How do I use a programmable thermostat/heater efficiently in the winter? Specifically, how cold should I let it get when no one is home? [more inside]
posted by andrewesque on Oct 24, 2011 - 9 answers

I live in Chicago. I would like to spend Christmas in a bar. What bars are going to be open on Christmas? What bars would be likely to be open on Christmas? [more inside]
posted by Juliet Banana on Dec 21, 2010 - 13 answers

What should I do for a long-weekend-style vacation in Chicago this winter? [more inside]
posted by coryinabox on Nov 15, 2010 - 8 answers

Minimalist footwear for Chicago winter and running in said winter? [more inside]
posted by cmoj on Sep 6, 2010 - 6 answers

Is taking a roadtrip through the midwest over a couple weeks during the winter (around the holidays) a horrible idea? Tentative idea is Detroit to Tulsa via a bunch of stops to see things/cities/people. Tentative route - Detroit to Fargo via I-94 (via Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul), Fargo to Kansas City via I-29 (via S. Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska) and then down to Tulsa. [more inside]
posted by emily37 on Jun 23, 2010 - 12 answers

Are there any preventative measures, leaving aside driving the car every day, that will prevent my brakes from rusting like mad? [more inside]
posted by Cold Lurkey on Sep 16, 2009 - 12 answers

Ice falling from tall buildings filter. Help me lay to rest a question that has plagued my wife. We live in Chicago, with lots of tall buildings. Ice falls off of the buildings from time to time and about once a year, some poor bastard gets mushed. Where in terms of physics and I suppose statistics would be the safest place to walk down the sidewalk: as close to the building as possible? The middle of the sidewalk? The far edge? Does it depend on building height?
posted by Ponderance on Jan 7, 2009 - 16 answers

Where should we go for a winter weekend getaway within 2 hours drive of Chicago? [more inside]
posted by sandor on Nov 21, 2008 - 9 answers

Where's the best place in Chicago to sit in front of a nice fire and sip drinks? [more inside]
posted by MsMolly on Feb 4, 2008 - 12 answers

What's a safe minimum temperature to keep my apartment during the day while my cat is home alone? [more inside]
posted by Oktober on Jan 2, 2008 - 28 answers

[ChicagoFilter] Any suggestions for group winter workouts/sports? I have absolutely no motivation to work out alone and I'm trying to avoid joining a gym this winter. (I bike to work in the summer.) I'd like some structured workouts and/or activities to both meet people and get the heart rate up. Any suggestions?
posted by moooshy on Sep 21, 2007 - 6 answers

I'm probably going to need to leave my air conditioner in the window during the '07-'08 winter, and I have a few questions about air conditioners and winter. [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on May 22, 2007 - 16 answers

I have accepted that if I wish to preserve my reproductive organs, I will need to acquire a long coat rather quickly. but what to look out for? [more inside]
posted by krautland on Dec 3, 2006 - 25 answers