3" probability map!

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

2 hours ago, Bob Chill said:

Just to get this out of the way first... I'm not a doctor or a scientist or have any professional training in the medical field. Ok, done with that.

I just want to point something out that really concerned me with your posts last night. Busts, duds, and lame winters are 100% out of our control. Always have been and always will be. That's actually what makes it fun for many of us. Digging in and trying to solve a complex riddle that nobody can change the outcome of. Do we all get frustrated, mad, or sad? Oh heck yea man. Like a boss. But that can be controlled at least a little right?

Having your days and/or weeks being semi-ruined because of something nobody can control is not a healthy cycle. This game is supposed to be fun for the most part. Yes, it tries patience and nerves. That's just normal human reaction to disappointment. What you are posting isn't the same and it makes me concerned as a friend. I'm not judging a damn thing and I'm certainly not looking down on anyone. We all got problems man. But we're human and supposed to right?

I have no magic advice here but I will say that there are signs that this nutty game could be having adverse consequences on a larger part of your life than it should. And I never want to see anyone be excessively sad for any reason ever. 

We all deal with our own demons and voices in our head. I'm no angel there and neither is anyone on this sub if I had to guess. Life stress will eat you alive if you let it. I keep very simple guidelines in my life to help me think through stuff when I'm "off". Consider using these if possible:

1. There 2 kinds of triggers of stress or depression or whatever in life and they are easily divided in 2 categories: those that you can control and those that you have zero control over. Weather is cleanly in the latter category. 

2. When dealing with things you have no control over you have to recognize that and accept it. Don't run yourself ragged over things you can't control.  It's a viscous cycle. Tell yourself you will not allow things you cannot control to steal your happiness and well being. Tell yourself this often. It helps. Trust me. 

3. For things you can control, action is medicine. Sounds easier said than done but happiness is a valuable commodity. A little action makes a big difference. If you're down on something but you don't put any effort in to fix it then it only gets worse and worse. You can control your sadness over snowfall at least a little right? I can't give advice on how to do this because we're each unique but it all starts with guideline #2.

Hey Bob...(and also indirectly to @Maestrobjwa)...you are pretty well spot-on here.  Obviously, nobody can control the weather (at least not yet, haha!), but we can control how we react or what we make of it.  For instance, I cannot stand extreme heat and humidity.  Upper 90s to 100+ for days on end are just wilting to me.  But I also know that's what you can expect here most summers at some point during JJA.  It is what it is.  Short of moving, can I do anything when we have a string of 95 for several days?  Can I stop it from happening?  Hell no.  But you deal with it, and I know it's not something that goes on for 6 months.  That's just an example.

I love snow.  Snowstorms.  Cold.  Always have.  Though I'm kind of at the age now that "extreme" cold is not exactly something I'd care for (and we don't get much around here anyhow, haha!).  Give me 25-30 for a high and heavy snow over 10 and dry cold any day.  I also know that here, "good" winters are a bonus for the most part, as are big events (by big, I mean 12" or more, just to throw a number out).  I'll echo you and say that sure, I get disappointed (even really ticked off at times!) when things don't go right in a given winter or if what looked to be a good snow event turns into nothing or we get rain instead.  But not so much to rule my life, and I try to avoid dumping any frustration in here clogging up main discussion threads with negative comments about how we suck.  I save that for the Panic Room or Banter...and usually, I'll be humorous about it.  Honestly, I love the Panic Room and just making fun of the stuff in there, going along with it, or laughing at the situation when our snow chances suck.  Best thing you can do, I think, to defray any disappointment.  There's so much else in "real" life to worry about (and to be happy about too!) than a snow event or winter gone awry.

This is the 19th winter I've been in this area.  Not the longest compared to some, sure...but a decent amount of time.  Through those years, there are on the order of 6 winters that I found truly memorable/interesting...as in winters that I'd love to see again or experience again:  2002-03, 2006-07, 2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16.  And of those, only 2002-03 and 2013-14 were consistently cold and "wintry" throughout, or "door to door" one might say.  The others were mostly compressed into discrete time frames, and/or were back-loaded.  Even the Most Holy of All Winters (2009-10), was really two distinct periods...one in mid-December, and a 12-day stretch from Jan. 30-Feb. 10.  But damn, did we ever maximize those periods of good opportunity!  That's how it is.  Most of the other winters I've been here, little that was memorable, or maybe an event or so here and there.  Not bad winters per se, just nothing that stood out (you could say "average"??).  As for complete, utter duds...2001-02, 2011-12...and if this year does nothing more, it may top that list.  I feel fortunate that I've experienced four 20"+ events since I've been here, in that 19 year time frame...add to that a couple of 12"+ ones, and several solid moderate events.  Going by the "informal" definition of what people call a HECS, I've seen five of those.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

2 hours ago, mappy said:

Thank you! She was discharged yesterday and will be staying with our mom for a few days. But she’s doing well all things considered. 

Glad to hear that, Mappy!  Good news indeed, and glad she's recovering...

 

[vastateofmind]

1 hour ago, C.A.P.E. said:

I don't think this applies to everyone. I eat 2 "big" meals a day, and breakfast is not one of them. 

It doesn't...skipping breakfast for years in my case pushed me to eating the bad stuff later in day. I sometimes try the 2-meal regimen you outline here (with focus on "better" foods) and have had better luck keeping numbers in check. Still try to make time for a small protein shake or something for breakfast, per doc's wishes...though I'm still not crazy about that.

[George BM]

3 hours ago, JakkelWx said:

Nope.. no thunder. I would guess probably around 2-3'' per hour since as soon as I stepped outside it was an instant coating on my jacket and pants. Also not sure if this happens to you but some dreams I have it's like a weird distortion effect and even with the sun out it's still somehow "dark". It's as if the Earth had no atmosphere, but the sun is shining directly overhead.

I definitely notice the weird distortion effect sometimes. I also sometimes dream that there is more than one "sun" in the sky creating several weird shadows everywhere. The main pattern, though, that I have with any weather related dreams is... generally really not too much different from weather weenie life in these parts. I'd dream about an incoming significant weather event (whether severe, blizzard, tropical... but I guess mostly severe), I'd become very excited about it and then I'd wake up...

I really need to become a better lucid dreamer. 

[Rhino16]

Yay, what a great day tomorrow will be... we get to hear everyone out west talking about how the “Snow Moon” brought them lots of snow.

[nw baltimore wx]

I had to work yesterday (Nepenthe Brewery is one year old, and what a party!), and just catching up on this thread. Some great stuff in here over the past 24 hours.

Caps were terrible last night. Sorry that Chris made that his game this year.

Nothing to add to the advice given other than that there’s one thing I know. Bad winters here happen, and in spite of all my angst as a kid, it always snows again. I’ve grown to appreciate the crappy winters because it makes the good ones all the better. Not to mention that it’s just snow. My advice? Invest young. Invest a lot. Especially young. Be patient. Play hard. Retire early. And play harder.

Moving? Over the past few weeks I’ve found myself perusing the lots available around Sebago Lake outside of Portland, Maine. What a beautiful area. Seven acres for $39,000? I’m in.

Glad that Mappy’s family is there to help her sister and still sending positive thoughts.

I have more but I haven’t eaten in two days and have done 50,000 steps in that time at a part time job I really don’t need, so my girl and I need brunch. And a Bloody Mary.