“Time for the weather report. It’s cold out folks– Bone crushing cold. The kind of cold which will wrench the spirit out of a young man, or forge it into steel.” –Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, “Northern Exposure”

It’s cold up here. Really, really cold. One of the first things I remember being told when I moved here (and being told many times over the last 6 months, by many different people) is: “It’s cold, but a DIFFERENT cold than Toronto. It’s a dry cold, not a wet cold like down south, so it doesn’t FEEL quite as cold”. I think this is somewhat true - or at least I did, until January 1st when the Olympic Torch Relay took place, outside, in -35 degree weather.

After 2 hours outside, my face was so frozen I couldn't physically smile. I was trying to SO HARD here!

I arrived, like a good media girl, at about 5:45 (though the relay didn’t start unitl 6:15, and didn’t reach my location - by the stage - until just after 7), and by 6pm worked up the courage to go outside and walk to the media zone… a good 5 minutes from where we parked. Granted, not THAT far… unless it’s -35 and you’re carrying a bunch of camera equipment.

I think my coworker Lydia said it best when I called her asking for advice on my Sorels - “Should I get the rated to -32 ones,” I asked her, “Or the rated to -40 ones?” She laughed, and gave me some true Northern Advice: “Lauren, it doesn’t matter whether it’s -32 or -40 outside… it’s still @#*$ing cold! So get the ones you like.”

So I did (and obviously, the ones I liked were the -32 degree ones or I wouldn’t have been asking… ;)

And she was right. The difference between -30 and -40 is really, when it boils down to it, not that big of a difference… either way, you don’t want to be outside for any longer than the run between your car and your house!

“I know it sounds crazy… but it wouldn’t be Timmins if it wasn’t -40 and freezing!”
–Shania Twain, speaking to the crowd at the Olympic Torch Celebrations in Timmins.

I’ve only enjoyed about… one and a half months of the lovely 5-6 months of Winter I’ve been told to expect - we had an unusually mild November, I’m told - but I’ve still managed to learn a whole whack of things I never even thought about before.

Winter Lessons!

1. Whether it’s -30, -35, or -40, it’s still freaking cold outside.
2. Yes, it IS possible for your car to get frost on the inside of the windows… apparently it’s a result of the snow that gets into your mats from your boots, and, of course, never melts (like it does occasionally down south) as it’s never warm enough for it to melt.
3. It’s really, really, REALLY hard to scrape said frost off the inside of your window.
4. Don’t forget to plug your car in. Just don’t.
5. No, you CAN’T drive over the snow bank the plow makes at the bottom of your driveway after a snowfall, despite the fact you did it in Toronto all the time - chances are the overnight snowfall was equivalent to a month’s worth in the city. Your car WILL get stuck, two men WILL have to spend 15 minutes having to help push your car over the damn thing, and your neighbour WILL faceplant into the snow bank that was under your car once it moves… sorry about that, by the way!
6. It’s a bad idea to let your car get below 1/4 of a tank - there’s a really good chance it will freeze up, yes even if plugged in.
7. Remote Car Starters are to Northerners like Fire was to Cavemen… essential.
8. Remote Car Starters ALSO cost an arm and a leg for installation in a ‘97 Chevy Lumina… which is what I drive. D’oh!
9. Add an extra half hour (or more) to your morning, to allow for possible snowfall, snowbanks, frost, etc you’ll have to deal with.
10. Don’t get excited when you see the sun in the morning - although it looks pretty, and the Vitamin D is nice - it feels way, way, WAY colder when the sun is out. I’m told this has something to do with the cloud cover “padding” the atmosphere and trapping heat in. I’ll take it!
11. Vitamin D supplements, Vitamin D supplements, Vitamin D supplements!
12. Kitty Litter: it’s not just for litter boxes anymore.
13. Invest in a loooooong  (and well insulated!) winter jacket. Your butt will thank you.
14. Bad hair days don’t exist in the cold - you won’t care if you’re ruining your perfect ponytail, curls, or straightened mane if the hat is keeping your head warm.
15. Heated blankets = ? (Thanks Gramsey!!)
16. No, after spending Christmas Week in balmy -3 to -10 degree weather and little to no snow, the pilot will NOT let you get back on the plane (no matter HOW cold and HOW windy it is) and let you go back. ;)
17. Yes, there is such a thing as “too cold to ski”… at least for me!
18. Put on those goofy snow pants, the ski mitts, the scarf wrapped around your head and face 10 times, and the 300 layers that make you look like a marshmellow… people will be staring at you if you DON’T, because they’ll be thinking “look at that stupid person whose not dressed for the weather!”

