From Texas to Michigan (Grand Rapids: loan, sick, house)

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by horstwessel

I thought the snow was so wonderful, then after fighting it to go to work, heat my home, shovel off the roof to keep it from caving in, cut 15 chord of wood to off set high heat bills and this was long before the 40% increase of this year. It started to wear on me, and I knew that florida was not so bad. Yes it was hot in the summer, but I did not have to buy special [4x4 or all wheel drive] cars just to make it to work in the winter.

LOL thanks for the laugh! Fighting the snow to go to work - maybe a handful of times in 28 years of driving for me (Ludington and north), Shovel off the roof to keep it from caving in - NEVER in my entire life have I shoveled off a roof (44 years old), 15 cord of wood - Where? even in the UP and using 100% wood never went through more than 10. Either must have been a giant house or you kept it 90 inside. Have to buy 4X4 or all wheel drive? For what? driving on the roads. Please give me a break. I drove rear wheel cars forever, until the family got too large and I had to go with a bigger vehicle to fit the 4 kids and us. Now I have a Suburban for hauling the kids, and a tiny Geo Metro Convertable. The Metro has never even been close to not getting through any snowfall I've seen the last 5 or 6 years.

Keep posting please, I like a good joke now and again.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by horstwessel

Some of you sound like you are trying to describe the inside of s padded cell as white and very plesent to look at.
it is still a cage. and snow becomes very depressing for many people.
I can remember the first year I moved back from florida. I thought the snow was so wonderful, then after fighting it to go to work, heat my home, shovel off the roof to keep it from caving in, cut 15 chord of wood to off set high heat bills and this was long before the 40% increase of this year. It started to wear on me, and I knew that florida was not so bad. Yes it was hot in the summer, but I did not have to buy special [4x4 or all wheel drive] cars just to make it to work in the winter.
I did not have to fight bad roads, We did not even have a furnace in my home in florida, we used a small electric heater and it kept the house fine in winter.
I did not have to contract for drive way plowing, or fix all the diggs in the lawn that the plow screwed up when moving snow.
All the time spent fixing things that just did not work in extreme cold. the batterys if at all weak would go dead fast in winter.
You had to remove all batterys from your things that did not get used in winter or they were most likely dead next spring.
The house had to be maintained to a higher level than in the south.
Things needed more attention, I had to regularly pour hot water on the car window when the wippers would get stuck and you will go through a couple pairs of winter wippers in a seazon, the rubber just gets torn off.
If you have a diesel you will need a heater for the block so it will start in the morning.
At first it will be fun, but many jobs are fun the first month, but it will become work, and as such eventualy you will come to hate it.
most people here who say they love winter say that because they have no choice, look at one of the posts above, she said she decided that she could not change the weather by griping so decided to work with it, If it was so great why would you want to chang it in the first place? and why would you have to just accecpt it and work with it if it was so darn great? You would not.
I never heard of any one on the beaches in florida say, Man I wish it would snow here, the beaches are so darn hot.
As for the statment you can always put on more clothes but only take so many off. It costs much more to heat a home then to cool it. and it gets so cold in michigan that a heat pump or geothermo does not work, I am in the HVAC business so any one who wants to argue this with me you are welcome. So you are heating with wood, but it is messy and you have to spend a couple of weeks a year cutting or buy it, gas,oil or propain, all of which are going up this year 40% like it or not. So if you pay a very reasonable 125$ a month for heat last winter you are going to pay around 170 this winter. plus gas at 3.30 a gal. remember your milage goes in the toilet on snow coverd roads. And with taxes going through the roof and the high cost of everything in michigan
That great deal on your home is not so great esp. coupled with the fact that what you pay for it today it will most likely be worth less next year. the bottom of this housing crunch has not hit yet.
So good luck to you in the great white north, and remember they call it gods country because no one else wants it. lol

U2Girl, just remember that most people in Michigan are pretty friendly to newcomers.

And just your luck, snow is forecast here for Thanksgiving, although it probably won't accumulate very much and it will melt off pretty quickly this time of year.

