Yep, it's Winter in the Northern Hemisphere

[oldbike54]

 How do we know , well , everyone gets a bit grouchy 

 Take a breath fellas , go hug mamma , pet your dog or cat , start planning for rally season , get out a map and plan some routes , go for a walk , visit a friend , post a ride report , read a good book .

 Are we good ?

 Dusty

[Toecutter]

This forum is full of curmudgeons... I haven't even noticed a change. 

[jcctx]

How do we know , well , everyone gets a bit grouchy 

 Take a breath fellas , go hug mamma , pet your dog or cat , start planning for rally season , get out a map and plan some routes , go for a walk , visit a friend , post a ride report , read a good book .

 Are we good ?

 Dusty

And I thought religion and politics were off limits???

[oldbike54]

This forum is full of curmudgeons... I haven't even noticed a change. 

 Nah , I personally know most of the regular posters here , and while everyone has a bad day on occasion , most of these folks are not curmudgeons.

 Dusty

[Chuck in Indiana]

2 degrees when I rolled my creaky old bones out of the rack this morning. Yep, it's Winter..

[Toecutter]

 Nah , I personally know most of the regular posters here , and while everyone has a bad day on occasion , most of these folks are not curmudgeons.

 Dusty

I... was kidding.

[kingoffleece]

"Surely you jest."  "I never jest, and don't call me Shirley!"

[Dilliw]

"Surely you jest."  "I never jest, and don't call me Shirley!"

"Is there someone else up there we can talk to?"  "No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"

[twowings]

I'm a misanthrope...much classier than a curmudgeon! 

[Testarossa]

I can't have enough winter. But that's just me.

[Lannis]

I can't have enough winter. But that's just me.

I went skiing ONCE, at The Homestead in Virginia.   It was a day about 5 degrees below zero, beautiful clear weather, and I did my level best to have a go at it.

By dark, I had left trenches and holes all over the Bunny slope, I was bruised, sore, tired, wet, and frozen to the bone.   I don't think I've ever had such a miserable day in my life.   The hot chocolate around the big firepit in the lodge was heavenly.   And I've never looked back.

As Darth Vader said "It is too late for me, son ..."

Lannis

[s1120]

"Is there someone else up there we can talk to?"  "No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"

I watched that just last night!!  Classic!  I had to show it to my 16 YO daughter...

[kballowe]

I dunno.  It's pretty nice here. 
Thermostat set on 70.

Life is good

 

[LowRyter]

normal 53 tomorrow, going to ride to the dinner meet up.

[Guzzistajohn]

Was somebody being grumpy? I must have missed those 39 threads <§£¥€g>   

[Ncdan]

What is a Curmudgeon ?

[Tom]

It's a type of dog!

[wyno]

Check Paul Brooking's post. 50 degrees. And that is in Celcius not Farenheit.

[ChuckH]

2 degrees when I rolled my creaky old bones out of the rack this morning. Yep, it's Winter..

Good Morning Chuck,

Are you back from CA?  I thought you'd be out there for a couple months or so.  Welcome back.

Chuck

[Chuck in Indiana]

Good Morning Chuck,

Are you back from CA?  I thought you'd be out there for a couple months or so.  Welcome back.

Chuck

Hi, the other Chuck.  No, the longest we stay is 3 weeks at a time. Don't want to upset their routine.. kids have to move bedrooms, etc. I keep telling him to build us a tiny house, it probably wouldn't cost more than a million dollars,  but it falls on deaf ears. 

[chuck peterson]

No it's not.

[ChuckH]

Hi, the other Chuck.  No, the longest we stay is 3 weeks at a time. Don't want to upset their routine.. kids have to move bedrooms, etc. I keep telling him to build us a tiny house, it probably wouldn't cost more than a million dollars,  but it falls on deaf ears....

Yeah, I understand that.  When we go to see our son and family in Michigan we always stay in a motel.  Their house is somewhat small and displacing the two sons (24 and 21 years old) would upset their sleep habits.      

Have a good day and try and stay warm.

[guzzisteve]

It's a type of dog!

As it relates to the OLD GRUMPY GUYS here "Don't Kick the Dog" the Humane Society will have you thrown in jail.

[Testarossa]

I went skiing ONCE, at The Homestead in Virginia.   It was a day about 5 degrees below zero, beautiful clear weather, and I did my level best to have a go at it.

By dark, I had left trenches and holes all over the Bunny slope, I was bruised, sore, tired, wet, and frozen to the bone.   I don't think I've ever had such a miserable day in my life.   The hot chocolate around the big firepit in the lodge was heavenly.   And I've never looked back.

As Darth Vader said "It is too late for me, son ..."

Lannis

Well, it's not for everyone. Statistic: 85% of people who take a beginner lesson never show up for lesson #2.  The 15% who come back for more usually get hooked.  Then there are the people who think they can learn without lessons, or learn from a "friend." No way to tell how many of them come back for more (of course, I was one of those. Don't know how I survived).

Not unlike motorcycling, I guess.

