I hate waking up at 4 in the morning and realising I forgot to plug in the car

[Northern_Piper]

I have one of those “Sproing!” 4 am moments when I wake up with a sudden “You forgot to do something…” thought nagging at me.

What is it? Why am I waking up with this vague sense of impending terror?

Eyes pop wide open in the dark. “You idiot! You didn’t plug in the car!”

Dear God, no! It’s 28 below, not even considering the wind, whistling around our eaves. And Mrs Piper needs the car for an early meeting.

Lie there wondering if by chance the car will start even if not plugged in. New battery and all, so maybe?

Lie there contemplating telling Mrs P that I omitted to carry out my manly duty of plugging in the car before bed, causing her to miss her meeting when said car does the sensible thing and says “I’m not working today, thanks! Social contract broken by you!”

Sick feeling that I know I have to drag myself out of my toasty warm bed and into the “seasonal weather” that is our lot.

Parka, boots, the works, just for a quick nip into the darkness and cold that squeezes your lungs on impact!

Find cord, covered in the snow drift. Clean crusted snow off outlet. Move quickly. Fumble, fumble, fumble with bare hands. (What did the weather guy say last night about how quickly “exposed flesh” would freeze? Why do they always use that ghoulish expression, delivered in the cheeriest manner?!?).

Outlet in the extension cord is very stiff from the cold. Plastic is hard as a rock, making it rough to plug in. Squeeze, wiggle, and push the damn plug, muttering “please” to the weather trolls.

Success! And the little LED in the cord head shows current!

Warm up, baby, before Mrs P needs you! Four hours is the usual amount of time for maximum effect from the block heater, so I should be good.

Drag myself back to toasty warm bed, bringing wave of coldness with me. Shiver, shiver, shiver.

Gaah! There are moments, Saskatchewan, when our love affair is at a stretching point …

[running_coach]

And before going back to bed, post to the Dope.

You need help.

[Cyros]

The styrofoam squeak when you step on the snow at -30°C and the feeling of your nose hairs freezing in the cold makes it all worth while though!

I remember the coldest I’ve ever felt was flying into Saskatoon on a cold December night. We had just spent a year in Australia and stopped for a week in Maui on the way back. My winter jacket was a pathetic little thing (more of a spring coat to be honest) and it was -35°C or so. The memory of the walk from the terminal to the car is frostbitten into my brain.

[Emergency911]

It took me a while, but I worked it into my arrival at home routine. I had my cord plugged into a timer that would come on 5 hours before I normally leave for work. I also bought one of those wrought iron stakes that are made to hold a hanging plant basket and used it to hold my cord off the ground.

And I did all these things for the very same reason as you. Those wee hour wake up, get dressed, go out and plug in were getting old. Especially when I would arrive at the front of the truck and realize I had plugged it in and didn’t remember doing so.

[Spoons]

@Emergency911

I also bought one of those wrought iron stakes that are made to hold a hanging plant basket and used it to hold my cord off the ground.

An excellent idea! I’ve just been putting my cord down and hoping I can find it if it gets buried by snow. I’ll have to get one of those stakes.

Northern Piper, did the car cooperate to get Mrs. P to her meeting?

[Northern_Piper]

Huzza! It did! She briefly woke up as the human icicle climbed into bed and said “What were you doing?” I said, “Plugging in the car so you can make your meeting.” She said "Oh good, but it’s so cold, I wouldn’t mind missing the meeting. :slap:

[Gorsnak]

@Emergency911

It took me a while, but I worked it into my arrival at home routine. I had my cord plugged into a timer that would come on 5 hours before I normally leave for work. I also bought one of those wrought iron stakes that are made to hold a hanging plant basket and used it to hold my cord off the ground.

And I did all these things for the very same reason as you. Those wee hour wake up, get dressed, go out and plug in were getting old. Especially when I would arrive at the front of the truck and realize I had plugged it in and didn’t remember doing so.

Timers, absolutely. I actually have my block heater plugged in through a “smart” power outlet, so not only can I schedule it but I can turn it on and off with my phone for outside-of-schedule block heating. The car is always plugged in when it’s parked, even on mild days, just to maintain the habit. Mine is in a garage, so protection from snowbanks is unnecessary.

[WOOKINPANUB]

For second I thought you forgot to plug in the cat :smack:

[Northern_Piper]

@running_coach

And before going back to bed, post to the Dope.

