TheSamba.com :: View topic - Denver Blizzard: Kharmic Rebound and Cold Feet

Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:58 pm

In today's adventure, we reverse the usual roles of Rob (msinabottle) and Winston. Usually, Winston sits out in the cold blowing storm while Rob is snug and warm in a nice sheltered enclosure.

That was not the case today.

Tuesday, I took Winston down to Blazer Automotive, partly because I am a coward, and mostly because they are very, very good mechanics with 30+ years of experience.

Winston's been needing his front heater blower replaced, and I've been dreading the job, from the shear bolts, to cutting open the housing, to dismantling the dash and undoing it all. I'm sure I could have done it, but I just felt better with the Brothers Blazer and their mechanics evaluating what mysteries and horrors lay under Winston's dash. They also very generously let me buy a new heater core, blower, and wiper motor online at the best price I could get.

My new wiper motor turned out to be Danish aftermarket, but it looked pretty good, that was from California Import Parts, and the best price I found on an OEM heater core and blower was from Frank Condelli. That delayed the repairs a bit, not because Frank was a slow shipper--he wasn't--but because of customs and security at the Canadian border. The parts were beautiful when they arrived on Saturday, and Blazer was willing to put Winston under the wrench on Tuesday.

Winston started obediently, he really does like that 10W30, and Blazer received him, a written work order, and the parts graciously. I had a four mile walk home primarily because I felt like a four mile walk, and enjoyed it.

Anyway, Larry called later that afternoon as the operation started in earnest... Someone had bent a loop into Winston's heater control cable to keep it from kinking, but that was working, so, I chose to leave it in place. Larry thought that I could fix Winston's driver's side wing window, and save the money, I'll just have to dismantle his door to do it. What was more serious was that Winston's master cylinder was leaking--I THOUGHT the brakes felt a bit squishy that morning. That was the sum of my unexpected repairs.

The Brothers Blazer and their mechanic found the wiring to Winston's wiper motor SNAFU'ed, and fixed that, the blades now retract and I've got intermittent back--or so I hear. The new motor, heater core, and blower are in place and tested--I have all this as hearsay evidence because I still haven't seen it all first-hand. This morning at 10:30 Larry called and told me he was ready for me to come and take Winston home.

The problem was that somewhat earlier the blizzard referred to elsewhere in this forum came flowing down over the great Metropolis of Denver. Larry didn't think I'd have too much trouble getting Winston home, and I didn't want to take up a bay in their garage, and so I put on three layers of clothing and marched out into the blizzard of '06, thinking to beat the worst of it.

STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!

Well, let's see. So many mistakes, which to tell you about first? Rule #1 in a Blizzard--wear goggles. It was just hard to see from the snow blowing right into my eyes as I struggled through the drifts toward the bus stop, some 2 miles away. I had long johns, wool socks, waterproofed hiking boots--all those kept me fairly warm and dry. At first. I was so warm in my four layers on my upper body that I had to undo the outer thermal vest, and made it to the bus stop in exhausted, but functional condition.

One of the interesting things was how MUCH traffic there was. The new aerodynamic Toyotas, of which I saw two, were NOT doing well. Pickup trucks that took the turn from Littleton Boulevard onto Broadway were wagging their tails like happy huskies--the drivers didn't look too happy. I saw the Littleton Snow Plows out doing their best, and failing, to stay ahead of the snow. All I needed was the bus to come and take me down Broadway to the garage of the Brothers Blazer.

It never came. I waited out in the snow for two hours, total, hoping for that bus. The first hour was fairly all right, I really was warmly dressed, but you can't help but notice it when four busses go past in the course of your wait in the opposite direction from which you want to go--and none of them return.

One by one, the businesses around the bus stop shut down. I'd say, 'bus shelter,' but windows were missing and it didn't really shelter any of the little crowd huddling in there much at all. In the spirit of the season, there was the merry jingling of not sleigh bells, but rather of the chains on commercial trucks. For the first time in my decades of residency the chain law was in effect in the Metro Denver area. Usually they save that for the passes.

I had a warm and functional pair of radio earmuffs on, and aside from our local transportation district, the RTD's, statement that the local busses were running and that their trains were weatherproof--they weren't, and they weren't--I was only getting increasingly dire warnings about the conditions of the roads. As the minutes passed more and more highways followed the airport into closure. Denver isn't usually an island. It is, now.