[Toecutter]

Well, it's not for everyone. Statistic: 85% of people who take a beginner lesson never show up for lesson #2.  The 15% who come back for more usually get hooked.  Then there are the people who think they can learn without lessons, or learn from a "friend." No way to tell how many of them come back for more (of course, I was one of those. Don't know how I survived).

Not unlike motorcycling, I guess.

I'd say it sounds exactly like motorcycling. The "learned from a friend" are the worst... perfectly functional in perfect conditions.

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Skiing might be pretty nice if it weren't for all the snow.

[JohninVT]

Skiing is great but it has become a rich person's sport.  It's $125 for a ticket at Killington this year.  If you want to spend a day with your wife and kids that means it's $500 before you buy $25 hamburgers in the lodge or $8 hot chocolates.  It's even worse out West. 

The only reason I ski now is that VT schools all have winter skiing programs at reduced rates.  I chaperone my daughter's program.  It costs $80 for 8 Sundays her to ski and chaperone's ski free.  In addition, each day a chaperone skis with the kids they get an additional free ticket so I get 16 days a year...free.  That would cost $2,000 if I had to pay for the tickets.

When we were kids in high school(80's) a bunch of us would go to Okemo or Mount Snow and buy a couple lift tickets.  Two or three guys would go take a few runs while the rest of us would drink beer, smoke pot and play frisbee in the parking lot or just chill in the lodge.  Then the guys skiing would come down, we'd swap the jackets and 2 or 3 new guys would go ski.  You can't do that anymore because all the mountains have facial recognition cameras on the lift lines and if your pass number and face don't match the previous run they kick you off the mountain.         

[Toecutter]

Skiing is great but it has become a rich person's sport.  It's $125 for a ticket at Killington this year.  If you want to spend a day with your wife and kids that means it's $500 before you buy $25 hamburgers in the lodge or $8 hot chocolates.  It's even worse out West. 

The only reason I ski now is that VT schools all have winter skiing programs at reduced rates.  I chaperone my daughter's program.  It costs $80 for 8 Sundays her to ski and chaperone's ski free.  In addition, each day a chaperone skis with the kids they get an additional free ticket so I get 16 days a year...free.  That would cost $2,000 if I had to pay for the tickets.

When we were kids in high school(80's) a bunch of us would go to Okemo or Mount Snow and buy a couple lift tickets.  Two or three guys would go take a few runs while the rest of us would drink beer, smoke pot and play frisbee in the parking lot or just chill in the lodge.  Then the guys skiing would come down, we'd swap the jackets and 2 or 3 new guys would go ski.  You can't do that anymore because all the mountains have facial recognition cameras on the lift lines and if your pass number and face don't match the previous run they kick you off the mountain.       

Cross-country skiing is a better sport anyways, and far cheaper. Though... the hardcore, "local elite" in the sport are obnoxious twats (like anything, I guess).

My winter sport of choice is snowshoeing. and not with those modern tube and nylon tarp things either... those things are terrible. They don't shed snow, they provide nowhere near enough float... and absolutely *suck* in deep snow.  A pack, an axe, a kettle, and a direction is all you need for a great day, and a great workout. Nice, sedate, quiet... no crowds,  no fees, no trails, nobody yelling at you to move.

[JohninVT]

Cross-country skiing is a better sport anyways, and far cheaper. Though... the hardcore, "local elite" in the sport are obnoxious twats (like anything, I guess).

My winter sport of choice is snowshoeing. and not with those modern tube and nylon tarp things either... those things are terrible. They don't shed snow, they provide nowhere near enough float... and absolutely *suck* in deep snow.  A pack, an axe, a kettle, and a direction is all you need for a great day, and a great workout. Nice, sedate, quiet... no crowds,  no fees, no trails, nobody yelling at you to move.

I like it all.  I just don't have the money for the gear to do it all.  X country skiing, snow shoeing, snowmobiling, etc.  Being outside in extreme weather is kind of a joy of mine.  I also love riding my motorcycle in the rain.  There's something about being exposed to harsh elements but being able to have fun that's really satisfying. 

We're supposed to get 12-24" of snow Saturday night and Sunday.  Temperatures are going to drop to double digits below zero.  MLK day is usually a huge ski day with those obnoxious twats you mentioned all over the mountains but if it's -10 it'll thin the herds considerably and an early start should make for plenty of solitary moments on the first few runs.     

[Toecutter]

I like it all.  I just don't have the money for the gear to do it all.  X country skiing, snow shoeing, snowmobiling, etc.  Being outside in extreme weather is kind of a joy of mine.  I also love riding my motorcycle in the rain.  There's something about being exposed to harsh elements but being able to have fun that's really satisfying. 

We're supposed to get 12-24" of snow Saturday night and Sunday.  Temperatures are going to drop to double digits below zero.  MLK day is usually a huge ski day with those obnoxious twats you mentioned all over the mountains but if it's -10 it'll thin the herds considerably and an early start should make for plenty of solitary moments on the first few runs.   

-36 with the windchill here right now.