Ok, I'm moving from Sunny South Florida to Brrr...Michigan. Since I haven't lived in cold weather since I was 6, I have a few questions...Some of them, Greathomes has been kind enough to help me with, but I still have more.... Some might be a bit silly or "blondish" (pls no offense), but that's what came to my mind...

1. Down or Down Alternative comforters, Do I really need one (Isn’t the heat going to be on anyways)?
2. If it's warm inside buildings, then why can't I wear regular FL clothes with just a sweater and heavy coat over it? It are most building not kept that warm?
3. Hats, skullys, headwarmers...are they really necessary? (I'll probably answer this on my own around Dec, Jan...lol.
4. Can the floor heater thingamajig hurt my cat in any way?
5. I have a choice where one apartment includes Heat in rent (but rent is more) and the other doesn't. Which one is best?
6. I'm driving up with my car. How can I protect undercarriage from snow/salt damage? Will I really need snow tires or the chains I see on TV? Do I really have to check my tailpipe to see if it's clogged with snow?

That's all for now. I had more but my mind just drew a blank tonight...

Thanks Everyone!

__________________

Oficially a Graduate!!
COSC B.S. Independent/Liberal Studies (Business Admin & Healthcare Admin)
Exams Passed:
- DSST: Technical Writing 64
- DSST: Principles of Supervision 58
- CLEP: A&I Literature 74
- DSST: Intro to Business 66
- DSST: Ethics in America 63
- DSST: Intro to World Religions 67
ALL DONE!!

Wow - from FL to Michigan! You are going to be freezing!

Down comforters, down coats, etc are ALL necessary! don't buy the coat until you are up north. its a different market altogether for coats and other warmth clothing

minnesota and michigan have blizzards - get several layers of everything! socks, coats, jackets, tshirts, undergarments - long johns are popular.

cleaning off your car will be fun. get chains for sure. get snow tires. get everything thats recommended.really, you dont want to be skidding all over the place in 30 below weather and limited heat.

as for heated buildings - just as ac down here in the south isnt strong enough to beat the heat, the heat in the north is not strong enough to beat the cold. wear long sleeves. wear jeans. wear several layers.

ever see brett farves green cap? get a ton of those!!!
also go ahead and look at youtube canadian vloggers. some video blog outside, others inside.

__________________
Credits Racked Up.....71
Peers: (Still) Not Even Outta High School Yet.
No More CLEPs left. I've taken them all!
Spring 2009: Managerial Accounting, Business Cal, Statistics

__________________

Oficially a Graduate!!
COSC B.S. Independent/Liberal Studies (Business Admin & Healthcare Admin)
Exams Passed:
- DSST: Technical Writing 64
- DSST: Principles of Supervision 58
- CLEP: A&I Literature 74
- DSST: Intro to Business 66
- DSST: Ethics in America 63
- DSST: Intro to World Religions 67
ALL DONE!!

I'm born and raised in Detroit. I'll give u the lowdown.

1. Yes. You are going to need warm comforters/quilts/blankets. You'll have to determine which works best for you. But, unless you have your heat set to BLAST, these are necessities.

2. Clothes are clothes. Jeans are jeans. But, during the Winter months you will want to have on an undershirt, a shirt, and maybe a sweater + a nice warm coat. Furs, leathers, and goose down are popular.

Shorts and tank-tops(Florida clothes) are ok today, it's 82 degrees. But, by September, you can put those away until next June.

3. Hat's, Skullcaps, hoodies, earmuffs, facemasks, gloves, mittens, big warm winter boots and extra socks are all NECESSARY. It is very common to see sub-zero wind chill and 6-12 inches of snow for weeks at a time on multiple occasions during the winter. You will want to protect yourself from the Hawk (as we call it).

4. Your cat will love it.

5. If you can get your utilities rolled into your rent, that's good. Last Winter, utility bills for an apartment were sometimes as high as 200/mo. With the astronomical rise in gas prices, you can expect that number to be 300 by the 1st of the year.

