Fall - I didn't know it'd be so hard

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Many people in Canada considered November to be their least favourite. It is usually dark and gloomy – after the bright colours of October, or the crisp white of the snow in December, November since colourless. Short days and long nights resulted in a lack of sunshine. No sun-no light-no colour-November.
And cold - winter came early this year. We weren't quite ready for it. It takes a long to adjust short-sleeved shirts to heavy jackets; sandals to winter boots. Normally you need to dress warmly – layers, so that you can shed your coat when inside and put it on to go out.
And as others have said embrace the climate. Soon it will be December – Advent and Christmas. Lots of declarations both indoors and out. Coloured lights to make up her lack of sunshine. Music – Christmas carols and secular music in the malls and stores. Churches usually have a busy schedule – including lots of concerts. Have you been able to join the choir. I don't sing, but it seems to me that choir set lots of fun and fellowship.
 
Hi

November has definitely been gloomy this year. But when you live in a cold climate, get the right clothes and embrace it. Try ice skating. Curling is fun. Skiing takes a bit of time and skill but is great

Even just getting out and shovelling. If you live in an apartment I would be that there are people who need help with driveways. Elderly, really need help. Good way to volunteer

I personally love winter. I love the way your cheeks get icy. I love the cold air. I love fresh snow. but you do need to really push yourself to get out

Lack of sun is an issue for us northerners. Lots of lights in your place, candles, fires, and if you find your self down, speak to your doctor about getting a special lamp.
 
Seeler said:
Many people in Canada considered November to be their least favourite. It is usually dark and gloomy – after the bright colours of October, or the crisp white of the snow in December, November since colourless. Short days and long nights resulted in a lack of sunshine. No sun-no light-no colour-November.
And cold - winter came early this year. We weren't quite ready for it. It takes a long to adjust short-sleeved shirts to heavy jackets; sandals to winter boots. Normally you need to dress warmly – layers, so that you can shed your coat when inside and put it on to go out.
And as others have said embrace the climate. Soon it will be December – Advent and Christmas. Lots of declarations both indoors and out. Coloured lights to make up her lack of sunshine. Music – Christmas carols and secular music in the malls and stores. Churches usually have a busy schedule – including lots of concerts. Have you been able to join the choir. I don't sing, but it seems to me that choir set lots of fun and fellowship.
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If you find it gloomy here, avoid being in Berlin Germany in November. It s absolutely dreadful. Rainy, and smog, sun doesn’t come out for a week at a time. I always felt in Canada, sun comes out after one or two days, even in November.
Now, it doesn’t help that Remembrance day and All Saints day is in November. The good thing in Canada is that the craft fairs are alll mostly in November- something to look forward to. In Germany, they don’t start before the first of Advent.
 
chansen said:
Here's the sort of thing you want to find:

https://www.granitecurlingclub.ca/sunday-drop-in

No idea if that place is close to you, but other clubs will have similar "learn to curl" events that are low cost or free, with borrowed equipment. Just go to one of those and see if you don't laugh your ass off.
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GiancarloZ said:
This is precisely the one close to home!
Amazing! Thanks for taking the time to look it up, @chansen .
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I was worried that I pointed you in the direction of an expensive club, because it's "The Granite Club". In North Toronto, there is a Granite Club that is crazy expensive. My wife used to curl out of there, while her parent's were paying the fee, lol. But looking at the fees for the Winnipeg Granite Club, they don't look too bad, should you decide to join a league. I'm in the wrong sport. Skiing is way more expensive.
 
chansen said:
I was worried that I pointed you in the direction of an expensive club, because it's "The Granite Club". In North Toronto, there is a Granite Club that is crazy expensive. My wife used to curl out of there, while her parent's were paying the fee, lol. But looking at the fees for the Winnipeg Granite Club, they don't look too bad, should you decide to join a league. I'm in the wrong sport. Skiing is way more expensive.
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I thought Granite referred to the address because it's Granite Way. After this information, I guess the address was named after the club?
The building, at least from the outside, looks well-kept, so I guess it's a lively organization. I agree the fees aren't that expensive.
What's so expensive about skiing? Equipment?
 
Thank you, everyone, for all your tips and efforts to help me!
Today is snowing and it already feels better - at least snow is beautiful.
I'm thinking how to put in action everything you suggest, and I see now why people keep themselves so busy in Canada this time of the year.
Getting dressed to go out is a pain for me, but I don't think I'll have any choice than go out. Embrace it, as you say.
 