As uncontrolled shivering set in and my cheeks started to burn, I reviewed my other mistakes--waiting for two hours at the bus stop when I could have been walking, trusting RTD, which is never a good idea, and in wearing only a vest instead of a coat with sleeves because the snow was soaking through my sweater and I was getting chilled pretty thoroughly toward the end. I did have the strength to salute when a cream-colored round-headlighted Syncro zoomed effortlessly past. I should have flagged it down using the secret VW 'Help!' sign, whatever that is.

Larry had, of course, called quite soon after I'd left to tell me that it was, in fact, too slippery for me to try and get Winston home, apparently the two of them had had done a bit of skating together in the lot. Those Big O R/T's have not impressed me on snow, and they're sub-rating anyway. But, Winston was accordingly safely back in a bay at the garage, while Larry and the mechanics got home while still they could. Larry's brother waited behind in the event I ever showed up. He, too, drives a Syncro, and as he put it, and so have others, his biggest problem even in this storm would be the other drivers. I think he runs BFG's.

At Broadway and Littleton Boulevard, my teeth were chattering, I couldn't stop shivering, and there was still no sign of the bus. I finally pulled my thoughts together enough to decide to make my way back home while I probably had the strength to do so. At least I warmed up a bit as I fought my way back through the drifts, although every business along the way except a gas station was locked up and closed--and the gas station's bathroom was broken. In one other way, until I found a concealing tree in a parking lot, was I in physical discomfort.

Well, friends had been called and the police were about to be when I lurched into our door, and I got a long discussion of fundamental intelligence, foolhardy risks, and other similar notes once I was rubbing the early stages of frostbite out of my cheeks. Then I called Blazer. Winston reposes even now in their nice warm garage until I can come and get him. I need to clean out ours and get him into that. Today was my punishment for leaving him exposed to the elements.

Hopefully, I'll have Winston back by Friday, the storm is expected to continue through Thursday noon. I got another lecture on foolhardiness as I marched back out into the storm to shovel my way out to the shed, from which I retrieved one of the last of the Tecumseh 2-stroke snow blowers ever made. 2-strokes love cold weather and I really, really love its house-current powered electric start, which got that running and the walks cleared while the snowblower was yet able to do so. 18" of snow in Denver as I write, 3 feet in the mountains, 26" total possible by tomorrow.

I'll have to do all the blowing and shoveling again tomorrow. Oh! This just in! RTD has canceled all service!

Tonight's movie was 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.' And I am very tired.

Best!

Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:30 am

The moral here is, you have to wait 'till Christmas to open your presents. Have a Merry one, and enjoy the heat. My best to the guys at Blazer, those guys are cool. (from the guy with Winston's twin who kept coming around last year looking for door handles)

Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:10 am

Remember the great blizzard of 02? or 03 I cant remember, but I do remember that the 76 inches in three days left me stranded at my friends house outside of Parker for 5 days, thank god he had a wine cellar :wink:
but by then end of the week our food supply was down to rice and potatoes, but plenty of wine and my 4x4 jeep could do nothing with the snow up to the top of the windows, it took two days just to dig that out, good times.

Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:01 pm

msinabottle wrote: I got a long discussion of fundamental intelligence, foolhardy risks, and other similar notes once I was rubbing the early stages of frostbite out of my cheeks.

better add a first aid lecture in there too. ..
good story, glad you made it alright. .

Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:35 pm

Rob,
At least it wan't a climbing trip on Mt Hood story. We didn't get anything near what you had, just a light snow and temps down to 7°F. It had all our little and big truck ding dongs doing an intricate ballet at corners as well. Glad you kept all your finger, so you can still write your entertaining stories.

Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:10 pm

I ache, therefore I am, but I came through pretty well. Got at least as much snow as we had when I cleared the walks and driveway yesterday, but the blower was up to it, and the neighbors two doors down were blasting the walks and driveway of the sweet old couple next door, which spared me some work. Neighbor on the other side had done OUR front walk, packing down the snow so that our better blower had to work much harder to clear it. I shoved him sideways out of a drift by way of a through-the-teeth 'thanks.'

Found and used Dad's old snow packs today, should have done that yesterday. Helped dig out gearhead neighbor for wildly unsuccessful effort to free his Sierra pick-up so that he could get to work. Much of Denver digs wildly, and our hockey team has been snowed out. THAT should give you Canadians a chortle or two! It was only the VERY early stages of frostbite, no skin damage, I just was restoring the circulation, and, no, I wasn't using snow.

