Their smear campaign honestly made me like him more and I’m unironically considering moving to Minnesota as a direct result. The only problem is that I’m from the South and snow is scary.
Edit: Y’all are terrible at selling people on coexisting with snow
The snow and the cold are no joke. Buy yourself some good winter clothing straight off the bat. Don’t go for those cheap off brands. Oh no. You want to be warm, you want the good stuff. And remember to layer.
I have alpaca wool socks and they are just amazing. So comfortable and so warm. They were something like $22 for a pair, but they’ve held up pretty well and they’ve been worth it.
Depends on what you do. Plenty of people only have to walk from car door to heated building so crappy winter clothes isn’t a huge deal. There are those people that wear shorts year round based on that principle.
Years ago my battery died while I was at work. It was late shift so there was nobody else around. It had been snowing its ass off the tow companies were all backed up It was a 3-hour wait.
At sub-zero, Even in my car in my winter coat, that was brutal.
Now I carry a tightly wound sleeping bag in the trunk and a jump pack.
It’s been a few years since my trip to Milwaukee but, I remember it being just a bit more slippery than the first rain after a dry spell. Still very manageable and, like you said, just ease into it and it’ll become natural.
People talk about black ice in near-mystical terms, like some sort of malevolent spirit that waits to ambush its prey. But, really, while it is every bit as slippery as they say, it’s also not hard to avoid. I’ve had great results by simply treating any pavement that looks “wet” as slippery black ice. It’s not hard to see; the pavement color changes. It’s not always black ice, but it’s the same principle at treating every gun as if it is loaded.
packed up and moved to California after one delightful -27F day.
So it’s May, 2017. We’re just finishing our third winter in Ottawa, aka Canada’s wind-tunnel, and a string of -40 days made this one super harsh. 5ft snow pack around the driveway showed signs of melting on the weekend and the dog poop left by negligent fuckwits is almost visible and … ah shit, it’s two weeks of hard snow. We can barely see through the tears as we realize when we talk about ‘fool’s summer’, hope has made us the fool.
My first day at my new Vancouver-area job was 3 months later.
The lies that people tell themselves. Frostbite says bullshit to that. When it gets that cold staying warm is not easy. Especially when the wind starts to blow.
Cooling down in high heat: A cold drink, sun umbrella, and a ice pack under your hat.
It’s not that bad. I swear California nights at 40 and humid are worse than 0 and dry.
Snow is easy to drive in if you learn properly and afford yourself extra drive time. Honestly, that old comment from some southern news broadcast is pretty accurate: “If you rarely drive on snow, just pretend you’re taking your grandma to church. There’s a platter of biscuits and sweet tea in glass jars on the back seat. She’s wearing a new dress and holding a crock pot full of gravy.” Just go slow and steady and everything is fine. It’s the folks that think they can still do 60 in their Jeep with 6” of snow and corner like they’re an F1 car on the road that are the problem.
Also, come on up, we’d love to have you! Just be sure you read or watch “How to talk Minnesotan” first. It’s on the test.
Adding to this…
Traction control does not make you invincible. The computer is going to step in and selectively brake wheels to try to keep you in control of the car. You can absolutely get the car in a situation that the TC can not mitigate. When that system goes off, it should be a glaring alert to you, that you overdrove the car and conditions, and you need to re-evalute how you are driving immediately!
I’ve definitely been going 10 mph in city, signaled to turn, tried to slow down, and just coasted past my turn because that’s how fresh snow over ice behaves. That’s with traction control and ABS.
From the south…it’s more like the people in a Z71 with near bald knotted tired from driving only on pavement who have to swerve around you because you’re only going 6 over the speed limit.
I moved from the south to Minnesota in recent years and will never move back. The winters aren’t too bad after the first. Finding a knowledgeable local is pretty easy plus the Internet can fill in the gaps.
USB hand warmers are your friend. Layers of clothing, so you can get less dressed once you get where you’re going. If you drive in the snow, pretend your brakes have been cut and so you need much more stopping distance. Gloves that have capacitive finger tips so you can use your phone while wearing them are awesome. Walk like a penguin (shuffle feet, short steps center of balance always above your feet) on ice, so you don’t slip and fall. Snow is reflective, like the ocean, so sunglasses are nice in winter.
I’m currently getting my Masters degree in Public Admin so I can go to law school after I retire from the military. I wanted to specifically move to a red state because I know no matter what happens in November, red state legislature will always affect the disenfranchised population moreso than in blue states.
However, now that the military has left me in Texas for this long (10+ years by the time I retire), I’m fucking tired.
So, the tentative plan now (I still have 4 years) has switched from moving to Florida post-military, to instead moving to Minnesota, and then taking the bar in Wisconsin to practice (and yes, eventually other red states that I have experience in…like Texas 🤮). I think itll be better for my mental health which will help me top of my game for assigned clients.
