What not to do in minus 40
 

OK the transition between minus 25 (bearable) and minus 35 and below is a harsh one - this is for those just on their way out here.

A couple of pointers from a dumb ass blonde who didn't realise just how quick it can get you.

Yesterday I got back from work and decided to shovel the drive and path - temp at that time minus 35. Didn't feel that cold as I was dressed up like a snowman however only had on my suede work gloves (not the thinsulate superduper ones I bought for this very purpose). The old guy next door came running out "Get inside young lady you'll freeze doing that in this weather" "no" says I wanting to be all Canadian.

Anyway - I thought - don't see the problem I can't even feel the cold in my hands

HOLY F**K I actually can't even feel my hands, i'd only been out there 5 mins, went running back inside and it was the scariest feeling, I couldn't even feel them getting cold let alone about to drop off - it took 10 mins to regain feeling.

Lesson 1 - Don't be a t**t and wear the right clothes.

Also don't wash your hair, part dry it, and then go outside for a ciggie in these temps either (me also last night) the parts that weren't quite dry froze solid in again 5 mins.

Lesson 2 - Don't be blonde or it'll all fall off and you won't be anything.

Scary stuff these temps, just be sensible.

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

OH told me that hair that freezes snaps off really easily................so having just got off the boat ourselves, albeit in the more temporate Maritimes, I am drying my hair so thoroughly I am going to have split ends to the roots! :rofl:

Now just you be careful. How does it feel to smoke outside at -35 anyway, it gives me a chest infection just thinking about it.

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

LMFAO!

That's the funniest thing I've read all day!

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

Hubby cleared about a quarter of our drive yesterday morning - not a new new snowfall, just all the stuff that had blown back over it on Sunday.

Was out there about 5-8 minutes. Chest really sore - had to go and get his inhaler !!! :eek: And this is a very fit bloke. Don't think the inhaler worked - just cold shock to the chest methinks. Took him somewhat by surprise.

Ditto mandymoochops - don't be a t**t !! :rofl:

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF :curse: Don't be a martar you don't want any parts falling off :eek::rofl:

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

You would think that after living in Canada for 40 years or so, my husband would have figured out that 40 below is a wee bit cool!

So, he phoned to say he was coming home from work but stopping for gas on the way! That was at 6.15 and it takes 20 minutes to get here plus stopping for gas of course.

He comes in at 7 pm. So I said where had he been - its a long story - I ran out of gas on the ring road. Ermm - well there are gas stations on Winnipeg Street why didn't you get gas there? "I didn't bother to look at the gas gauge!"

I refrained from saying that when you phoned you said you were stopping for gas, so presumably even before you left you knew the gas was low!

Instead I said "Its hard to have any sympathy for someone who doesn't make sure they have gas in the vehicle when its 40 below!"

Of course he won't carry a phone - but if he did it the battery would be dead!

Anyway, he managed to get it started again and got gas, so it wasn't totally out of gas.

Here's another "dummy" story. My son said one of the guys he works with has got my son out there four times already this winter to boost his car because he didn't plug it in. He told my son that the car was new so he shouldn't have to plug it in!! Anyway, the fifth time it happened, my son said no, he wasn't going to help him again. The guy started plugging his car in.

And yet another:

Years ago my husband (the same husband that ran out of gas) had some crappy old Mercury Sable. He used to boast to his friends that the car started and it did not have a block heater!!! How wonderful. What he failed to mention was that he set the f***ing alarm for 3.30 am and would get up and get dressed and go out in the 35 below weather and run the car so it would start in the morning!! That presumably was far better than spending $50 to have a block heater installed!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

That's funny!

This is how life happened in our house!

Hubby cleared the path yesterday morning before work, he told me how far he had got.....

I took the dog out and decided 30 mins was quite long enough to be outside for one day and didn't venture outside again

Hubby came home and said 'You didn't do the rest of the shovelling?!?!'

I told him it was too bloody cold and it could wait 'till Wednesday when it's supposed to be warmer.

Hubby went outside and finished the shovelling:huh: WHY? - It's not going anywhere!

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

Take the dog for a walk - ( Dog not on a lesh ):eek: wind blowing -45c

Went out last night down front drive, dog took a pee, I walked on turned around 2 houses up to see if she was coming.

There she all 100lbs leaning into the neighbours snow bank out of the wind watching me walk up the road.

I turn towards her, she runs off up our the drive into the garage sits by the back door waiting to get in.

We get in, she waits for her paws to be wiped and runs to her bed. That was it for the night.

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

Grah, your lucky! Mine dragged me through the snow drifts and kept looking back as if to say, hurry up, we've got a long way to go, and it's cold, but lets not take any shortcuts, I need to see who else has been out and about!

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

When I was living in Toronto in 83 and my partner was out of town his sister rang me out of the blue. "Whatever you do DO NOT GO OUT TONIGHT!" it ws going to be -40 and then some and she knew I'd probably be going for a run in the evening and figured she didn't want to read in the paper about some stupid foreign woman found dead in a ditch, frozen solid.

I thank her for the warning. I did stick my head out the door just to see what it was like, being used to minus 25 in Sweden and my nose nearly dropped off in a heart beat.

That was me curled up in bed the rest of the evening watching movies with heating on max and loads of hot chocolate.

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

Not mimus 40 here, only -20 with wind chill; but it still takes me longer to put on all my outdoor clothes to collect my 5 yr old from the school bus than it does to reach the end of the road: - thermals, fleece, scarf, hat, gloves, boots; run to the corner, pray the bus will be on time - run home! Only been here six weeks and these temperature fluctuation have to been seen to be believed; yesterday day time a balmy 5 overnight -15 windchill -25 - Whats that all about then (not sciencentif info please - retorical question only!

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

Lol couldn't be a martyr with my o/h, he takes the

"God woman shut up, whats the problem" approach to more or less anything :lol:

Felt good when he had man flu not too long back tho - revenge is sweet! I made him take Buckleys!

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

My poor old doggie (14 yrs old)..... on Tuesday hubby let her out to pee in the morning, but when she got outside she turned straight round and asked to come back in.

"That's no good, she has to need to pee at least, and anyway we're off to work soon" says I.
So I put on all my gear and try going outside with her. It works, to an extent ... she pees then starts a poo (sorry for the details) then her feet start to hurt so she tries to pick up first one then another from the ground til eventually she lies down and looks at me.

I call her to get up, and she tries to crawl towards me, but after a few inches stops and gazes at me miserably. OK, so I pick her up and carry her back in feeling rotten. When I got back from work I took a snow shovel and cleared a square of back lawn, which she has used with enthusiasm ever since! :thumbup:

Re: What not to do in minus 40
 

What not to do..........dont let a pool of water gather in your garage near the door.

I didnt see it and just got in the vehicle, well I pressed the button to open the garage. The door had frozen into the pool of water and it nearly ripped the door off its hinges. Oppsss !!! :o:o:o

Re: What not to do in minus 40