Let us pray for a plow tomorrow, otherwise I won't get Winston home until after Christmas, Ho, Ho, Woe. One of the things that made me feel much, much better yesterday I now share with you all as something of a Christmas Present. I have yet to make it in Winston, but it SHALL be made there:

Rob’s Modified Hot Buttered Rum

2 c. white sugar
1 t. nutmeg
½ t. ground cloves
1 t. ground cardamom
½ t. allspice
¼ t. dried lemon peel
1 t. cinnamon

Combine all the above very thoroughly in a sealable container. To prepare four small servings, combine

6 T. mix
1 T. molasses
3 c. water
½ t. vanilla
1 T. butter

Mix and heat the above, then ladle out with rum to taste, a full jigger is good per mug. Pusser’s Royal Navy Rum has a very authentic flavor. No bitter aftertaste, no particular need to refrigerate the mix.

Best!

Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:08 am

msinabottle wrote: I ache, therefore I am, but I came through pretty well. Got at least as much snow as we had when I cleared the walks and driveway yesterday, but the blower was up to it, and the neighbors two doors down were blasting the walks and driveway of the sweet old couple next door, which spared me some work. Neighbor on the other side had done OUR front walk, packing down the snow so that our better blower had to work much harder to clear it. I shoved him sideways out of a drift by way of a through-the-teeth 'thanks.'

Found and used Dad's old snow packs today, should have done that yesterday. Helped dig out gearhead neighbor for wildly unsuccessful effort to free his Sierra pick-up so that he could get to work. Much of Denver digs wildly, and our hockey team has been snowed out. THAT should give you Canadians a chortle or two! It was only the VERY early stages of frostbite, no skin damage, I just was restoring the circulation, and, no, I wasn't using snow.

Let us pray for a plow tomorrow, otherwise I won't get Winston home until after Christmas, Ho, Ho, Woe. One of the things that made me feel much, much better yesterday I now share with you all as something of a Christmas Present. I have yet to make it in Winston, but it SHALL be made there:

Rob’s Modified Hot Buttered Rum

2 c. white sugar
1 t. nutmeg
½ t. ground cloves
1 t. ground cardamom
½ t. allspice
¼ t. dried lemon peel
1 t. cinnamon

Combine all the above very thoroughly in a sealable container. To prepare four small servings, combine

6 T. mix
1 T. molasses
3 c. water
½ t. vanilla
1 T. butter

Mix and heat the above, then ladle out with rum to taste, a full jigger is good per mug. Pusser’s Royal Navy Rum has a very authentic flavor. No bitter aftertaste, no particular need to refrigerate the mix.

Best!

You're not going to believe this, but my wife is having some folks over tomorrow afternoon and asked me if I knew of a good hot buttered rum recipe. And I get to tell her that once again, my ownership of a Vanagon saves the day!

Thanks Man! Merry Christmas!

Fri Dec 22, 2006 2:22 pm

Get back to me when you've made that recipe, it's very, very good. I've been using the eggnog to buffer the aspirin I've been taking to keep my body from entirely becoming a throbbing knot of pain.

Blazer didn't call today, I think they correctly concluded that the roads were still a little too fascinating for unnecessary ventures. That means I won't see Winston again until Tuesday, but, I'll cope. Anybody got a brand of chains to recommend for stock 14" rims on big tires?

Shoveled out from the driveway to the packed-down corridor in the middle of the road, no sign of a plow--but the streets I've seen that have been plowed are in about the same condition. Packed white snow that was hard to walk on, much less drive on. It's sunny today, though, and we're already getting a lot of melt.

I miss Winston. This is the longest we've ever been apart...

:shock:

Best!

Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:00 pm

Bought my tire cables in Denver 12 years ago and just last year finally snaped them. Lived off west 34th and Speer on the corner, tiny little carrage house. Nice place to park busses in the front yard.
Chain up for fun :D

Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:10 pm

We made an advance batch tonight, and I have to tell you, it's outstanding. Great recipe, and I can't thank you enough.

I went on the great grocery and booze run this afternoon in the Vanagon after the whole neighborhood told me I wouldn't get out of the snowed-in spot I was in, but I got out and picked up a buddy. Hit the liquor store and the spice aisle at the grocery, and I can't be more pleased.

As a risk of being redundant, the Subaru motor provided the necessary power to get me out of deep snow...

Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:26 pm

Joe,

You make me smile......

-Walt

Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:28 am

Very glad you liked the recipe, Joe, just don't give any to your Van. You recall what happened to Herbie the Love Bug when the villain slipped him some Irish Coffee.

I'm going to call 'The Auto Answer Man' tomorrow morning--airs on AM 1600 from 10 to 12 MT--and see what they have to say about chains. Of course, every set in Denver is undoubtedly already sold.

