You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

Waiting for the bus in -30 grinds my gears.

You're freezing your ass off for starters, but you also worry.
worry the bus came early. worry it's late, worry it's not coming at all.

We've all had enough experience with transit issues that the worries are legit.

Working from home has made me super soft when it comes to cold weather. I had no problems adapting and surviving in the cold in the past and I would walk to and from the office or work outside in almost any weather. But now if it gets around -10 I just don't go outside anymore because I really don't have to. I was planning on going to the office today but I saw a high of minus 17 and said no way.

I applaud you folks who go out and brave the cold.

[PepsiFree]

A really nice deep weather jacket (not vanity expensive like Canada Goose, just nice), gortex mitts, sorels, and fleece-lined wind resistant office-appropriate pants have made all the difference for me in weather like this. Means just switching out the boots at the office, but the actual time spent outside is at least tolerable if not comfortable.

[Fuzz]

Freezing and waiting for buses was the final straw that got me biking. So much better.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Working from home has made me super soft when it comes to cold weather. I had no problems adapting and surviving in the cold in the past and I would walk to and from the office or work outside in almost any weather. But now if it gets around -10 I just don't go outside anymore because I really don't have to. I was planning on going to the office today but I saw a high of minus 17 and said no way.

I applaud you folks who go out and brave the cold.

This is me as well. I help myself feel less wimpy by saying "I'm making the safe choice"

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

A really nice deep weather jacket (not vanity expensive like Canada Goose, just nice), gortex mitts, sorels, and fleece-lined wind resistant office-appropriate pants have made all the difference for me in weather like this. Means just switching out the boots at the office, but the actual time spent outside is at least tolerable if not comfortable.

I know. The way I bundle up now, it's hard for me to believe I was one of those high school kids in -25 with no toque and coat undone.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

A really nice deep weather jacket (not vanity expensive like Canada Goose, just nice), gortex mitts, sorels, and fleece-lined wind resistant office-appropriate pants have made all the difference for me in weather like this. Means just switching out the boots at the office, but the actual time spent outside is at least tolerable if not comfortable.

I have a Canada Goose parka (blatant, I know) but seriously it's amazing. Warmest jacket I've ever owned. Vanity or otherwise, it's just plain warm.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The Crowsnest Pass may be new to you but is no undiscovered gem. It's an okay place spend some time if you like outdoors activities but it's a terrible place to live as there's just nothing going on at all. Like absolutely nothing. It used to be a decent place in the 80's but it's a shell of what it used to be. My dad has property there and he can't give it away to his four kids. I enjoy life too much to rot there.

You couldn't give a house away in Canmore either in the early 80's after the coal mines closed. CNP is literally the only place in the Rockies that can be developed (Grande Cache too I suppose), everything else is in a park. And it's 2 hours from a major metropolitan centre. Over time I think it's going to change.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

A really nice deep weather jacket (not vanity expensive like Canada Goose, just nice), gortex mitts, sorels, and fleece-lined wind resistant office-appropriate pants have made all the difference for me in weather like this. Means just switching out the boots at the office, but the actual time spent outside is at least tolerable if not comfortable.

I'm interested in this. Didn't know pants like this existed.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

You couldn't give a house away in Canmore either in the early 80's after the coal mines closed. CNP is literally the only place in the Rockies that can be developed (Grande Cache too I suppose), everything else is in a park. And it's 2 hours from a major metropolitan centre. Over time I think it's going to change.

My parents thought so too, 30 years ago.

I had the misfortune of going through there last summer and... it's exactly the same.

Don't get me wrong, from an outdoorsy perspective, it's great - lots of space, lots of great terrain, very uncrowded.

But from a development perspective... I'm going to say something probably controversial... it doesn't have any level of polish that will attract the kind of people that have the kind of money that is needed to really kickstart development. It's a dump.

[surferguy]

CNP sounds perfect for investment. I’d do it (with my CP walking around money) but I’ve already heavily invested in Nordegg. Maybe next month.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Slava

I have a Canada Goose parka (blatant, I know) but seriously it's amazing. Warmest jacket I've ever owned. Vanity or otherwise, it's just plain warm.

Don’t get me wrong, an excessively expensive CG jacket (I’m thinking one of the ones that look like it’s from a North Pole expedition) is in my future one day, my only point was that you don’t need to go that crazy to get a seriously warm jacket.

Amazing jackets though. I’m jealous.

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I'm interested in this. Didn't know pants like this existed.

Don’t know if they still do, but Uniqlo had some for a while. More of a chino style, so if your office is more suit and tie it might not play, but seriously one of the best winter clothing choices I’ve made.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by timun

I don't even know what this Elf-on-the-shelf #### is anyway; it's supposed to be an all-seeing oracle that will rat your kid out for bad behaviour? I thought Santa Claus was already watching us masturbate, what with the knowing when we're sleeping, awake, if we've been bad or good, etc.

If your kids are old enough for elf on a shelf, they're old enough for the Animal farm or 1984 audio tapes. Elf on a shelf is ####ing stupid and I agree that a ton of parents use it as an inexcusable excuse to #### with their kids in cruel ways.

My kids have known Santa is "fake" since they were both 2 ish. We basically taught them that Santa is a character like the ones in their TV shows that brings kids presents at Christmas time. We said the reality is that parents give them the kids the big presents, but Santa gives them small gifts if they're being good. I ain't giving a mythological man in the sky credit for my hard work and my resources. There's enough of that for religion.

We were careful to make sure my kids won't be the porcupine at a balloon party for the Santa concept though. They'll defend that Santa is a real "character" even at their current ages and have a ton of fun with the Christmas stories and stuff. Kinda like seeing someone dress up as a Disney character at Disney land sort of thing. But they won't contribute to the mythos of a fat man that intervenes in children's lives via tattle tale like "big brother", flies around the world and breaks into their houses to contribute to the disparity of haves and have not families.

