I live in central texas, the usual temperature during this time of year is in the 50-60's with an occassional dip into the 20's and 30's...Having grown up in the north eastern state of New Jersey, I have to laugh about how the people of texas deal with WEATHER.....
Yesterday, we were looking at getting freezing rain, and temps to the low 20's, at 2pm the university of texas closed its doors (i work on campus but not for the university)...we did have a little freezing rain, and there were tons of accidents on the overpasses and bridges (they freeze first) but it wasn't too bad. I left work at 5 pm, stopped did a little grocery shopping on the way home and waited for a friend so we could go out to dinner...
at 7:45 pm last night the streets of Austin were empty, hardly no one was out driving, and the roads were pretty clear, and not much ice....
We were told to check the switchboard before coming in this morning, I got up at 7 to check the message, and were told all staff will report to work after 10 am, use discrection when driving in... The university closed doors today...lol
I have to laugh, in New Jersey, this would just be a typical winter day,no biggie, just keep on keeping on, but here in texas the place just shuts down....schools were closed, or started late.... state offices were shut down, city offices were shut down.... lol, just don't know what to do with a little weather....
just had to share this with you all
c

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carolyn in texas
started 8/11/03 327/268/177
5/20/08/ - 348
onward thru the fog

Hi, Carolyn. Freezing rain is the worst!!! We've had a sudden dip into winter also--only we got 8 inches of fluffy snow. A much better idea than ice.

Driving conditions are hazardous, but I have to admit how pretty everything looks with the sparkly white stuff all over it--especially trees and shrubbery festooned with Christmas lights.

You'd think Kansas City would be better prepared for this kind of weather, even early in the season. But many schools and offices do shut down for safety reasons.

Drive carefully!

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Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Carolyn, Howdy, neighbor. We live in Brady, only about 110 miles from you. We had been on a mini-vacation at Fort Davis & McDonald Observatory, it was beautiful blue sky and sunshine when we left yesterday (Wednesday) a.m., about 50 miles east of Fort Stockton we saw the edge of the cold front, with all the clouds. Boy, it was bitter cold all day! 22 degrees when we got home at 4:30. You're right about Texas shutting down in cold and such. We are Ohio natives, and back in the old days (actually, 50s and 60s) you went to school as long as the buses could run. Our school superintendent drove an old tank of a car that could get through anything, and if he made it to school, our district did not close. Several times we were the only district in all of northeast Ohio that was open. Everyone else had enough sense to stay home! Such extreme differences between that and Texans staying home at the threat of a little ice and snow.

Our mini vacation was nice, but I got way off the lowcarb track, and now have to detox and get back on induction. Did not cheat with sweets (my big downfall), but with the biscuits the restaurant served with breakfast, big and fluffy just like my mom used to make. Made for nice memories, but also several extra pounds!

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Nita

It's funny that "bitter" cold is a relative term depending on what you are use to. Where I grew up 22 would not come close to being bitter cold. Here in Denver it depends on who you ask. Yesterday I would have toi say was bitter cold as when I picked DS up from daycare to go to school it was -1 @ noon.

It's going to get better here today, up to the 30's which is fine. As long as it's sunny I'm good when it's that temp.

What amazes me is that as a kid I would go out in -1 and go sledding and not be bothered at all. Now I rush in and out of the house to start the car adn dread every minute when it's that cold. Though this morning I wasn't wearing my gloves when scraping the windows and didn't want to go back in to get them...I thought, just tough it out, you'll be done soon enough. Dufus. I did get them before going back out after the car had warmed to further scrape when the windshield had warmed a bit.

Guess winter is really here :(

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

I love winter so I'm happy that it's finally here, frigid temps and all. I refuse to give Excel any more of my money than I have to, though, so DH and I are donning more layers these days when in the house. Unfortunately, our drafty old victorian can only be weather-proofed so much.

I put our featherbed and down blanket on the bed and now getting up in the mornings is hard as the bed is so cozy and the added warmth of snuggled down kitties doesn't help matters.

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Esther

It's bitter cold when it's 85 degrees on Saturday for a high, and 22 degrees for a high on Wednesday! But that's just Texas weather. We're looking at 32 today, and 60s again by the weekend. Even with the unusual cold, it is bright and sunny, with gorgeous blue skies. I'll take cold over snow any day. You don't have to shovel cold, you just have to bundle up a little more.

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Nita

I live in East Texas, and it was COLD today. We lost power for awhile, and within 10 minutes the temperature in the house had dropped 4 degrees. It was only about 15 degrees outside at 1pm, and I got the kidlet bundled up and we went to town where they would actually have power and HEAT!!! Wandered around Walmart for a couple of hours, came home and we have power and heat again! Thank goodness! Of course with the laundry out in the garage, the pipes are still frozen out there and I can't do laundry (oh what a shame, I was SO looking forward to doing laundry today).

