You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Watcha Doin' - 2019
Annerlee wrote: "Just in case you guys are interested, it's the Lerwick Up Helly Aa event tomorrow in Shetland (Our main Viking Fire Festival). You can watch the procession live if you're so inclined. https://www..."
Thanks for linking, Annerlee. Bearded men in drag?!?! I've got to check that out! Lol! In all seriousness though, I love traditional festivals like that, particularly when they are in Scotland. Maybe one day I will make it up to Shetland and watch it for real...
I love it Annerlee. I keep on suggesting to my brother we go to the Shetlands for this festival and live our Viking past. He wears a Thor's Hammer and looks like a viking, so one day will let me come with him.
Lisa wrote: "Thanks for linking, Annerlee. Bearded men in drag?!?!"You never heard of Conchita? The Austrian Eurovision winner?
Rusalka wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Thanks for linking, Annerlee. Bearded men in drag?!?!"You never heard of Conchita? The Austrian Eurovision winner?"
Yes, I have heard of Conchita. It's more the Viking type in drag that I was meaning.
Haha, sounds like a fun time, Annerlee!
Lisa wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Yes, I have heard of Conchita. It's more the Viking type in drag that I was meaning."Oops sorry. I fixated on just the "bearded men in drag" thing. I once again thought that Eurovision had gone "hold my wine" on an issue.
Rusalka wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Yes, I have heard of Conchita. It's more the Viking type in drag that I was meaning."Oops sorry. I fixated on just the "bearded men in drag" thing. I onc..."
Lol, no worries. I probably didn't make myself clear in my post. My brain has that "Monday Feeling" thing going on today.
We thoroughly enjoyed the kimono show. The artist was Itchiku Kubota. Each kimono took one year to make. This one was my favourite.
Tricia wrote: "So the circus was great. It was super crowded with lots of screaming children, thankfully not mine, but it was definitely fun. When we went in, the sun was shining with no snow in the forecast. Whe..."That sounds like a wild storm to have to deal with. I'm glad you got home safely. At least the circus was fun.
Janice wrote: "We thoroughly enjoyed the kimono show. The artist was Itchiku Kubota. Each kimono took one year to make. This one was my favourite."
Very beautiful, Janice! I love the colours!
Wow that sounds like fun Annerlee! I did not know there were such festivities up there. Enjoy!
Sarah wrote: "Wow that sounds like fun Annerlee! I did not know there were such festivities up there. Enjoy!"It'sa crazy kind of fun. The fun is recognising the people you know from the community and work , in weird getups doing crazy dances etc. SHetland is so small. You recognise a lot of the participants.
Short explanation from an incomer here... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AMFBxmC...
An example of a couple of guys in weird drag here... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hy-MVv...
Dont expect anything polished 😁 not like Conchita anyway!
Sounds awesome, Annerlee. I really do need to convince my brother we need a trip.Hope everyone in the Eastern and Middle of the States and Canada looks after themselves over the next couple of days. That Polar Vortex looks intense. Stay safe, and warm!!!
Rusalka wrote: "Sounds awesome, Annerlee. I really do need to convince my brother we need a trip.Hope everyone in the Eastern and Middle of the States and Canada looks after themselves over the next couple of da..."
Yeah, I just say some scary-cold temperature predictions on the news! And I've been moaning about -4C.
Keep safe all!!
Rusalka wrote: "Sounds awesome, Annerlee. I really do need to convince my brother we need a trip.Hope everyone in the Eastern and Middle of the States and Canada looks after themselves over the next couple of da..."
I heard about the Polar Vortex on the news. Sounds insane! Stay safe, everyone! And warm!
Is that the thing where it's going to get -40C in the Chicago area, which is colder than the north and south poles? I read something about that today. How is that even possible?!
Peggy wrote: "Is that the thing where it's going to get -40C in the Chicago area, which is colder than the north and south poles? I read something about that today. How is that even possible?!"Yes, it is. It's pretty crazy! On the news report I heard, they were warning people not to go outside unless they absolutely had to and if they did, to avoid taking deep breaths and keep talking to a minimum to avoid inhaling too much of the freezing air.
My daughter lives in Minneapolis. -21 degrees right now. She has frost on her inside door knobs. People need to be smart and stay home. Roadside assistance is backed up until 2AM right now ( 11hours wait.)
Marnie wrote: "My daughter lives in Minneapolis. -21 degrees right now. She has frost on her inside door knobs. People need to be smart and stay home. Roadside assistance is backed up until 2AM right now ( 11hour..."Brrr! Everyone is talking about how cold it is "back east".
We are expecting some snow on Sunday, but none of the kinds of temperatures like they are having where your daughter is.
My weather app shows -11F currently in Plymouth. They had a wind chill of -35F. It is a balmy 36F in Grande Prairie, but looks like Janice will be getting more snow in the morning.
12:29PM (is that tomorrow?) in Canberra and 90F (35C). Hang in there Rusalka. It is going down a little...