I spent a few hours this afternoon volunteering my time at the annual Lions Club & CTV Telethon. I was there from 3:30ish until about 8, and it was great fun - talking to community members, reading out pledges, and encouraging people to call in and donate. It was (as one of my fellow hosts made me realize) my first live TV experience, since the work we do at EastLink is pre taped… I didn’t even clue in to that until about halfway though!

I just tuned into the end to see how much was raised - and we raised over $67,000 today! This is thanks to everyone who graciously donated their time to help out, and to the community members who came out and donated… I even recall reading a few donations from youngsters - I’m talking 3 years and 5 years old! - who emptied out their piggy banks to contribute. Very touching.

It’s amazing what can happen when a community pulls together like this!

It’s only taken me, ohhhh, almost 2 months to take and post pictures of my apartment up here in Timmins. My family has been bugging me for ages; I was inspired to do so after being at home this weekend. My sister is moving into a new house in Peterborough (for school), and she was sporting pictures of it BEFORE she even started living there… I figured it was about time to get my butt in gear as well :)

Oh! Hello there. You must be Lauren's living room/kitchen.

I realize they look tiny - but you can click on either panoramic shot (thanks PhotoStitch!) to see the full sized image.

Oh look, she also has a bedroom.

I picked the colours myself.

♥ Love it.

What’s a girl stuck in Timmins due to a cancelled 7:30 flight to Toronto to do on a Thursday night?

What none of her family or friends CAN do (since they’re stuck without power in the midst of a severe thunderstom and tornado warning): track the tornado online.

The Star has a really comprehensive article about the damage and twisters - apparently, sadly, one person is dead (and unconfirmed reports are saying it’s a child) from the twister that ripped through a conservation area in Durham (the town, not the region).

What The Star is lacking however is media: pictures, videos, sound… so here’s some I’ve “collected” (aka stolen and linked to).

• A downed tree on Helendale, in Toronto.
• Not sure where these two are from - but they’re two more downed trees, and some traffic lights knocked over too! [One] [Two]
• A YouTube video of the twister in Vaughan
• CP24 has some good user submitted pictures, if you scroll past the article to the bottom.

And now, there’s a picture of a twister in North Bay - is the storm moving towards me? Probably not. Maybe though!

My favourite part of all this though? A comment posted on The Star’s news article:

“no need to panic, folks! CP24 has reported that the Kenny Chesney concert at the Molson Amphitheatre is going on despite the weather! I repeat, the Kenny Chesney show is a go!! yeeeeeeeehaaaaw! Bring the tarp from the pick up truck!”

… I wish I was there. haha!

Fingers crossed all this weather crap is cleared up by tomorrow so I can fly home for the weekend - if my flight gets cancelled again, I’ll cry.

Now, what’s a girl who was planning on going home tonight, and is now stuck in Timmins, do?

Get McDonalds of course.

McMmmm McYummy

I never would have thought it would be so hard to find a place to live in Timmins.

It makes sense when you think about it , though - Gold is doing well (and allegedly a safe investment during a recession), and Timmins is filled with gold and diamond mines. It’s also really far from neighbouring towns, which means you don’t have a lot of options apartment-wise (unlike Toronto - or any other major municipality for that matter). 

I’ve called at least 20 different landlords regarding apartments - and a few sounded really great; but I didn’t act fast ennough (ie. withint 24 hours!) to land them. It’s getting close to crunch time, so keep your fingers crossed that I find a place - and SOON!

T-12 days until the move - YIKES!