Its cold enough out that my 4 1/2 year-old actually comes back in the house every 15 minutes or so and stays in long enough for his hands to defrost. This is the boy who was outside riding his tricycle in the snow last year while wearing only underpants (yes, I dragged him back inside!)

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Katie
275/238/150
Restarted 01/08/2007
37 pounds lost!
http://justanotherfatgirl.blogspot.com

I use to walk to class barefoot when I was in college in Minnesota...dumb kid I was!

Yeah the temp changes make for a bitter day. It's like that here as well, not 85 to 22 but from 60 Friday to below zero Tuesday. The body can't...well my body can't regulate well then.

Esther, I love my mom's featherbed she got for the farm, we should have had them while growing up as we were always cold. In fact I told her that she's the reason why my Xcel bill is so high. Because I refused to be cold in my own home ever again after freezing for years in my bedroom up in ND. (our bedrooms had no insulation on the top floor)

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

I HATE WINTER.....except for the fact my makeup stays on all day

I know the seeds need to germinate, and the bears need to hibernate. I just need to stay alive.

Being cold makes me angry. I've had a 'tude at work for the last couple of days, LOL!

"What's wrong with YOU?" they ask. "I'M COLD!!!" I say.

See, I was born in Texas and lived here most of my life, except for Alaska, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. We always lived on the ocean......dad was in the Coast Guard. This makes me a total beach baby (but without the beach body!). And I am a Pisces (water sign) at that. So, I absolutely do not have any use for winter at all.

THIS is precisely the reason I would never ever consider living above the Mason/Dixon line! It's not the people....it's the weather. Why on God's green earth would ANYONE want to put themselves through ALL that grief (shoveling, warming the car, scraping, bundling, dry skin, shocking yourself every time you touch anything......) EVERY day of their lives??? I hate winter.....did I mention that?

This is how I sleep during the winter: sweats, socks, slippers, robe, wrapped like a burrito in a blanket, under a sheet, and blanket, and a comforter. With the heat on.

God, I hate winter. This beach baby hates being cold.

Sorry if this seems like a rant. I guess it is. If you like winter, God bless you. You're a tougher person than me. I'd just as soon sweat and have B.O. than freeze. "Cold" to me is anything under 60 degrees Farenheit. I guess it's just what you get used to.

Is it true that only Southern built cars come with A/C standard and the cars sold up North don't have it, but it can be purchased as an option?

Speaking of power costs.....we spend 1000% more on cooling costs here than heating costs. My gas bill runs around $60/month in the winter, $0 the rest of the time, but we have to pay a minimum anyway. The electric bill.....for the A/C can run up to $200/month in the Summer.

Okay, I feel better now. I'd better get going to bed.....by the time I bundle up, it will be closed to midnight.

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Isn't it funny they can charge you for gas even when you don't use it! Our wonderful monopolies known as power companies.

I also can't stand the heat which is why I could not deal with the southern heat waves. Which is normally why Denver is perfect for me, because we usually have pretty mild weather in the winter.

Darn, I forgot to turn off the space ehater at my desk before I left tonight...oh well the boss checks for me as well because he knows I'm goofy sometimes. He also turns it on to warm up my area for me in the morning. What a guy!

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

I grew up in a weird weather city - I live in WA, I speak of Wenatchee, this weird little desert in the middle of the state (most people think of Seattle and rain and mild temps when they think of WA, Wenatchee is east of the Cascade Mnts and has dramatic summers and winters), talk about awful winters. I used to go jogging in 12 degree weather bundled up like the Michelan Man - my top layer was a coat left behind by an ex boyfriend that was huge and covered my butt, kept it warm! I just moved to Tacoma, WA, which is just south of Seattle along Puget Sound. We got at most 2 inches of snow last week and they closed the schools down. In Wenatchee if it snowed we had to burrow our way through the snow to get to school.

My car has no AC, its a 98 civic (DX) and summers in Wenatchee were awful, I think I'll be ok here in Tacoma though. Most people in Wenatchee got AC in their cars, but I am learning that folks here west of the mountains don't need it because of the climate difference.

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any day now...

Baby, Washington state has as many weather zones as the whole country put together. Kansas City has weather changes every ten minutes. And that's actually one of the things I love about it.

I have prairie genes, but I love the ocean, too, because you can see a lot of sky, and watch the weather coming and going.

Everybody bundle up, etc. Great mental image of Maxibee the Burrito.

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Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

I've got about a half a foot of snow out there at the moment and it's still coming down. Blechhhh.

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Freezing rain over night has the tree branches looking very pretty.But that's already starting to melt. Yes, Carolyn I know what you mean. Growing up in NYC there had to be at least 5 or 6 inches of snow before school was cancelled. Here they close the schools if there is a light dusting of snow. That's probably a good thing since most people here don't know how to drive in snow.

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my blog

Getting a bunch of snow here in Maine today. The schools all let out early. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and in the 20s though. Maybe the snow will make me feel more Christmasy.

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5'0 154/136.5/130