Getting used to Minneapolis winters

It seemed as if the weather would never warm back up.

I grew up, went to school and graduated college in the deep south. I went twenty-one years of my life without ever encountering snow. When I was offered a job in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I was excited for the change in weather and landscape. I moved over the summer, when the daily outdoor temperature climbed into the mid eighties. While there was a bit of humidity, it was nothing compare to what I was used to. I visited Minnehaha Park, Loring Park and the Minneapolis Scupture Garden. I ran the River Road Trail, admired Stone Arch Bridge and spent some time biking Midtown Greenway. The Mississippi River offers the opportunity for swimming, kayaking and paddlo boarding. The scenery around Minneapolis is truly gorgeous. There are lots of great restaurants and wonderful shopping. I was delighted with the weather in my new area. The apartment I rented didn’t even include an air conditioner. I never had difficulty sleeping or relaxing because of sticky conditions. When the temperature dropped in the fall, I was excited to wear my new sweaters. I was not prepared for the brutal winter weather. That first year, the city accumulated almost six feet of snow. The weather never climbed above freezing for three straight months. There were temperatures in the negatives, and the wind chill made it feel even colder. I ran the heater at maximum capacity for more than half the year. It seemed as if the weather would never warm back up. I couldn’t bundle up in enough layers to keep warm. I needed to buy a snow brush and ice scraper for my car. I needed a wool coat, heavy boots, hats, scarves and gloves.

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Conscientious about service for the the furnace

Winters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, are extremely long and cold.

We typically need to raise the thermostat setting and start up the furnace by the end of September or early October.

We expect below-freezing temperatures and snow accumulation on Halloween. By Christmas, the lows are in the single digits or even the negatives. Between the bitter wind chill and record-setting snow accumulation, we spend a lot of time indoors. The heating system normally operates for six to eight months of the year. Keeping a perfectly warm and comfortable home in Sioux Falls is an ongoing and expensive challenge. I’ve invested into a top-of-the-line, Energy Star rated furnace and make sure to take very good care of it. I’ve enrolled into a maintenance program with a local Sioux Falls HVAC company. They send a NATE-certified, licensed and insured technician to check over the furnace every fall. A thorough diagnostic testing and troubleshooting reveals any minor issues that might otherwise develop into more expensive repairs. Comprehensive cleaning eliminates any buildup of contaminants that would restrict air flow, diminish efficiency and and negatively impact heating capacity. Because of this annual service, I can expect the heating system to perform more reliably, last longer and cost less in month bills. Plus, my family anjoys superior comfort and healthier indoor air quality. The professional upkeep fulfills the obligations of the manufacturer’s warranty. With proof of service, I can count on warranty coverage in the event of a malfunction. I am very conscientious about replacing the air filter in the furnace every month and arranging ductwork testing every couple of years. I hope to keep the furnace operating effectively for as long as possible.

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I found a cheap apartment

I graduated university with a tremendous amount of student loans… I was also struggling to cover a motorcar payment, insurance and living expenses.

I was happy to be gave a job in my field in Fort Worth, Texas, however, the paycheck of an entry level position made it difficult to afford an apartment.

Hoping to keep expenses to a minimum, I chose living accommodations within biking distance from my work, and the house building was severely aged, most of the windows in the house were painted shut and yet they all leaked air, and just a small number of the electrical outlets worked… Because of the age of the wiring, I couldn’t run more than one appliance at a time. If I tried to microwave something while also seeing television, I’d trip the breaker. The toilet ran all the time and the living room faucet dripped. There was only enough hot water for a ten-minute shower and certainly low water pressure. I needed to tie the door to the refrigerator shut, and whenever I baked something in the oven, the smoke detector went off. My largest complaint with the house was the heating and cooling unit. In Fort Worth, the summers are certainly brutal. Temperatures are steadily in the high nineties and often soar above a hundred degrees. The humidity is excessive. The A/C in the house couldn’t begin to keep up with demand. I was consistently warm and hot and found it impossible to sleep. I couldn’t run a fan without tripping the breaker. In the winter, when the outdoor temperature dropped into the thirties, I needed to wear a coat inside.

HVAC corporation in Fort Worth Texas

Worried over a cheap apartment

I graduated college with a tremendous amount of student loans, however i was also struggling to cover a automobile payment, insurance as well as residing expenses.

I was delighted to be offered a task in my field in Fort Worth, TX, and however, the paycheck of an entry level position made it strenuous to afford an apartment.

