Cold...

[schmenke]

It's one of those extreme cold mornings here today when the low engine oil indicator flickers when I first start up the POS .

In other schmenke-news, we brought home a new minivan (that’s “people-mover” to you lot) last evening. Now the missus can more efficiently transport the mini-schmenks, along with the seemingly ubiquitous load of parasitic neighbourhood kids that seem to follow us in our travels
The darn thing is too long to fit in our garage. Good thing it’s equipped with a block-heater

[janneppi]

The last what, three weeks here have been more or less around -20C. first time in years I've succumed to wearing long underwear. Yesterday I started my car the first time this week and neither engine or the cabin was warm despite an hour worth of warming. It propably wouldn't have started with the block heater.

[schmenke]

It was -29C here this morning at 7:00am . The interior of the car started to warm up as I was pulling into the office parkade, after about a 30 minute commute : .

[janneppi]

schmenke, if you have a car that has a block heater, an interior heater that takes power from the same plug is also a good idea. Just few minutes ago I plugged my car into the electric pole and set the timer to begin at 7 am, so when I go to the store at 9 am, both block and interior are nice and warmish.

[schmenke]

Janneppi, yes, I have one of those interior heaters too, but it wasn't plugged in last night as I was using that extension cord to plug in the minivan block heater .
I agree, those interior heaters are great. I usually have the timer set for about 5:00am, so when I get in the car at ~6:30 it's nice and toasty, not to mention the windshield is relatively frost-free . I'll likely get one for the minivan (along with a couple of new extenstion cords ...).

[Sonic]

I will NEVER complain I'm cold ever again.

[billiaml]

lol -- NEVER is a long time, Sonic. I know what you mean, though. Generally speaking, no matter how bad you think you have it, someone somewhere wishes they had it as good as you do now.

[Hazell B]

It was -29C here this morning ......

Even though I'm a skinny little thing, I wouldn't mind that too much.
We had -14 for about five days over December and the only worry I had was finding liquid water for the animals ... and having to look and relook for gloves I kept taking off and losing
The only time I wear a coat is when it's raining and I'm shopping, the rest of the time a few fleece layers, a winter hat and masses of breakfast keep me warm
Two of our girlie dogs won't go out at minus anything without at least two coats and the promise of a pre-heated car to get into. Wimps

[Mark in Oshawa]

Hazell, you are tougher than most men, yet still a lady. Must be something in the water....

Schmenke, what minivan did you purchase? Just idle curiousity on that score.

AS for weather here in the East, on or near freezing during the day, dropping to -5 most nights. Not much snow after the warmish patch we had a few days back. I figure one more good snow storm, but by the the time March is over, I will be cleaning my golf clubs!

You my friend need a good Chinook!.

[schmenke]

Mark, unfortunately, the chinooks have been few and far between this winter
The forecast is for a "balmy" -2C on Saturday, then -8 on Sunday. A weather forecast beyond 48hrs around here is about as usefull as a one-legged man in an @rse-kicking contest.
At least the white stuff is out of the picture for now.

This is what we purchased. The LE V-6 model.
http://www.toyota.ca/toyota/en/vehicles/sienna/models