Ugh, and to think, pre-2016 my plan was to retire and be a night shift manager at a Circle K.
Wisconsin doesn’t have a bar exam if that makes any difference to you. And there’s cities in Wisconsin like Hudson that are on the border/river across from Minnesota.
Actually thats HELLA good to know. I havent really settled on anything yet since I’m still active duty/getting through my masters degree, and I’ve got about 4 years to retirement, but that is going to be a huge influence.
My buddy actually moved out to St Paul, and he says he’s about 40 mins from Wisconsin’s border. He’s the one who gave me the idea because he’s been begging my husband and I to move out there, as he’s very Lefty and loves it, and he thinks we would too. I don’t disagree with him, I was just in tunnel vision with my literal personal crusade, until he mentioned how close he was to the Wisconsin border. I was like “Oh I could definitely be a Public Defender there then!”
To jump in here with a clarification: Wisconsin does indeed have a bar exam. However, the Wisconsin courts offer diploma privilege to graduates of the Marquette and University of Wisconsin law schools. You do not need to sit for the bar exam if you graduate from those schools, but everybody else must pass the exam to gain admission.
Good news, though: Milwaukee and Madison are very blue cities.
My husband and I have a house in St Paul and we go to Hudson for lunch/dinner dates sometimes. It’s quite close. And Minnesota and Wisconsin have agreements set up for living in one state and working in the other.
Their smear campaign honestly made me like him more and I’m unironically considering moving to Minnesota as a direct result. The only problem is that I’m from the South and snow is scary.
Edit: Y’all are terrible at selling people on coexisting with snow
The snow and the cold are no joke. Buy yourself some good winter clothing straight off the bat. Don’t go for those cheap off brands. Oh no. You want to be warm, you want the good stuff. And remember to layer.
It’s all in the socks and a good, warm hat. Wools over cotton, wet cotton from sweat or snow in cold enough weather can be dangerous.
My sister got me a llama wool beanie a few years ago, and I will sweat at near zero. That shit is WARM.
Llama (or probably alpaca) wool is no joke. There’s a reason why most yarns are a blend and aren’t 100% alpaca, it’s usually too hot.
I have alpaca wool socks and they are just amazing. So comfortable and so warm. They were something like $22 for a pair, but they’ve held up pretty well and they’ve been worth it.
Ideally no cotton.
Anything made with Merino Wool is phenomenal. Warm feet in the cold outside. Comfortable feet in the warm building. It’s wild.
Depends on what you do. Plenty of people only have to walk from car door to heated building so crappy winter clothes isn’t a huge deal. There are those people that wear shorts year round based on that principle.
Yes, but in the car there is still a bag of appropriate winter clothes for emergencies.
“Dress for the ditch”
this guy parties.
Years ago my battery died while I was at work. It was late shift so there was nobody else around. It had been snowing its ass off the tow companies were all backed up It was a 3-hour wait.
At sub-zero, Even in my car in my winter coat, that was brutal.
Now I carry a tightly wound sleeping bag in the trunk and a jump pack.
Born and raised in MN. Snow gives you a chance to learn how to ski, and isn’t terrible to drive in when you relax and are patient.
It’s been a few years since my trip to Milwaukee but, I remember it being just a bit more slippery than the first rain after a dry spell. Still very manageable and, like you said, just ease into it and it’ll become natural.
Just be sure to take it to the car wash every other week
Black ice on the other hand…
People talk about black ice in near-mystical terms, like some sort of malevolent spirit that waits to ambush its prey. But, really, while it is every bit as slippery as they say, it’s also not hard to avoid. I’ve had great results by simply treating any pavement that looks “wet” as slippery black ice. It’s not hard to see; the pavement color changes. It’s not always black ice, but it’s the same principle at treating every gun as if it is loaded.
Black ice is the quick sand of the Midwest.
Not as scary as the south.
My very first job was in Minnesota and the snow is not what you have to be afraid of.
It’s the damn frigid temperatures. My wife and I quit our jobs, broke our lease, packed up and moved to California after one delightful -27F day.
So it’s May, 2017. We’re just finishing our third winter in Ottawa, aka Canada’s wind-tunnel, and a string of -40 days made this one super harsh. 5ft snow pack around the driveway showed signs of melting on the weekend and the dog poop left by negligent fuckwits is almost visible and … ah shit, it’s two weeks of hard snow. We can barely see through the tears as we realize when we talk about ‘fool’s summer’, hope has made us the fool.
My first day at my new Vancouver-area job was 3 months later.
The key is not leave the house when its really cold. Also layers. You can always put on more layers
It’s a lot easier to warm up than it is to cool down.
That’s true
The lies that people tell themselves. Frostbite says bullshit to that. When it gets that cold staying warm is not easy. Especially when the wind starts to blow.
