Winterphiles not phobes?

I suppose that if all else were equal, I would prefer a Hawaiian climate to any other. However, all else is not equal, and other factors are more important than climate to me in selecting a location to live.

New Orleans has some oppressively hot and humid summers, but hey, that is what A/C is for. I plan to ER in Missouri, which has both hot summers and cold winters. To cope with the winters I will have a heated house, heated car, and warm clothing, so I don't think the cold weather will bother me. Right now, I am enjoying the cool weather after a long, hot summer. When it is no longer a novelty, it may not be as enjoyable but I will just stay snug and warm, and welcome the spring.
 
So glad someone brought that up: where it is hot and humid, you stay in the house for months; where it is snowy and cold, you stay in the house for months.
California and Hawaii seem to be the only two places with decent weather, but undecent taxes/prices...so guess it is hot and humid or cold and snowy for me.
 
Orchidflower said:
So glad someone brought that up: where it is hot and humid, you stay in the house for months; where it is snowy and cold, you stay in the house for months.
California and Hawaii seem to be the only two places with decent weather, but undecent taxes/prices...so guess it is hot and humid or cold and snowy for me.
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I agree, although I am a little leery about the REALLY cold places like Montana or North Dakota since I have never lived in weather that severe. I suppose there are places in the world where snow piles up so high that you can't even open the door or look outside. That might be pretty spooky so I would rather live someplace a little more moderate.

I am pretty sure I can handle Missouri, though, at least after the first year or two of adjusting to the climate.

I just got back from the gym, where I got plenty of healthy exercise in a comfortable temperature and humidity without going outdoors. When I retire to Missouri I plan to join a gym, but to also have a home gym for days when it is too icy to drive outside. I will hire someone to shovel snow, just as I now hire someone to cut the grass. That kind of exercise gets old, fast! :2funny:
 
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Orchidflower said:
California and Hawaii seem to be the only two places with decent weather, but undecent taxes/prices...so guess it is hot and humid or cold and snowy for me.
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It's the Paradise Tax that's paid for Asian cuisine and great surfing...
 
Nords said:
It's the Paradise Tax that's paid for Asian cuisine and great surfing...
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Not to mention the breathtaking beauty all around, in Hawaii. Unfortunately my standard of living would have to be abysmally low if I moved back to the Islands and lived within my means. :(

No surfing for me if I am Missouri-bound. Guess I just have a different concept for my own little bit of paradise... :)
 
Khan said:
I recall a picture of my mother sitting on a snowbank next to the top two feet of a utility pole (Upstate NY).
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OK, now that is definitely TOO much snow for me! :2funny:

But, a few inches or even a foot or so of snow might be do-able once I get used to it. It will be an adventure, for the first few years, at least! :D
 
I remember the year Kennedy got inaugrated .We were off school for a week because of the snow .We had piles of snow so high it was like walking thru tunnels .The last year I lived in New Jersey we had an ice storm and it took me six hours to get to work which was a half hour drive usually .I love to visit the snow get my fill and then leave .
 
Ed_The_Gypsy said:
My experience somewhat parallels Trek's.

I don't mind the cold. Working in northern Alberta at -40 from time to time is a challenge. Every day is a challenge. Kinda fun, as long as nothing goes wrong.

The moderate climate of the Pacific Northwest is one of the great attractions of the area to me, BUT I REALLY DON'T LIKE RAIN ANYMORE! It is cold rain in the PNW. I would just as soon have my precipitation solid.
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Have spent my whole existence in northern Alberta, and I remember thinking of winter weather the same way you do. That ended at around age 32. It was at about that age when I unfortunately shifted my outlook on winter and developed a low grade contempt for snow. There was just no more novelty left in it. Yes, I still snowmobile, ice skate, ski, and toboggan, and even enjoy building roaring fires in my wood burning stove, but nowadays I never actually look forward to snow and cold although I would think that extreme heat might be worse. After all, you can always put on one more layer of clothes, but you can't always take one more off.
 
Grizz said:
.......but nowadays I never actually look forward to snow and cold although I would think that extreme heat might be worse. After all, you can always put on one more layer of clothes, but you can't always take one more off.
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I hear ya! I don't look forward to cold and snow, but I can deal with it. Like you say throw on 1 or 2 more layers of clothing....or just put on my Carhartt Arctic-Wear over my gym shorts and t-shirt. Unless it's sub-zero, I usually just wear a pullover sweatshirt (non-insulated) and a nylon windbreaker. And if I'm going to be outside for more than about 45-60 minute, I'll even break down and wear long pants instead of my customary shorts. I don't get cold easily!

But dressing for HOT weather........I hate it!!!! I can only strip off so many layers before my neighbors complain! :D

I can deal with the cold much easier than heat any day! Heck, I sleep with the bedroom window open all winter, unless the snow is actually blowing in.
 
welllll - since I can still remember sitting under the fish camp at Lake Ponchartrain 90 degrees/90 percent humidity/no wind watching mosquitos and gnats doing the backstroke in the sweat on my arm - the four season greater Kansas City climate charm has not worn off yet. It snowed/iced the hill briefly after buying a house post Katrina - so I bought chains(first time in over thirty years) from Auto Zone. Have yet to use them.

Now - about Carhart - they worth looking into - ad's on tv all the time. My sister's care package hoodies/sweats over Jimmy Buffett Aloha shirts are looking less stylish all the time. I've gone as far as bib overalls unlined in warmer weather. But?

heh heh heh - too long gone from my first 26 yrs in the PacNW - rain is no longer 'Seattle Sunshine.'
 
Martha said:
Problem with Carhartt stuff is that they are so dang stiff until broken in.
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Just wash 'em a couple of times, and throw 'em in the drier with an old pair of sneakers. The washing & drying will take out some of the stiffness, and the sneakers will kick a little more of it out.

For my first 15-18 years at my former employer, I worked outside all winter along a river with NO windbreaks. I've worn Carhartts, Walls, and a couple of 'knock offs'. Carhartts are BY FAR the BEST! And if you expect to spend a good deal of time out in the really cold weather, go with the Carhartt Arctics...they have a lighter weight quilted lining available, but the arctic quilted lining is MUCH warmer.

They also have flannel lined pants & shirts, denim & canvas pants & work shorts, henleys, sweatshirts, footwear....dang near everything...even thermal underwear!

They're not cheap....but they're good!

One of the benefits provided by my employer before I ER'd was a very nice annual 'clothing allowance'. When I started 30+ years ago it was $300/year. When I left it had been $450/year for quite a few years. They kept me dressed and warm for just over 30 years for just over $10K. I have enough clothes to last me for YEARS! We learned early on about stockpiling!

They put $450 in my clothing allowance 'bank' back on January 1st. By February it was all spent. But this time instead of "work wear".....they bought me "retirement wear". Shorts, t-shirts, polos, Hawaiian floweredy shirts, a nice pair of leather sandals, and several dozen pairs of socks. The ticket they received back from the vendor correctly stated my purchase..... "pants..shirts...shoes...socks".
 
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