Break out the long under wear boys and girls. Here comes winter!

-25ish tonight actual temp not wind chill NE along the Canadian border....

 

I guess I don't feel so bad sitting here at the J in Lasalle IL where it's a balmy -15 degrees... Just like the old saying goes "It could always be worse"...

 

It happened last year. Well, 12/31.

 

Well here this morning, I woke up to 0 degrees. Wind chill was around -18 they said on the tv. I had to have my heat on practically all night long, which I hate doing.

 

This time of year makes me glad to be a local driver. I only have to put up with ole man winter 40 hours a week. Even with that being said, I spend most of my work days trying to stay under the radar. Out of sight, out of mind. During the winter, I typically drive 20-40 miles a day and that's it. And most of that is my commute back and forth to work.

Keep the coffee flowing.

 

We had 64 for a high yesterday here at the house. With a low in the mid 40's last night. Supposed to be in mid sixties again today! I'LL TAKE IT!

 

I personally had fallen in love with the southwest. NV, NM, AZ, and UT.

If I could, I'd retire somewhere in that area. Everyone seems to retire to FL, but I hate hot and humid.

 

I don't think I'd ever willingly live in that humidity. But we do have a few weeks of humid in the SW. Around July and August the monsoon starts and it can be what WE consider pretty humid. Shoot, even when I was down in the Imperial Valley and in Death Valley, we would have some humid times.

You say you'd retire to the SW if you could. I don't know why you can't, but I can tell you that if it because of your kids and grand kids, they will have their own lives, and eventually they will spread their wings and fly to wherever life takes them. It just isn't like it used to be where the "family unit," was several generations at or near home. At least not for most of us.

Oh one more thing, while I'm thinking of it. Even though I do live in Utah, our climate here in Utah's Dixie, is much more of a "desert SW" climate than most of Utah.

 

Yes, "if I could", because I will need to do a whole lot of homework well in advance. For instance, many retire to FL due to no property taxes, no car taxes, and I do believe no income taxes, making FL a mecca for retiree's.
To me, what money I have earned and saved and will get fro SS and etc, are my monies, not any more city, state or federally governments. Like you and so many others, my days of "donating" my money to taxes, has taxed the life out of me.

The kids, grandkids? Screw'em, I hate them anyways.

 

WHOA there! That is kind of harsh, but I suppose you have your reasons. Family connections can be a real PITA. You might look at Nevada. They don't have an income tax there, (right now, but of course they have been trying for years to get one through.) And there are some pretty decent areas you live in So. Nevada, as long as you stay out of Vegas.
UT, AZ & CA are all taxed to death. But, what are you gonna do???? When we left California, one of the reasons we moved to Utah was the much lower cost of living. Well, it still is much lower than California, but it certainly has gone way up. So have taxes. But, I think if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change much of anything.