Winter: Day 2

It's pretty cold around these parts.  Really.  Ever try fixing a snowthrower when winds are gusting to 22mph?  Well, I did...and, unfortunately, it's still not cooperating.  The Sears manual says to replace / adjust the belts.  Well, we did- no go.  Had we been thinking thoroughly in the beginning, I suppose we could have pulled the belt cover off and watched to see if the old belts were the problem before we replaced them...but I guess it won't hurt to replace them anyway.  Anybody have a spare friction plate for a 13hp Craftsman snowblower?  We might need one.

We have a low of -1f forecast for this Christmas Eve Eve Eve evening (how 'bout that?).  In layman's terms, that's "pretty darn cold."  Don't worry, I'll be sleeping, and you should be too.  Incidentally, flannel sheets are a fantastic addition to any New England bedroom.  Do you have any friends or family still suffering through cold winter nights with cold-to-the-touch sheets?  You still have two shopping days before Christmas- seize the moment!

I will digress for a brief moment to address the people who drive in West Lebanon, NH.  For the love of all that is holy, intersections have signs saying "DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION" for a reason!  Just because your light is green does not mean you can go!  If you think that I'm going to patiently tolerate your intrusion into MY green light just because you didn't feel like waiting for the next cycle...well, I guess you're right.  Until "what are you, STUPID!?" looks can kill, you're probably safe.

Until next time!

The breakfast of champions.

Then I am going to sleep.

I thought winter wasn't here yet!

So here I am at ~8am, shortly before I left to get my new rear tires mounted (good thing, because I was practically running slicks back there...no wonder she was tail-happy on wet roads!).  As you may notice (and as evidenced by the spiffy sunglasses), the sun is up but there's still significant frost.  I checked the weather when I went inside, and per our friend Weather.com, it was a frosty 24 degrees Fahrenheit.  C'mon...that's ridiculous.  Maybe I need to move somewhere warmer.

I have captured the sun.

Well, close enough!

More photos

Now that she's presentable again, I'll post a few more photos.  I might not be the best in the 'ideal color match' business, but I do like the contrast with the leaves and the car.

Just a quick snapshot I took while on Greensboro Road in Hanover.  Enjoy!

Hey, can you pick up 1.5 quarts of ice cream on your way home?

Just doesn't have the same ring as 'half-gallon', does it?

Remember when the 6oz cat food cans mysteriously downsized to 5.5oz?  "Hey," you thought.  "They look shorter."  Congratulations, you were right!  Of course, most people probably didn't notice due to the lack of a price decrease.  Again, perhaps you noticed the more recent decline in size of our beloved family-pack frozen dessert: the traditional half-gallon ice cream container.  They went on a diet and downsized to 1.75 quarts.

But wait- with people crying about the economy going down the tubes, apparently big corporations have to save money somehow...which must be why Breyers slashed their size yet again to a meager 1.5 quarts!  The traditional half-gallon of ice cream just isn't what it used to be.  Fortunately, Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's have not yet succumbed to peer pressure...hopefully they'll be able to hold out for a while.

On another note, apparently there are certain corporations that would rather have you use their websites or favor their competitors. I went to Sears to pick up a new regulator for the grill.  Well, the gentleman at Sears kindly looked up the part and quoted me $32.99 plus $10.99 shipping, with an estimated arrival time in approximately ten days.  What is this, the Pony Express?  And hang on a second- isn't this a retail store? I thought one major selling point of retail stores was instant gratification, not to mention the whole "no shipping" thing! Fortunately, he seemed to understand my frustration with his employer, as he recommended that I check Home Depot instead. Voila- for $16 and change, I had a new regulator. Thanks Home Depot!

More pics from the Kanc

Here's a bit of deja vu...we've already heard about the trip on the Kancamagus Highway, but as I still have photos to post, you get to hear about it again!  This would be what you don't want to see while driving a sports car down the Kancamagus Highway- or any twisty road, for that matter.   Not cool...but fortunately, the road opened up again shortly thereafter.

There's one particular stretch of the Kanc that I absolutely love.  If you're wondering what I'm referring to when I mention yellow signs, this is it! The time is coming to put the 2 to bed for the winter; I'm hoping to get another 4-6 weeks with her before the snow flies, but your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully I'll be in good shape for some autocross runs this spring...still waiting on the harness bar that I ordered in August. They allegedly started shipping weeks ago...

Elections...

So I listened to the debate today- the first that I've listened to this year. From the moderator's (repeated) comments and specific requests, I've come to understand that each candidate agreed to debate terms involving time restrictions (being 60 seconds per answer). Now, my question is this: If neither candidate is able to follow the simple rules that they agreed to adhere to prior to the debate, how exactly is either one going to run a country? Hmm.

Took the long way home from Maine...

Rather than taking my ordinary route, I picked up the Kanc in Conway...it was worth the trip. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of leaf-peepers who, while impeding my progress down the roadway, decided to pull off into a convenient scenic area, thereby bringing the road back into its natural and most pleasant state: empty. Life is good- and so was the weather.

What's this? A blog?

Indeed. Let me guess. You thought you'd never see the day? Whatever happened to my dislike of creative writing? Well, I've decided to shatter previous expectations and branch out into new territory. I must say that I am slightly curious myself- how long will I keep this up? Today? A week? Perhaps even a year? I suppose it depends on how many people read and enjoy this.

Few things are better than a freshly paved road, especially when adorned with those beautiful "S-curves ahead" signs. It's the little things in life that make it worth the trip, so I've decided to share them. You can expect the occasional unexpected entry, as I may have some brief humorous anecdotes lying in wait. Time will tell, I suppose.