6. You can have your car sprayed at a carwash with some 'protectant'. But, seems like a scam to me. Besides, by the time the salt has a chance to damage your car (10 yrs) you probably won't have that car anymore.

Some people do keep two sets of tires for Summer and Winter. Most people just use the all-weather type. You would be well served to keep those chains in the trunk, along with your shovel, ice scraper, anti-freeze, lock de-icer, jumper cables and spare tire. It's serious around here. Snow in the tailpipe is not serious.

__________________
A pass is a pass!

CLEP Passed
Social Science & History (6)
English Comp w/Essay (6)
A & I Literature (6)
Intro to Psychology (3)
Intro to Sociology (3)
Intro to Educational Psychology (3)
Human Growth & Development (3)
American Government (3)

DSST Passed
Drug & Alcohol Abuse (3)
Organizational Behavior (3)
Intro to Computing (3)
Technical Writing (3)
Astronomy (3)
Counseling (3)

ECE
Research Methods in Psychology (3)
Cultural Diversity (3)

FEMA (25)
NFA (3)

1. Down is nicer unless you have allergies like I do. Down alternative is nice and comfy. You can crank up your heat all you want, but you'll pay for it in your heating oil bill!!!

2. Dress in layers. You can always take them off and put more on.

3. You need to protect your ears from frostbite no matter what. That means a hat that covers them or ear muffs. I find that when I'm shoveling snow for more than 15 minutes I am more comfortable in just earmuffs because my body heat makes me too hot having a hat on. It's your own preference really but always protect your ears, fingers, and toes!!!!

4. I'm severely allergic to cats so I don't know.

5. If you rent then maybe it makes sense, I live in an owned home so I have never looked in to it.

6. Salt will damage your vehicle in just a couple seasons. Damage will be visible (rust) in 4 years if you don't do anything to protect your car. I spray my car including the undercarriage of my car with a power washer everyday it gets above freezing to get all the salt off. In Michigan where you're going I heard it's not too much of an issue like it is here in Ohio because they use sand on the roads instead of salt (doesn't damage the roads the way salt does). I think chains are for people in mountains or maybe Alaska, I don't know anyone who ever used them.

I hope I've been helpful to you. If there's anything else I might be able to help answer for you then email or pm me.

Ronny

__________________
I have 18 traditional credits and 51 exam credits. I've passed Introductory Sociology 76, Introductory Psychology 68, A&I Literature 66, Principles of Marketing 76, Introductory Business Law 71, Social Sciences & History 67, DSST Drug & Alcohol Abuse 450, Biology 69, Principles of Management 70, Natural Sciences 64, Intro to Business DSST 70, Principles of Macroeconomics 67, Principles of Microeconomics 58.

You know - I used to live on a dirt road and we talked to a dealership awhile back about the rocks getting kicked up and killing our A/C. Some manufacturers may offer an undercarriage cover. Look into it.

Also chains on tires. While tire advancements have been made within the last 4 decades, chains are a handy thing to have - and they're not just for 'mountainous regions' - my parents are from the east and (especially in upper new york state where there is a TON of snow) they used chains. I would definitely buy these even after you get all purpose tires. Tires get worn, let's face it, and if you see your neighbor's car with 'em on, you should go ahead and put yours on, too! When in Michigan, do as the Michiganians do - they know what they're doing!

As for your question - my parents are from the north, and I asked them awhile back why their old jackets were not only "different" but drastically better (I would wear theirs if I couldn't find mine) - their reply was that it was a different market because there were different needs. People in Texas and Florida don't really buy down jackets b/c they need relatively light jackets. But I wear a down jacket down here in south texas during the winter and i'm as warm as a button b/c I know northern coats are WAYY better! They're more expensive because of better material.

Ha! $200 for heat! You're complaining! Try a $600 electric bill in the summer! I swear A/Cs just can't handle texas desert heat! Bills can get exorbanent if you aren't careful....