On a side note though, most kids freak the #### out when taking a picture with "Santa". There's millions of crying, fearful pictures of children that adults love to laugh at. I don't think most adults realize that Santa actually isn't a character without terrifying concepts. Adding the ####ed up #### some parents do with elf on the shelf, I feel like that's just straight up wrong. I don't mind having fun with the concept of Santa, but I will burn and destroy any ####ing elf on the shelf that enters my home. That thing is straight up ####ed up.

/rant

[Knut]

Meh. My kids have fun with believing in Santa and the elf on the shelf. To be honest though we do not really use them as a threat. Just a fun time of the year. They very likely know that they are not real but revel in the fun of it all.

I also have fun being creative with the Elf and creating more and more elaborate set ups for him.

[OutOfTheCube]

Do people really use Elf on the Shelf to mess with their kids? I thought it was just a fun thing. My wife got into doing it last year and just has him doing some funny activity with a little message every morning, sometimes with treats and such. This year she's bought him some little outfits and accessories.

The only threat we have to do is if you touch the Elf, he loses his magic and might not come back the next day. Solely to protect him from getting played with and destroyed by my three little boys, lol.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Do people really use Elf on the Shelf to mess with their kids? I thought it was just a fun thing. My wife got into doing it last year and just has him doing some funny activity with a little message every morning, sometimes with treats and such. This year she's bought him some little outfits and accessories.

The only threat we have to do is if you touch the Elf, he loses his magic and might not come back the next day. Solely to protect him from getting played with and destroyed by my three little boys, lol.

So far the elf dragged in Sugar and stole a bunch of left over Halloween candy. He Also watched Star Wars with the Sphero BB8 robot. He has hid in a poinsetta and played hide and seek with the kids. Yesterday he made Hot Chocolate and Marshmellows in the toilet (kids liked that one). Finally, he has locked the kids electronics away in a tupperware container while he stands guard on it.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Do people really use Elf on the Shelf to mess with their kids? I thought it was just a fun thing. My wife got into doing it last year and just has him doing some funny activity with a little message every morning, sometimes with treats and such. This year she's bought him some little outfits and accessories.

The only threat we have to do is if you touch the Elf, he loses his magic and might not come back the next day. Solely to protect him from getting played with and destroyed by my three little boys, lol.

Listening to the radio on the drive to work this morning and the one host has a young daughter who just lost her first tooth. So of course the Tooth Fairy made a visit. They also have Elf on a Shelf so the topic of conversation at dinner was whether elves and fairies got along and what the potential consequences might be overnight. It certainly had his daughter worried.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Do people really use Elf on the Shelf to mess with their kids? I thought it was just a fun thing. My wife got into doing it last year and just has him doing some funny activity with a little message every morning, sometimes with treats and such. This year she's bought him some little outfits and accessories.

The only threat we have to do is if you touch the Elf, he loses his magic and might not come back the next day. Solely to protect him from getting played with and destroyed by my three little boys, lol.

I've been hearing and reading a lot about Elf on the Shelf being used to mess with kids... Silly me, I thought it was just a fun way to add another fun thing to Christmas that my kids enjoy... My youngest springs out of bed in the morning to try and find the Elf before her siblings and then relishes in being able to tell the "big kids" where he is and how she found him.

Im other news - it seems that ####ty parents find new ways to be ####ty.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Knut

Meh. My kids have fun with believing in Santa and the elf on the shelf. To be honest though we do not really use them as a threat. Just a fun time of the year. They very likely know that they are not real but revel in the fun of it all.

I also have fun being creative with the Elf and creating more and more elaborate set ups for him.

Let's just say a huge part of my rant is because I know people who basically are like, "Have you been bad? Should I tell Santa to burn the ####ing gift you wanted and put the burnt pieces of your gift in the stocking as a lump of coal because you've been bad?" It's rubbed off on my wife a little bit, but not as extreme. Just tons of threats to return the gift or donate current gifts.

I'm personally like, "JFC, the kids are 2, 5 and 6. What the #### is wrong with you?"

Elf on the shelf would be way worse than the Santa gift threats.

My rant I guess is that I know grown ass ####ing adults/parents who have ####ty self control to the point that they'd melt down to this type of insanity when attempting to discipline kids.


Another gear grinder, clients who make #### up to try and get you to do some #### they're too lazy to do.

Client email: "Someone from your firm said months ago they'd sort this issue out. It's been months and I'm mad and following up."
Me: "What is the name of the person? But we don't typically do this because we can't for legal and security reasons. This is what I know and this is what you can do. I hope that helps."
Client, email over a month later: "Random name. Please sort it out."
Me: "We've never had someone by that name work at our office. Again, we cannot do this for legal and security reasons. This is what I know and this is what you can do to sort it out. I hope it helps."
Client: "Yes you can. Please sort it out."
Me: "No I cannot unless you go to a lawyer and give me power of attorney. Even then, we would refuse POA because it's a conflict of interest."
Client: "You're being lazy. This is your job. Sort it out."

How the #### are grown ass adults this ####ing obtuse? I'm basically staring at this about to respond for the third time that we cannot and thinking whether I should tell this moron to go find someone else to deal with their stupidity (in a polite business manner of course).

[DownInFlames]

I'm sure there are Escalade drivers who aren't ####### but I've yet to encounter one.

[woob]

I've seen Elf on the Shelf videos where the parents cut holes in the kids pajamas and then have the Elf with the fabric pieces and scissors. Like wtf?