Cold tonight, but we're still melting out.

Best!

Sat Dec 23, 2006 11:30 pm

They were a bit vague but they referenced J & B Cable Chains as being good for most applications, although strictly conventional chains are supposed to be better for ice, which is what we've got now as the snow is being packed down and thawing/re-freezing each day. Lot of melt, but we're still slogging through a winter wonderland.

Winston's manual says, on p. 71, that:

Quote: Snow chains can be used on the rear wheels only.

Check with local authorities for possible restrictions.

Only use the chains with fine pitch links protruding no more than 1/2 in/15 mm from tire tread and side walls, including tensioners. Wheels must rotate freely in all steering positions with chains mounted to prevent damage to body, axle or brake components. Remove chains when roads are free of snow.

There are some 'Z' type cable chains for light trucks for sale at JC Whitney. I'll see what the Brothers Blazer have to say. I'd only need them on our street--but he'll probably do all right. Tuesday.

Sigh!

Best!

Mon Dec 25, 2006 9:07 am

msinabottle wrote: Get back to me when you've made that recipe, it's very, very good.
Made up a batch down here yesterday. Unfortunatly the Liquor stores were closed so had to make do with the underutilized 151. A little headdy but very, very, good. Thanks Rob

Mon Dec 25, 2006 10:10 am

msinabottle wrote:
Quote: Snow chains can be used on the rear wheels only.

Check with local authorities for possible restrictions.

Only use the chains with fine pitch links protruding no more than 1/2 in/15 mm from tire tread and side walls, including tensioners. Wheels must rotate freely in all steering positions with chains mounted to prevent damage to body, axle or brake components. Remove chains when roads are free of snow.

Best!

I'm having a little trouble with why steering position would matter when it says that you're supposed to have your chains on the rear wheels only?

Merry Christmas everybody!!

Mon Dec 25, 2006 2:44 pm

151 Proof Rum?

:shock:

DO NOT CONSUME NEAR OPEN FLAME!

I accidentally once put that in some Eggnog and we all had a hard time figuring out why we got looped. That's because we WERE looped before we realized it.

I think I'll put up the tire chains question as a seperate thread, we're not getting enough responses here.

Ho, ho, ho!

Best!

Tue Dec 26, 2006 3:09 pm

I woke up Saturday morning and looked in the mirror fully expecting to see a dagger firmly planted there between my eyes. Nothing like a lot of sugar, spice, rum, sugar, spice, rum, and rum to make the morning painful. Three hours of shovelling snow to create parking spots for our party took care of that, though. I think I was sweating Allspice, mainly.

On Saturday afternoon/evening, we ended up making batch after batch after batch, until we ran out of butter...Everybody loved it and it kept the guests nice and warm.

Thanks again!

Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:24 pm

Just wanted to resurrect an old thread in honor of MSinabottle's Hot Buttered Rum recipe.

I'll be making an annual batch for some thirsty family, friends, and neighbors tomorrow, Rob, and we will offer you our annual toast.

An indispensable part of the tradition is when my wife says, "tell them where you got the recipe."

When I respond that it came from a fellow Vanagon enthusiast, everybody shakes their heads and laughs.

I know there are other automotive groups out there, but is there really one as unique and diverse as this one? Quite possibly there is; however, whatever car they celebrate cannot possibly be cooler than a Vanagon.

Please forgive my joyous mood; Santa arrived early...I just got a text that a 58 lb. box just arrived at home on my doorstep; it's from Van Cafe. I can't wait to leave work in 45 minutes and hurry home to all of those parts.

Merry Christmas and Holiday Cheers, folks. I hope you all have a great one!

Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:10 pm

Merry Christmas to you and your fun and wonderful family, dear fellow. And to every kindly person with or without the joy, frustration, terror and satisfaction of owning a Vanagon.

I made that Hot Buttered Rum at two parties this year--it's always a pleasant surprise for those brave enough to try it! Don't drink TOO much--you recall what happened that first year.

Tomorrow, among other things, ham for Christmas Dinner. The ham is currently reposing in Winston's luggage rack, high off the floor in our unheated garage. If we get a warm day next week, I think I'll put some gas in him

Very best!

Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:05 am

I'm sorry for you and Winston's prolonged separation. We haven't had a blizzard in Toronto since the late 70's. We don't seem to get the snow in the city anymore but lots West and North of us. Sounds like Winston is back home where he should be for the year end.

Yes Vanagonitis makes ?'weird' people, maybe not weird, just special. :)

And YES you should have known better!! Bad Boy!