You need help.

I needed to do some finger exercises to keep them from freezing!

[Sir_T-Cups]

@Northern_Piper

Huzza! It did! She briefly woke up as the human icicle climbed into bed and said “What were you doing?” I said, “Plugging in the car so you can make your meeting.” She said "Oh good, but it’s so cold, I wouldn’t mind missing the meeting. :slap:

Then let me be the first to send my condolences for your upcoming divorce

[Doctor_Jackson]

To show you my sense of perspective, I thought this was going to be about your new Tesla or some such. I’ll be the first to admit that there are A LOT of things that I don’t understand, but chief among them is why anyone would live anywhere that requires a “-” in front of the temperature more often than, say, once in a generation. Especially Fahrenheit. :eek:

My brain won’t even let me imagine that level of cold.

[running_coach]

@Doctor_Jackson

To show you my sense of perspective, I thought this was going to be about your new Tesla or some such. I’ll be the first to admit that there are A LOT of things that I don’t understand, but chief among them is why anyone would live anywhere that requires a “-” in front of the temperature more often than, say, once in a generation. Especially Fahrenheit. :eek:

My brain won’t even let me imagine that level of cold.

Assuming the -28 is Celsius, that’s only -18F.

[Northern_Piper]

****It’s been a bit cold here recently, particularly when you take wind chill into account: Extreme cold weather warnings across Saskatchewan.

For some, it felt like –50

In some communities in the north, the wind chill was down to –50.

It wasn’t much balmier in the south.

Here’s a sampling of wind chill temperatures early Wednesday morning, according to Environment Canada:

Key Lake: –50.

Collins Bay: –50.

Rosetown: –49.

Regina: –48.

Lucky Lake: –48.

Saskatoon: –47.

Last Mountain Lake: –47.

Nipawin: –47.

Meanwhile, Environment Canada says milder temperatures are on the way.

In southern Saskatchewan, temperatures could be in the low single digits (minus, that is) by Monday.

[Northern_Piper]

@Doctor_Jackson

… chief among them is why anyone would live anywhere that requires a “-” in front of the temperature more often than, say, once in a generation. Especially Fahrenheit. :eek:

My brain won’t even let me imagine that level of cold.

We had a lively discussion a few years ago about whether you need to use the " - " in western Canada in the winter, as it’s pretty much assumed temps will be in the below zero category. It’s exceptional in January or February for it to be above zero (Celsius, that is).

Projected low of 42 C - keep warm, western Dopers!

[buddha_david]

@Northern_Piper

Outlet in the extension cord is very stiff from the cold. Plastic is hard as a rock, making it rough to plug in. Squeeze, wiggle, and push the damn plug, muttering “please”…

I came.

[Northern_Piper]

Saskatchewan today [yesterday]: coldest place in Canada Environment Canada says entire province is under extreme cold warning

[Northern_Piper]

Saskatchewan today [yesterday]: coldest place in Canada Environment Canada says entire province is under extreme cold warning

[Jennshark]

I thought your thread was going to be about a Prius!

My folks have to do the engine block warmer in Northern Idaho – brrrrr.

The worst I’ve encountered here in Jersey are my door handles freezing shut when it dips below 10 degrees.

[Doctor_Jackson]

@running_coach

Assuming the -28 is Celsius, that’s only -18F.

Oh, well in that case break out the short sleeves and fire up the grill!

[wolfpup]

@Cyros

The styrofoam squeak when you step on the snow at -30°C and the feeling of your nose hairs freezing in the cold makes it all worth while though!

I remember the coldest I’ve ever felt was flying into Saskatoon on a cold December night. We had just spent a year in Australia and stopped for a week in Maui on the way back. My winter jacket was a pathetic little thing (more of a spring coat to be honest) and it was -35°C or so. The memory of the walk from the terminal to the car is frostbitten into my brain.

I remember flying in to Saskatoon once for a one-day business meeting with a jacket like that, and the temperature was something like that. The walk from the hotel to the meeting site was about two blocks, and I felt like I was going to freeze to death.

When I walked in to the office I was just about turning blue and shivering in this pathetic spring overcoat. Without another word the receptionist picked up the phone and announced, “The gentleman from Toronto is here”. (At least she didn’t say "There’s a frostbitten idiot wearing a spring coat in 35-below weather that just walked in – it must be your guy from out East.)