| Topic Name: |
Moving to the cold |
| Message Name: |
Steer INTO a skid on ice |
| Date Posted: |
05/26/2005 |
| In Reply To: |
I moved from Florida to northern Pennsylvania, and stayed there for several years.
Ditto to all the advice on layering, boots, and gloves. However, your coats will be very important, especially as part of your on-air wardrobe.
You'll probably need two--your basic "looks nice and professional in the cold" coat, suitable for temps down to near zero, and your "looks be damned, just keep me warm" coat for those sub-zero live shots.
Don't skimp on the cost. You'll need coats that measure up in both appearance and performance. Either coat could easily set you back over a hundred bucks. Spend the money. You'll be glad you did.
The best advice I received when arriving in the cold country:
"Don't screw around when the temperature drops. Treat winter with the respect it deserves."
And:
"You have to get outdoors and embrace winter. If you run away and hide from it, that's when it will kill you."
A previous poster was right, by the way. In the end, it wasn't the cold that bothered me the most--it was the lack of sunshine.
But you'll cope. We all do.
Good luck! |
| Message: |
If your car starts sliding to the right, turn your wheel to the right to steer into the skid. And NEVER slam on your brakes on ice. You'll live to regret it as you start flying sideways down the road and see cars and then trees coming up on your windshield. Ditto for driving over icy bridges -- even the ones on interstates (cold air underneath freezes them before the road). Never slam on your brakes there.
Keep a bag of salt, a small shovel and flares in your trunk for the times you're stuck on ice or in a snowdrift. If you do get stuck in snow, rock your car -- drive, reverse, drive, reverse -- rather than spinning your wheels in drive (it only digs you farther into the drift).
Front wheel drive cars with stick works best on snow (or go for a 4-wheel drive). Rear wheel drive cars get stuck in snow more often.
Keep a blanket in the car for those horrible times when you have car trouble. You'll be glad you have it as you're waiting for AAA. Make sure you always have antifreeze in your radiator. (If it's mostly water, your car's going nowhere when the weather dips below freezing.)
Keep your chest area warm with lots of layers. You might think it's weird to see people with those "sleeveless" quilted jackets, but they've learned that when your vital organs (heart, lungs, liver, etc.) are really warm, your fingers and toes stay warm. Your body always pulls heat to the vital organs to keep them warm. Keep that area warm with layers of clothes (think wool and silk under your coat -- no polyester) and it frees up heat for the rest of your body.
Hat is a must. Definitely keep your ears covered. Get a scarf to pull over your nose, mouth and cheeks when you're not on-air. Also keeps the back of your neck warm.
Gray, overcast days for weeks on end might drive you crazy if you crave sunlight. But fall and spring are amazing. Have fun!
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