Hoping to keep expenses to a minimum, I chose residing accommodations within biking distance from my work. The condo building was seriously outdated, most of the windows in the condo were painted shut as well as yet they all leaked air… Just a handful of the electrical outlets worked… Because of the age of the wiring, I couldn’t run more than one appliance at a time. If I tried to microwave something while also enjoying television, I’d trip the breaker. The toilet ran all the time as well as the living room faucet dripped. There was only enough tepid water for a ten-minute shower as well as truly low water pressure. I needed to tie the door to the refrigerator shut, as well as whenever I baked something in the oven, the smoke detector went off. My biggest complaint with the condo was the heating as well as cooling unit. In Fort Worth, the summers are truly brutal. Temperatures are steadily in the high nineties as well as often soar above a hundred degrees. The humidity is excessive. The air conditioner in the condo couldn’t begin to keep up with demand. I was always boiling as well as tepid as well as found it impossible to sleep. I couldn’t run a fan separate from tripping the breaker. In the winter, when the outdoor temperature dropped into the thirties, I needed to wear a coat inside.

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The bad points with a cheap apartment

I graduated school with a tremendous amount of student loans, i was also struggling to cover a car payment, insurance and residing expenses.

  • I was happy to be offered a task in my field in Fort Worth, Texas! However, the paycheck of an entry level position made it difficult to afford an apartment.

Hoping to keep expenses to a minimum, I chose residing accommodations within biking distance from my work; The apartment building was severely aged, and most of the windows in the apartment were painted shut and yet they all leaked air; Some of the electrical outlets worked, and because of the age of the wiring, I couldn’t run more than one appliance at a time. If I tried to microwave something while also enjoying TV, I’d trip the breaker. The toilet ran all the time and the dining room faucet dripped. There was only enough tepid water for a ten-minute shower and undoubtedly low water pressure. I needed to tie the door to the refrigerator shut, and whenever I baked something in the oven, the smoke detector went off. My biggest complaint with the apartment was the heating and cooling unit. In Fort Worth, the summers are absolutely brutal. Temperatures are steadily in the high nineties and often soar above a hundred degrees. The humidity is excessive. The a/c in the apartment couldn’t begin to keep up with demand. I was always warm and covered in sweat and found it impossible to sleep. I couldn’t run a fan without tripping the breaker. In the winter, when the outdoor temperature dropped into the thirties, I needed to wear a coat inside.

 

HVAC corporation in Fort Worth Texas

Issues with a cheap apartment

I graduated school with a tremendous amount of student loans, i was also struggling to cover a vehicle payment, insurance as well as living expenses.

I was happy to be offered a job in my field in Fort Worth, TX, however, the paycheck of an entry level position made it hard to afford an apartment.

Hoping to keep expenses to a minimum, I chose living accommodations within biking distance from my work… The household building was seriously ancient, then most of the windows in the household were painted shut as well as yet they all leaked air, but not many of the electrical outlets worked! Because of the age of the wiring, I couldn’t run more than one appliance at a time. If I tried to microwave something while also enjoying cable, I’d trip the breaker. The toilet ran all the time as well as the dining room faucet dripped. There was only enough warm water for a ten-minute shower as well as actually low water pressure. I needed to tie the door to the refrigerator shut, as well as whenever I baked something in the oven, the smoke detector went off. My biggest complaint with the household was the heating as well as cooling unit. In Fort Worth, the summers are actually brutal. Temperatures are steadily in the high nineties as well as often soar above a hundred degrees. The humidity is excessive. The a/c in the household couldn’t begin to keep up with demand. I was constantly warm as well as sweaty as well as found it impossible to sleep. I couldn’t run a fan without tripping the breaker. In the winter, when the outdoor temperature dropped into the thirties, I needed to wear a coat inside.
HVAC provider in Fort Worth Texas

Complaints with a cheap apartment

I graduated college with a tremendous amount of student loans.

I was also struggling to cover a car payment, insurance and living expenses.

I was delighted to be offered a job in my field in Fort Worth, Texas. However, the paycheck of an entry level position made it difficult to afford an apartment. Hoping to keep expenses to a minimum, I chose living accommodations within biking distance from my work. The apartment building was extremely outdated. Most of the windows in the apartment were painted shut and yet they all leaked air. Very few of the electrical outlets worked. Because of the age of the wiring, I couldn’t run more than one appliance at a time. If I tried to microwave something while also watching television, I’d trip the breaker. The toilet ran all the time and the kitchen faucet dripped. There was only enough hot water for a ten-minute shower and very low water pressure. I needed to tie the door to the refrigerator shut, and whenever I baked something in the oven, the smoke detector went off. My biggest complaint with the apartment was the heating and cooling unit. In Fort Worth, the summers are absolutely brutal. Temperatures are steadily in the high nineties and often soar above a hundred degrees. The humidity is excessive. The air conditioner in the apartment couldn’t begin to keep up with demand. I was always overheated and sweaty and found it impossible to sleep. I couldn’t run a fan without tripping the breaker. In the winter, when the outdoor temperature dropped into the thirties, I needed to wear a coat inside.