Cooling down in high heat: A cold drink, sun umbrella, and a ice pack under your hat.
Pot meet kettle
It’s not that bad. I swear California nights at 40 and humid are worse than 0 and dry.
Snow is easy to drive in if you learn properly and afford yourself extra drive time. Honestly, that old comment from some southern news broadcast is pretty accurate: “If you rarely drive on snow, just pretend you’re taking your grandma to church. There’s a platter of biscuits and sweet tea in glass jars on the back seat. She’s wearing a new dress and holding a crock pot full of gravy.” Just go slow and steady and everything is fine. It’s the folks that think they can still do 60 in their Jeep with 6” of snow and corner like they’re an F1 car on the road that are the problem.
Also, come on up, we’d love to have you! Just be sure you read or watch “How to talk Minnesotan” first. It’s on the test.
Adding to this… Traction control does not make you invincible. The computer is going to step in and selectively brake wheels to try to keep you in control of the car. You can absolutely get the car in a situation that the TC can not mitigate. When that system goes off, it should be a glaring alert to you, that you overdrove the car and conditions, and you need to re-evalute how you are driving immediately!
And 4x4 and AWD only help you accelerate.
They don’t do anything when you try to decelerate.
It’s 4-wheel drive, not 4-wheel stop. (Ok, technically brakes can be on each wheel, but that still won’t help in sufficient lack-of-friction)
True, but that’s what ABS is for. People don’t generally have issues in town. It’s when on the highway that people get stuck and unable to get out.
I’ve definitely been going 10 mph in city, signaled to turn, tried to slow down, and just coasted past my turn because that’s how fresh snow over ice behaves. That’s with traction control and ABS.
Traction control hinders me more than helps. But I drive a 2 door wrangler. Traction control on that thing is totally unnecessary.
From the south…it’s more like the people in a Z71 with near bald knotted tired from driving only on pavement who have to swerve around you because you’re only going 6 over the speed limit.
I moved from the south to Minnesota in recent years and will never move back. The winters aren’t too bad after the first. Finding a knowledgeable local is pretty easy plus the Internet can fill in the gaps.
Most people, similarly, don’t know that Stockholm Syndrome isn’t about the weather. ;-)
There are parts of the twin cities that are fully car free so you
dummydon’t need to drive.I’m originally from Florida and that’s what I do. Although the light rail is a bit interesting sometimes.
USB hand warmers are your friend. Layers of clothing, so you can get less dressed once you get where you’re going. If you drive in the snow, pretend your brakes have been cut and so you need much more stopping distance. Gloves that have capacitive finger tips so you can use your phone while wearing them are awesome. Walk like a penguin (shuffle feet, short steps center of balance always above your feet) on ice, so you don’t slip and fall. Snow is reflective, like the ocean, so sunglasses are nice in winter.
Honestly? Same.
I’m currently getting my Masters degree in Public Admin so I can go to law school after I retire from the military. I wanted to specifically move to a red state because I know no matter what happens in November, red state legislature will always affect the disenfranchised population moreso than in blue states.
However, now that the military has left me in Texas for this long (10+ years by the time I retire), I’m fucking tired.
So, the tentative plan now (I still have 4 years) has switched from moving to Florida post-military, to instead moving to Minnesota, and then taking the bar in Wisconsin to practice (and yes, eventually other red states that I have experience in…like Texas 🤮). I think itll be better for my mental health which will help me top of my game for assigned clients.
Ugh, and to think, pre-2016 my plan was to retire and be a night shift manager at a Circle K.
Edit: Also fuck hot weather year round.
Wisconsin doesn’t have a bar exam if that makes any difference to you. And there’s cities in Wisconsin like Hudson that are on the border/river across from Minnesota.
Actually thats HELLA good to know. I havent really settled on anything yet since I’m still active duty/getting through my masters degree, and I’ve got about 4 years to retirement, but that is going to be a huge influence.
My buddy actually moved out to St Paul, and he says he’s about 40 mins from Wisconsin’s border. He’s the one who gave me the idea because he’s been begging my husband and I to move out there, as he’s very Lefty and loves it, and he thinks we would too. I don’t disagree with him, I was just in tunnel vision with my literal personal crusade, until he mentioned how close he was to the Wisconsin border. I was like “Oh I could definitely be a Public Defender there then!”
Thank you so much for the information!
To jump in here with a clarification: Wisconsin does indeed have a bar exam. However, the Wisconsin courts offer diploma privilege to graduates of the Marquette and University of Wisconsin law schools. You do not need to sit for the bar exam if you graduate from those schools, but everybody else must pass the exam to gain admission.
Good news, though: Milwaukee and Madison are very blue cities.
My husband and I have a house in St Paul and we go to Hudson for lunch/dinner dates sometimes. It’s quite close. And Minnesota and Wisconsin have agreements set up for living in one state and working in the other.