Cherie wrote: "My weather app shows -11F currently in Plymouth. They had a wind chill of -35F. It is a balmy 36F in Grande Prairie, but looks like Janice will be getting more snow in the morning..."Yes, everything is melting. We never get temps above freezing in January, so this is quite strange. A friend said she heard heavy snow storm warnings are in place. We're supposed to get 10-12" of snow in the next few days. I hope the forecaster was a little high and misread the reports.
Yes crazy weather forecast for the US. I can highly recommend a face buff and wearing it over your mouth and nose. It warms the air before you breathe it in. I have to do this in the Winter when it's cold because the cold irritates my asthma. Last night it was the coldest night of the winter -5C which is nothing compared to what some of you are experiencing at the moment. But it was 10C in our boat near the fire which means it was probably more like 5C in our bedroom. I wore my face buff all night. It is so frozen here this morning and we're due heavy snow this afternoon and evening. I think the whole of the UK is on a yellow warning for snow and ice. But still nowhere as bad as what the US has coming. Stay warm people (cool Rusalka).
This winter is so weird. I am probably more northeast than most and we have kind of a heatwave. It was -10C at noon yesterday. I had 15 minutes of shovelling to do and I did not bother putting on a coat. (I had a fleece on)Janice, hopefully you will get snow and not rain. It went from -35C to above 0 here last week and we got rain, then it went back to the -20C. Then we got about 30 cm of the white stuff.... Result, fluffy snow on top of black ice. Not fun to drive on.
Lisa wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Is that the thing where it's going to get -40C in the Chicago area, which is colder than the north and south poles? I read something about that today. How is that even possible?!"Ye..."
When you are not used to it and do not have appropriates clothes, you are better to stay in.
The worst I remember here was probably around -45C. I remember it was -54C with windchill and it was windy. the 10 minutes of walking I had to do from where I parked my car was a long one. Even bundled up as I was my throat was hurting.
The polar vortex is just insane! I'm relieved that we didn't get it, because it broke up in two and was about to set to Europe. We had snow last week for a couple of days, then warmer temperatures. It started snowing again yesterday.
We've had very welcome cool change. Getting down to 11C tonight. Which will be lovely, and nothing like the temps all of you are getting, let alone with snow. If you flew from Chicago to Canberra today, you would have experienced a 60 degree difference. The weather every where is crazy.I mentioned Travis' cows getting frostbite on their ears last (or previous?) years at work when we were discussing the weather. My workmates want to start a GoFundMe page for earmuffs for Travis' cows now LOL! It's adorable, but shows how far outside our experience it is. No one had thought about the animals in those temps.
Saar The Book owl wrote: "The polar vortex is just insane! I'm relieved that we didn't get it, because it broke up in two and was about to set to Europe. We had snow last week for a couple of days, then warmer temperatures...."Interesting. The news tonight said you guys were about to get hit with it pretty badly tonight. Germany particularly getting huge snowfalls. Look after you guys too, just in case.
I can't even imagine temperatures like that Esther. It has happened here that during the night it gets down to -15 and stays between -5 and -10 during the day but that's rare. We'll have some snow tonight. Enough to disrupt things, but not more than we normally get every now and then (1-4 cm). There was supposed to be 5 cm of snow yesterday too, but it was only a light dusting.
I know where my daughter lives in New England it has been really cold. I remember the news saying with the wind chill it was about -21F (I think about -30C) during the day. I told her to stay inside as much as possible. After work, her car wouldn't start because it was so cold.
I can't even imagine that kind of cold!Seems the snow system has passed us by again. -It is wet and windy and a balmy -2C.
I have my first day at the new job tomorrow. I still haven't received my contract. Neither do I have a key, a laptop, an email address, a card to get me into other parts of the building and to print, access to the 'portal' where I can find all kinds of instructions and slides for lectures, or any of those other things that are quite useful.. They have assured me though that it's all being processed.I'm slightly frustrated though. I accepted the job on January 14 and they know I start February 1. Prioritize me, people!
Esther wrote: "Janice, hopefully you will get snow and not rain. It went from -35C to above 0 here last week and we got rain, then it went back to the -20C. Then we got about 30 cm of the white stuff.... Result, fluffy snow on top of black ice. Not fun to drive on. ."Right now it's -7C (19F) so hopefully it won't rain.
The worst that I recall was -50C (-58F). It was Christmas 1992 or 1993. We had to go to town and our tires kept deflating. There were a line of cars going gas station to gas station to fill up tires with the air pump. A lot of them weren't working. We had to leave the tap on with a thin trickle of water so our plumbing wouldn't freeze.
I stayed home using a vacation day because of our negative temps and what happens?? Consumers Energy has some gas fire yesterday and asked all customers to reduce their heat to 65 in their homes and businesses! I know it wasn’t planned but still there are a lot of cold people! So, I’m all bundled up in my own home and wearing mittens trying to read a book. :/
Yikes, that's bad timing Jannene. Stay warm!
