But actually it is only -16, which is cold enough when walking to work, as we both did today. There is something here in Canada called the ‘Felt air temperature’  which is a measure of how quickly the average body will lose heat due to the actual temperature, wind speed, air density and relative humidity. So tomorrow I am going to use the hood come balaclava thing that Hannah got me from Christmas last year. This weekend we’re forecast +10 or so, all the snow will be gone. I have been thinking about when we return to the UK with all of our electrical goods, which run on 120V at 60Hz on the UK 240V 50Hz system. I was contemplating trying to build a fairly industrial transformer and having a few power points that would serve those item, however I have just discovered that one can purchase these items:
Today I thought that I would try to get some pictures of Tigger doing what he normally does, eating and chilling out on the floor, as I write this he is lying across Hannah’s lap, with his head on my knee and one of his crossed paws with claws in my jeans. Also I got a picture of the cat grass and Aloe Vera plant for prosperity sake. I am off now to take my helicopter apart to see if the motor brushes are ok. It’s almost an hour later now: I have checked the motor brushes, they’re both present and correct. Also got a couple more pictures of Tigger. The brushes are made of carbon, you can see one in the center of the picture, it’s the dark grey part which is running on the slip rings (the cylindrical part) the brushes are pressed into the copper, spring loaded […]
Yay, we have some fairly proper snow now in Sudbury and we’re forecast a little more for the coming days. However on Sunday coming, it’s going in the plus figures, so it’ll all be gone, but to wet and soggy. Though I’d update you on my Aloe Vera, it’s growing well again, but not making as much growth as before, this could be down to the changing seasons or possibly the many small off shoots coming up as new plants. I think there are about 5 plants in the pot now. The helicopter is suffering with very reducing flight time, I thought this was the battery but thought I would contact LiteHawk (the makers) and ask them, they have given a very particle answer, I need to check the brushes on the motor, they’re only small and can wear prematurely due to over heating of the motor, I should be able to see if they’re still […]
Yesterday we got up early, leaving the apartment by 6.30 and headed for Toronto, made good time, stopping only once in Parry Sound for a Tims and being slowed in Barry by the snow and traffic. What a weekend we have chosen to travel. We hadn’t realized that it’s the Grey Cup (CFL) weekend, last Thursday it had been Toronto vs Montreal (27-20), then also on Thursday it was Calgary vs BC (34-29) and so it being Tonroto vs Calgary today (Sunday) the city was heaving with people. The atmosphere was good thought, we parked underground on part of the “path” the underground walkways, we walked partly underground then through the city streets to the Eaton Center, where we did a bit of shopping, sight seeing on the Christmas lights and decorations. We ate in Baton Rouge which is attached to the mall. We also visited the CN tower, but didn’t go up it. We then eventually managed to find out car […]
Hannah happened to pop into the Cat Adoption place downstairs on Friday 16th, she saw a cat she liked but wait from my return from Mississauga to discuss it. We went down to the store and I was then introduced to all the cats by a volunteer who works there. We decided that we’d think over night about what to do, returning on Saturday to pick up our tabby cat. He is 3 year old they think, that is a best guess by someone. He has been settling in for a week now, we think that he’s a keeper. He’s fairly playful still and very social, preferring to sit on someones lap if he can.  
We went to the Santa Parade on 17th November, Saturday night, it was cold out, but not half as cold as it was last year. We met with a couple of Hannah’s work friends and family outside of the mall to watch it. We watching about half of the 90 something floats go past, then we popped to Tims for a Coffee and a doughnut and returned to watch the rest. We left before the first works as they were setup behind Indipendent, so we were able to watch them from home. We walked in and back, the traffic on the roads before and after was incredible.  
I went to Mississauga this week to work from that office. On the way down I passed a tanker which had apparently rolled and lost it’s load of fuel on the highway! This had occurred in the North bound carriageway, so did not affect my journey. When I reach Toronto the collector (slip road) for the 401 (the east west high way) was completely stationary headed west, which is the way I wanted to go, so I took the east bound collector and then planned on taking a right (south) then another right (west) and just following that road hoping that it might be signed to Mississauga some how. I carried out my plan and after about 20 minutes of driving at night through Toronto suburbs I happened upon the 401! And to my delight I was bound west once again, free flowing traffic. Only a km down the road I spotted signs for Mississauga […]
Last Tuesday I had to move my Aloe Vera plant off the heater, as the heater is under the window and the window have been open to cool the flat, so the plant was very cold, probably close to freezing. I felt this might be retarding it’s growth/intellect, so it now resides on top of a cabinet on the far side of the room in the 23 or 24 degree heat of our apartment. On that heat subject we spoke to our land lord and asked if he could turn the heating down, he explained that the heating is provided by a boiler which supplies all the apartments, ours though is one of the first in the loop… So I suggested that we might insulate our heaters so that the heat is kept in the pipes and passed on to the next apartment. The helicopter might not have battery issues, not sure if I said but […]
Friday afternoon I took a few hours off work and Hannah and I went to North Bay for a trip, we had great fun and did a bit of shopping. Then today we went to Manitoulin Island and did a bit of the Cup and Saucer trail. It was cold out today, about -2 but ‘feels like -8’ according to the weather report .  
Random news, some it quite out of date, but still here goes. Hannah won the Bingo last week, she jointly won with another lady, she brought home enough to buy about 8 combo meals from Harvey’s (inc Tax, HST and PST), which is quite a substantial amount of cash! But not enough to quite her day job. The weather has been quite rough in recent days, we have just been clipped by the edge of storm Sandy.   We had high winds and lots of rain, Sudbury didn’t suffer much at all, Toronto had trees blown down.
Archives