 

HVAC technician in Fort Worth Texas

Renovating our home in Birmingham

My husband and I moved to Birmingham, Alabama, right after we graduated from college.

We had very little money to invest into purchasing a home but didn’t want to rent.

After touring the various neighborhoods, we were delighted to find an affordable property in Highland Park. Located right near downtown Birmingham, the area offers amix of historic homes, apartment buildings and small businesses. We were able to afford the home because it had been left vacant for quite some time and need a great deal of renovation. Fixing up the house has taken us quite a few years. We began with the most pressing issues, such as a new roof and bringing the electrical system up to code. We’ve installed new windows and exterior doors, sanded and refinished the hardwood floors and eventually managed to remodel both bathrooms. It took us quite a while to save up the money to update the kitchen. I was delighted to replace the ancient refrigerator, stove, linoleum floor, warped cupboards and formica countertops. We’ve gradually torn down all of the walls and ceilings throughout the house, added insulation and installed new drywall, outlets and light fixtures. This allowed us to access the ductwork, which was a mess. Whoever designed the original duct system created all sorts of sharp bends that restric airflow. There were also holes, leaks at the seams and a tremendous amount of grime builtup inside the pipes. We hired a local Birmingham HVAC professional to entirely remove the old ductwork and design a more energy efficient alternative. We took out a loan to afford a high-efficiency furnace and air conditioner that effectively handle the demands of local weather. With temperatures in Birmingman dropping into the thirties and climbing into the nineties, heating and cooling is important to comfort.

 

 

HVAC serviceman in Birmingham Alabama

Attending a Tampay Bay Lightning game

My husband and I are huge hockey fans.

  • We enrolled our boys into a hockey program right after they learned to walk.

We love attending NHL games. Living in the northeastern part of the country, we watch most the games from home. Buying tickets is always risky because the weather is so unpredictable. There is the very real possibility of blizzard conditions or even a driving ban that prevents us from making the hour-long commute to the stadium. We can be sure that we’ll need to brush snow off the car and scrape ice from the windshield. The heater and defrost will run at max capacity for the entire drive, and the walk from the parking lot to the venue is always brutal. It’s necessary to bundle up in heavy snow boots, winter coat, knitted hat, gloves and scarf. Once they graduated from college, my sons both moved to Florida. One of them lives in Tampa and has become a fan of the Tampay Bay Lightning. Every year, for a Christmas present, he buys tickets to a game for my husband and I. We fly to Tampa and spend a week enjoying the blue skies, bright sunshine and warm temperatures. Attending a hockey game in Tampa is a much different experience for us. We wear shorts, T-shirts and sandals and run the air conditioner on the way to the game. The walk from the parking lot is pleasant. There are always lots of outdoor activities organized for the fans. It’s actually a relief to step inside the air conditioned stadium. I always carry along a sweatshirt, because the rink is chilly, but I never end up wearing it. The cold feels refreshing.
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We go to Lakeland every seasonal change

I love going to the downtown farmer’s curb market in Lakeland, Florida.

My spouse plus I live around two hours away from Lakeland, once a year we make a pilgrimage there! It is honestly nice since the drive is super short plus the stay doesn’t have to be long.

My associate and I found a wonderful hotel but nothing grand to save money. My associate and I eat at some of the most amazing food stalls, bakeries, plus cafes I have ever eaten in. My associate and I also do a lot of local events like the rodeo, bar hopping, or see a museum! The last afternoon is consistently the downtown market. I love all the odd stands. There are all sorts of things to buy ranging from food to knick knacks. I honestly just love walking around plus looking at things. My spouse plus I chose to go in the early part of the Spring. The rates for booking plus food tends to be lower. The weather also is much less intense. I love it when our weather is in the 74s. I can take 74s in a pinch, but nothing warmer, however when the heat reaches the 90s plus the humidity is paired with it, keep me inside with the AC blasting. Our trip to Lakeland is about being outdoors rather than temperature control! So picking that sweet spot with the weather can get tough sometimes, then luckily we live close enough that we can be picky with the times. My associate and I then don’t need much notice before we pack our backpacks plus head to one of my number one getaway endpoints.

 

HVAC supplier in Lakeland Florida