Haha, I checked what 65F is C, and it's 18.3C. We usually have our house temperature at 19 or 19.5C, so I would probably be a bit chilly but nothing that wearing my warmest jumper wouldn't solve.
Peggy wrote: "Is that the thing where it's going to get -40C in the Chicago area, which is colder than the north and south poles? I read something about that today. How is that even possible?!"Hi Peggy, It has indeed got that cold here in Chicago. We have some house guest right now. My niece and her husbands pipes are frozen. The plumber said to open the door to let warm air in and wait
The problem is she is pregnant. She is at the point where she need to go to the bathroom often. Baby seems to like to bump her bladder So she and her husband are here. It has been fun to have them. But we all have cabin fever. Everything has closed dur to the cold.
My husband has become an unwilling uber driver. Some of our friends car just won't start with the cold. We have a heated garage. So he has been going out to help with emergencies,
It is sooooo cold
Peggy wrote: "Haha, I checked what 65F is C, and it's 18.3C. We usually have our house temperature at 19 or 19.5C, so I would probably be a bit chilly but nothing that wearing my warmest jumper wouldn't solve."My husband has it at 62 which is what we normally have at night when we are bundled under the blankets. We aren’t supposed to use our water heaters either. So, no hot water unless you use the microwave to heat it up.
Yes, very bad timing. I’m tempted to run to my bed and stay there with the electric blanket on. lol
Renee wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Is that the thing where it's going to get -40C in the Chicago area, which is colder than the north and south poles? I read something about that today. How is that even possible?!"Hi..."
Ugh. I feel your pain Renee. I’m in Michigan and a lot of businesses are closed here as well. Although the trash men are working! I find that down right insane. They have to be seriously cold.
Good luck with all that Renee! I hope it gets a bit warmer soon.@Jannene: Yikes! No hot water either. My favourite thing to do when I'm cold is take a warm shower, but if that was gone too I think I would be a bit grumpy. Any estimate on when it's back to normal again?
@Peggy, no word yet. Our university had to turn off hot water to some buildings as well. So no washing your hands in hot water. It is a pretty big state wide emergency. I had a luke warm shower this morning and I love hot showers. I love hot tea when I’m cold but have to depend on the microwave instead of my gas stove. :/
I think I am selfish. I am really enjoying having my niece here. I wouldn't mind if it stayed this cold for a day or so.Although I was supposed to go se Wizard of Oz in the theater. The theater was closed. Maybe someday I will see it on the big screen
I'm sure your niece is glad too to be in a house with unfrozen plumbing :)
Peggy wrote: "I have my first day at the new job tomorrow. I still haven't received my contract. Neither do I have a key, a laptop, an email address, a card to get me into other parts of the building and to prin..."Haha, learn your place Peggy!
Best of luck for tomorrow :-)
Peggy wrote: "I have my first day at the new job tomorrow. I still haven't received my contract. Neither do I have a key, a laptop, an email address, a card to get me into other parts of the building and to prin..."Hope they get it all sorted for you on your first day so it's not a continual hassle for you
@Renee, your poor niece! I remember that stage of pregnany. It is not fun at any time but with no flush - NIGHTMARE :-O She is lucky to have you. Hope you are OK in the cold weather. It must be tough for those in bad health :(
Renee wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Is that the thing where it's going to get -40C in the Chicago area, which is colder than the north and south poles? I read something about that today. How is that even possible?!"Hi..."
I hope it warms up soon, Renee. It must be very difficult to cope in temperatures that cold.
I'm in Indiana, about 2.5 hours from Chicago, and we're having the same cold temps. They might not be quite as bad because we're not on the lake, but still record-breaking. The crazy thing is that at the beginning of next week, they're saying the temperature will get up to 55 degrees. So we're going from -20 to 55 in a span of 5 days. Go figure.
Crazy weather indeed Tricia! Stay warm.
We've had a lot of snow overnight and has been snowing heavy all day. I think we have another couple of hours of it to go. It was so cute eatching Beans in it - his first snow. My glasses kept getting snowflakes so i took them off and put them in my pocket. We went for a walk along the canal to take photos and the glasses dropped out along the way. Of course they made no sound on the soft snow and after retracing my steps and brushing the snow aside i still can't find them. Gutted!
Oh no Sarah! How will you cope without them? Do you have prescription sunglasses? If so you can you can pretend to be be Bono til you can get new ones ;-pBeans is a cat right? I have never seen a cat enjoying snow!
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
The Rithmatist (other topics)The Starless Sea (other topics)
The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire (other topics)
The Doll Factory (other topics)
The Binding (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jamie Ford (other topics)Madeline Miller (other topics)
Jamie Ford (other topics)
Madeline Miller (other topics)
Ruta Sepetys (other topics)
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I've read her book and now watching Marie on Netflix. It makes sense what she says, but do not touch my books! On that one I can't agree: throwing away books you've never read. About 3/4 of my books are not read yet.