GiancarloZ said:
What's so expensive about skiing? Equipment?
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Lift tickets are push $80 per person now. For the day. My family are membesr of a ski club, so we don't pay by the day, but the dues are rather...high. Equipment isn't so bad because it lasts a number of years. Racing for my daughter is expensive because of coaching and race fees, and she gets only 2 years out of most pieces of equipment while I get 5 or more.
 
chansen said:
Lift tickets are push $80 per person now. For the day. My family are membesr of a ski club, so we don't pay by the day, but the dues are rather...high. Equipment isn't so bad because it lasts a number of years. Racing for my daughter is expensive because of coaching and race fees, and she gets only 2 years out of most pieces of equipment while I get 5 or more.
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I think cross country is more affordable, but I haven't done much of that to be certain.
 
But there are no ski lifts in cross country skiing. That makes the uphills needlessly tiring.
 
chansen said:
But there are no ski lifts in cross country skiing. That makes the uphills needlessly tiring.
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But I think it's kinder on the joints.
As a kid, I used to downhill ski fairly regularly. I think I have been cross country skiing twice. If I ever get a longer term energy burst and the desire to try it out again I think cross country is what I would go to first.
If one is more of an adrenaline junkie - go with downhill.
 
@GiancarloZ , you've got lots of good advice there and I will just second all of it. My wife moved here from Shanghai, where temps below 10 are considered extreme cold, more than 30 years ago. She's learned to live with Ontario winter but I wouldn't say she's learned to love it. Tolerate it and make the best of it is about where she's at.

She did learn downhill skiing when she first arrived but didn't keep it up, even after Little M got into it.
 
@GiancarloZ - I would caution you on one thing -- Frostbite.
It is a real thing, and if you haven't educated yourself on it, please do.

My sister-in-law moved to Winnipeg from Victoria BC when she & my borther married many many years ago.
She was doing ok, loved the summer. They lived in an apartment building like yours.
They had a cold snap, and she needed milk, so walked a block to the local store, and ...when she got there, the store clerk went into action. She had frostbite on her cheek. He insisted she borrow a scarf for the way home. Winter in Winnipeg can be really really cold.
 
-Move to Ontario......
-Learn how to play an instrument....guitar? Musicians are fun to hang around.
-Join a theatre group
-Take a course you're interested in at the local community college. Cooking classes? Writers club? Free lectures at the university....
 
Mendalla said:
Don't know that that fixes much. @GiancarloZ and his wife were looking at living in the Ottawa area and that's not much of an improvement over Winnipeg per Little M.
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Well he said he wanted sun....so I thought of the "sun parlor" of Canada...Leamington Ontario, which is on the 49th parallel, the same as Northern California.
 
Waterfall said:
Well he said he wanted sun....so I thought of the "sun parlor" of Canada...Leamington Ontario, which is on the 49th parallel, the same as Northern California.
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Yep, but they still get winter. And the Windsor area isn't exactly the hub of excitement that a larger centre would be unless you want to cross the border to Detroit.
 
GiancarloZ said:
I thought Granite referred to the address because it's Granite Way. After this information, I guess the address was named after the club?
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Some of these curling clubs have been around for a hundred years or more. The road was likely named after the club. "Granite" refers to the type of rock used in curling rocks.

The Granite Club in Toronto was originally just a curling club. Now it's a social/sports club in the highest income neighbourhood in Canada. Their main entrance and foyer open up to the ballroom, so you can't go in the main entrance unless you're wearing a tie. I am not joking. I used to drive to the Granite Club to pick up my wife when she was doing her post-grad at U of T and still curled on the same night as her parents. So I'm picking her up around 9 or 10 at night. There is a side entrance for people not wearing formal wear. I refused to use the side entrance, because I thought that was stupid. So I would walk right into the main entrance and up the main stairs to the curling lounge, every Monday night. And every Monday night a green-jacketed security guard would tell me, "You can't use that entrance, sir."

I varied my replies among things like, "Yes I can," or, "You didn't see me," or, "Look! A poor person!" and dash away up the stairs. They never bothered with me after, so I got in the habit of this.

Until one week, they caught on to me and were ready for me. The security guard stood between the sets of entry doors as I made my way to the entrance. There's only about 8 feet in the vestibule between the two sets of entry doors, but I figured this could be fun. I waltzed through the first set of doors like normal, with the guard telling me more sternly that I can not use this entrance as I opened the first door. I threw a head fake to the left, he bit on the fake and moved to my left to cut me off, and I went right and broke his ankles. I didn't break a brisk walk as a went past him, but I heard him on the radio so I bounded up the main stairs. I got to the safety of the curling lounge, but I was quickly found by the green-jacketed man whose ankles I broke earlier, and what I assumed was his green-jacketed supervisor. They started talking sternly to me as I did my best to summon a concerned look on my face. My wife was not amused. Eventually her parents came over and vouched for me, and being long-time, second generation members, nothing happened. Not even a final warning.

Then, finally, I started using the side door.
 
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