It's in the high 60s/low 70s here in sunny central texas. Trust me, I'd rather be freezing my butt off. I went to New York for the Christmas holidays and it was the mildest winter EVER for me up there. It was in the 50s the entire time (hence no snow) and the day before I left to come back, it was in the 60s. I was wearing shorts in JANUARY! F'n global warming

It's supposed to be below freezing, with wind chills at or below 0, for the next 8-10 days here. I don't believe in global warming any more.

I am tired of wearing thermals plus layers. I think I need to pay my dad a visit in Florida for the rest of the Winter.

Like I said before that groundhog better be right or I will fry him up for supper.

Yeah. Al Gore. This is fucking global warming.

No wonders they've had to push that bullshit so hard on TV...everyone is freezing their wedding tackle off and they keep telling us the world is warming.

Actually, the wild swings in temperature, from the 70's a month ago, to below 0 now, ARE an indication of global warming.

Geoff, baby, anytime you want, I'm happy to add your laundry to the endless piles I have here. I'm on my 3rd load today, so one more won't even make me blink.

While I think there is a problem with greenhouse gases, I don't buy all the paranoia that is being sold.

Especially when we're fucking freezing everywhere.

As much as owning a home is a pain in the ass, the simple pleasure of just being able to go down to my basement to do my laundry is a blessing. If I had to deal with the hassle of laundromats again I think I'd become a streaker.

Remember a few months ago I was pretty much out of *all* my laundry -- and then some? Guess what... it's more than 1 extra load.

Tell me about it.

It's one thing when my parents are in town (May-Sep, Nov, Dec) I just take it there to do 1 load at a time once or twice a week and it's fine. But when I go a few weeks (or longer), I end up building up like 6-8 loads which would take an ENTIRE day with one machine, but just 1.5 hours at the laundromat. It's just getting there, and carrying all that at once, that's the problem...

And I miss having a dishwasher and garbage disposal, too!

Well, my hands are my dishwasher and my cat's my garbage disposal. I haven't completely hit the 21st century yet.

Oh, boy is it cold here in the Bronx. On top of everything, my dad moved in with me after my mom passed away. He's in his 70's and in great shape, thank God. The thing is, he's a cross between
Frank Costanza (Seinfeld) Frank Barone (E.L. Raymond) and Arthur Spooner (King Of Queens).
He's got a 2006 Cadillac in the driveway, yet he hasn't slept since the arctic cold crept in, for fear that it's gonna freeze up. If I have to hear one more time that they don't make cars like they used to........
As far as laundry, the Portuguese lady at my local laundromat only charges 75 cents a pound. I'll never go back to doing it myself, it's worth every penny.

For those who are curious as to the origin of the phrase "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey," here is the surprising story:

A couple of hundred years ago, warships carried lots of cannon on their decks. Iron cannonballs were stacked, pyramid-like, next to each of them. To keep the cannonballs from rolling around on deck, they were placed on a large triangular brass plate called a "monkey". The plate had depressions in it so the balls would rest securely. However, in extreme cold weather, metal contracts. Brass shrinks a bit faster than iron, so after a while the indentations in the brass plate would become too small to hold the cannonballs and they would dislodge.

Hence the old sailors' expression.

I read this a couple of years ago on the website of singer/songwriter Amanda McBroom at http://www.amcbroom.com. She wrote Bette Midler's "The Rose" and her father was the late actor David Bruce (remembered for a few 1940s horror films). There are lots of fascinating bits of information on her site (look under "Gossip"), but unfortunately the "Brass Monkey" story is no longer there.

Signor V.

I never heard that expression, but I have heard "colder than a witch's..." body part before.

Geoff, since I usually do anywhere from 8-10 loads in an average week, believe me, I'm not phased. However, it is pretty bad when you have to resort to buying new underwear. My kids have it so freaking good. I even iron my daughter's jeans.

Sometimes a 3 pack of Fruit Of The Looms is cheaper than washing a load of clothes

Pfft, who washes clothes anyway? I just use the river, since I live in a van down by the river (!).

Even Warner Bros. managed to sneak the joke into an old cartoon (I wish I could remember the name of it):

There was a nightclub at the North Pole, and we see a shot of the building's exterior. The neon sign says "Brass Monkey Club".

As far as the other expression, well, here's a story:

This is true, and not a joke - the late Signora V. was a student of Wicca for many years. Not a Priestess, but she did study it for quite a while. (One of my nicknames for her was Witchiepoo.) Sometimes during the winter, just to tease her, I'd go over to her and place a hand on "righty" (or "lefty" - whichever one was closer), look out the window and say, "My God, it is cold out there!" Her eyes would narrow and she would glare at me.

The next few days were a bit hazy, but I have it on good authority that I was snapping at flies with my tongue. But, as they said in Monty Python, "I got better!"

Signor V.

My suggestion to all married men on the boards is "Do not try this at home."

:)---Well, I will be the ODD one and say i like the winter--Sorry guy's i am not a summer person...
In NJ--we just started getting the cold weather...Each year it seems to be getting later & later!

Thank goodness for 'Global Warming'!

Otherwise, it would've felt like 3 degrees this morning instead of 6!!



Look...in the winter it gets cold, in the summer it gets hot. Six months from now we'll be in the middle of another 110 degree heat wave, and the same people who are harping about the cold will be harping about the heat. Happens every year.

It's called nature. Live with it.

Apple

The only thing predictable about the weather is that it's unpredictable.

While I think that some have exaggerated the present perils of global warming, the greenhouse effect and the depletion of the ozone, I think we've been dilatory in taking steps to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

What made my ears stick up after the recent international summit on the greenhouse effect, a Washington think tank in conjunction with Exxon is offering $10,000.00 to a scientist to write an opposing report. Noww there's a credible report.

But for $20,000, I'll write whatever they want.

Heck, I'll do it for $15,000!!

As for heatwaves, bring em on!! I love summer and sunshine.

We had it up to around 80 on the coast yesterday, actually. Everyone was out and about today, everywhere I looked someone was jogging or walking their dog or something. More than usual, I mean. I guess they figured they'd better take advantage of the warm weather. It's definitely not going to last long... we'll be back in the 60's in no time. Which I have absolutely no problems with, of course. Especially reading some of the crazy numbers you guys are having in the east!! I'm sending warm thoughts your way, can you feel it?



Thanks, SC.

Don't mention it, zia. I get nasty when I'm frozen.

My mother literally has not left the house in days. With her heart condition, the cold can be dangerous, but I'm getting REALLY sick of having her around the house, especially since she's usually out and about all the time.

We got about 1 1/2 inches of snow over night. It's the light fluffy kind, so it's not so bad. If it's gonna snow at least make it about 10 inches so I can get off of work. But it's enough for the schools to be closed. Wimps.

It's supposed to get up to a high of 28 degrees today. Woo hoo! Heat wave.

We got about 1/2 inch overnight and the high is suppose to get up to '18. Right now it is '4 degrees and my son has to go back to school today. I was hoping for at least a 2 hr. delay. Now I have to get all bundled up and take him to school

Pssst... Beth needs 10" to get off. Pass it on.

Look at SC looking out for my well being. I'm gonna have to start calling him my Pimp Daddy.

Just call me SC Tattaglia.