Ohio's snow tactics aren't too far off from what occurs in Indiana and Illinois. Black ice is something to watch out for in those three states.. Some places prefer other minerals or materials over salt because salt only alters the temperature to a certain point. In other words, at certain temps, salt is ineffective. If you see your local Michigan area using something other than salt, you know it's a darn cold place to be! (or other minerals are cheaper/more effective in that area!)

__________________
Credits Racked Up.....71
Peers: (Still) Not Even Outta High School Yet.
No More CLEPs left. I've taken them all!
Spring 2009: Managerial Accounting, Business Cal, Statistics

__________________

Oficially a Graduate!!
COSC B.S. Independent/Liberal Studies (Business Admin & Healthcare Admin)
Exams Passed:
- DSST: Technical Writing 64
- DSST: Principles of Supervision 58
- CLEP: A&I Literature 74
- DSST: Intro to Business 66
- DSST: Ethics in America 63
- DSST: Intro to World Religions 67
ALL DONE!!

The only way you'll clog your tailpipe is if you stick a banana in it!!!

__________________
I have 18 traditional credits and 51 exam credits. I've passed Introductory Sociology 76, Introductory Psychology 68, A&I Literature 66, Principles of Marketing 76, Introductory Business Law 71, Social Sciences & History 67, DSST Drug & Alcohol Abuse 450, Biology 69, Principles of Management 70, Natural Sciences 64, Intro to Business DSST 70, Principles of Macroeconomics 67, Principles of Microeconomics 58.

Hahaha....

__________________

Oficially a Graduate!!
COSC B.S. Independent/Liberal Studies (Business Admin & Healthcare Admin)
Exams Passed:
- DSST: Technical Writing 64
- DSST: Principles of Supervision 58
- CLEP: A&I Literature 74
- DSST: Intro to Business 66
- DSST: Ethics in America 63
- DSST: Intro to World Religions 67
ALL DONE!!

Having been born and raised in Canada. My wife and I feel particularly qualified to assist you. We discussed your question over moose meat steaks, and then called the other 6 people in Canada to allow them to express their opinions.

Here is our summarized wisdom:

We've never lived somewhere that the landlord controlled the temp. Speaking of temperature, when I moved to Florida I noticed something strange. When you turn a temperature dial here... things get colder. Further north... they get hotter.

As for the tailpipe. We suppose it's possible. You would need to back up at high speed into a very tall very soft snowdrift. In the morning, you wouldn't find your car at all (under all that soft fluffy snow). Several weeks and a few blizzards later perhaps you would see a glimmer of a fender. Being a Saturday, you send small children out to clear a path to the door. In this scenario you should check to see if the tailpipe is in fact "clogged". You should also check to see if the other 95% of your car (those parts not uncovered by overeager children with severe frostbite) is still frozen to the massive block of ice. Unrelated to the potential tailpipe drama, always count the kids on the way back in to the house after using them for industrial snow removal.

Have you ever heard of a block heater? Never underestimate the power of a garage.

I hope you enjoy the change of pace and atmosphere.

__________________
Joe

CLEP
Princ. of Management 74, Intro to Sociology 65, US History I 72, Princ. of Marketing 67, Business Law I 66, Macroeconomics 68, Microeconomics 65, A&I Lit 74, Intro. Psych 66, SS&H 76. College Math 70. Humanities 60.
DSST
Princ. of Supervision 69, Statistics 63, MIS 65, Intro to Computers 64, Criminal Justice 57, Law Enforcement 66, Ethics 72, Princ. of Financial Accounting 67, Money and Banking 59, Environment 69, Lifespan & Dev 53, Fund. Counseling 61, Astronomy 63, Finance 63, Business Math 80, Technical Writing 61, Intro Business 65, Business law II 57.
ECE
Organizational Behavior B, Ethics A
Courses
Business Policy (A), Straighterline Managerial Accounting (A), Straighterline English (B) Straighterline Algebra (A), Opertations Management (A)