[Sparrow_temp]

If you live in the snowbelt, shoveling off the roof is a pretty common thing. Accumulations of a foot or more with rain in the forecast is a prescription for a caved in roof. And traveling in the NW lower and the Keweenaw can be very hectic in the winter because the plows cannot be out 24 hours per day. If you lived in a non-snowbelt area, the winters in MI can be pretty mild in comparison. And as far as the 4-wheel drive, some people need them just to get out of the driveway in winter if you live in the country. The winter climate in MI can be very different depending on where you live -- sometimes even a few miles is a huge difference. In general, the closer you are to Lake Michigan or Lake Superior, the worse it is.

Originally Posted by Bydand

LOL thanks for the laugh! Fighting the snow to go to work - maybe a handful of times in 28 years of driving for me (Ludington and north), Shovel off the roof to keep it from caving in - NEVER in my entire life have I shoveled off a roof (44 years old), 15 cord of wood - Where? even in the UP and using 100% wood never went through more than 10. Either must have been a giant house or you kept it 90 inside. Have to buy 4X4 or all wheel drive? For what? driving on the roads. Please give me a break. I drove rear wheel cars forever, until the family got too large and I had to go with a bigger vehicle to fit the 4 kids and us. Now I have a Suburban for hauling the kids, and a tiny Geo Metro Convertable. The Metro has never even been close to not getting through any snowfall I've seen the last 5 or 6 years.

Keep posting please, I like a good joke now and again.

[Bydand]

Born and raised in the Ludington area, less than 5 miles to Lake Michigan. Graduated HS from the Soo. Lived and worked for years in Gaylord. I do know about snow, and have NEVER had to shovel off a roof (44 years and counting). 4X4 to get out of the drive -that's why I own a snow blower. The OP is referring to moving to GR, not the Keweenaw or anyplace in the UP, or another snowbelt area. I am very familiar with the area of the State she was inquiring about and what I posted is dead nuts accurate for that area.

[HighlandsGal]

Where in Grand Rapids will you be living?

To keep from being homesick, get out and explore! The malls and such will be decorated to help you get in that holiday spirit -- and I find decorating my place really cheers me up. I will be having my first Christmas away from home too this year (moved to Denver) but I am really looking forward to getting a tree, seeing the city Christmas lights, celebrating with new friends, etc.

The Grand Rapids Press usually puts out a feature of where to look at neighborhood lights if that is your thing, plus you can try out new restaurants, walk in the snow, drink Michigan hot apple cider, all sorts of stuff.

HAVE FUN!!

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by Bydand

4X4 to get out of the drive -that's why I own a snow blower.

There are few things more depressing than plodding around the driveway behind a snow thrower, constantly recalculating windage to try to avoid getting a face full of snow.

[Bydand]

Get a good one, then it throws it far enough you don't have to worry about it. Plus a good one you don't "plod" around behind it because you can go at a good regular walking speed.

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Get a good one, then it throws it far enough you don't have to worry about it. Plus a good one you don't "plod" around behind it because you can go at a good regular walking speed.

Your snowthrower is stronger than the wind. Sure.

[Bydand]

Don't angle the chute way up if it is windy, have it blow out almost at shoulder height and if it does blow back a bit it get you in the waist. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out if you use one more than an hour. Plus you never blow it into the wind, that is almost as retarded as spitting into the wind, you blow it the same direction the wind is blowing and it helps take it even further away from your driveway.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

There are few things more depressing than plodding around the driveway behind a snow thrower, constantly recalculating windage to try to avoid getting a face full of snow.

Are you kidding? I don't mind snowblowing the driveway at all. You do have to get a two-stage if you live in a heavy snowbelt area, preferably with self-propel. And if the snow is not deep and heavy enough for that, then just shovel.

I'm amazed at what people complain about on this forum. No wonder we have an obesity problem in this country.

Exactly Bydand, you spin the chute to blow "with" the wind, not against it.