Power Outage
It's a good thing I wrote that "high winds" update on Thursday, because we have been without power ever since, and our house's power is not expected to be restored for another two or three days, at least.
May I take this moment to say an extra *big* Thank You!! to Zann for the wool shawl! to my current SP9 spoiler for the wristies, the head band, the shoulder shrug, the leg warmers! to everyone who has sent me handknit socks!! and to everyone who sent me sock yarn (much of which has become handknit socks by now!) .. I have been wearing them *all* for the past four days!
No kidding. It is cold enough in our house to see our own breath in the air. We have no electricity, and I have been exceedingly grateful for our gas range top, and for the candles (The candles!! My apologies to each of you who were *going* to get a candle as a gift this year! They're kinda half-used by now, but I can still send them if you still want them! ;) .. once this is over and I don't need them anymore, at least! They've been incredibly useful, thanks for letting me borrow them! ;) )
I'll put up pictures later-- when I can actually get the pictures onto my server. Right now that's just not possible. In fact, it wasn't until mid-afternoon today that we got any sort of phone service at all restored! We now have intermittent use of our cel-phones, at least, but no way to recharge them except by remembering to plug them in to the car when we drive somewhere.
And it's getting *COLD*! .. it's only about ten degrees warmer inside the house than it is outside the house, and right now outside the house (somewhat after sunset but still before midnight) it is 30 degrees, and if it gets that cold inside the house the pipes may freeze. .. for that matter the bunny's water bottle could freeze. Fortunately I made some calls today and found someone who has power and heat and a willingness to watch my bunny for a few days until my own house regains power.
Last night we went to bed under 4 cotton blankets, 1 down comforter, 1 silk cloak, 3 wool shawls, 1 poly comforter, and whatever else we could find! .. *still wearing* our wool hats, socks, and mittens!!
My knee does *not* like this cold, btw. It *hurts.* .. a lot. and it's tight. (thank you again for the leg warmers, SP9!)
But maybe the cold will help keep the stuff in my freezer from thawing out too much! that would be an up-side...
and it's really cool to get 7 days of no power for Channukah this year... just pretty durn nifty timing, if you ask me....
but my husband doesn't like being cold almost as much as my knee doesn't like it, and my husband has the power to do something about it.
So, since I've already asked my in-town once-Friends for help many times throughout this year, and almost every time have received the same exact advice in return: "throw money at the problem, I can't (won't) help you." -- can't clean house because of my knee injury? "hire a maid" can't take care of the yard? "hire a gardener" need someone to watch the bunny for a few days? "hire a pet-sitter" need someone to talk to, commiserate with? "hire a counselor."
((To each and every one of you who gave a better answer than "go hire someone," I treasure your support and your friendship. There are very few of you this year.))
So, knowing from previous recent experience what the answer to asking for help or comfort would be, and assuming that some portion of those once-friends are in electricity-less situations themselves, I just plain set out to do the best I could with the circumstances that exist. No phone, no electricity, no computer, no support, no camaraderie. Some day the power will come back on and things will start getting back to normal. In the meantime, painful and cold as this week has been, it's *nothing* compared to the pain and limitation I suffered throughout most of this year, throughout which quite nearly everyone whom I asked for help turned me away. And I got through eleven months of this year so far-- what's another seven days of freezing?
.. .. so how am I on the computer tonight, typing up this post for all the world to see?
Simple. Keith did exactly what our once-friends would have recommended. He waved some money at the problem to make it go away.
So here I am in a hotel room for the night. I've had a warm shower, and I've washed my hair. And I will sleep warm tonight without my wool socks and wool hat.
If I'd thrown money at every previous problem I had, I wouldn't have had the budget for this one.
And before I sign out for the evening (who knows when I'll get back on again), a great big Huge Thank You!! To Zann and to my SP9 for asking how I'm weathering the storm. :) .. and to R. for agreeing to watch my bunny for the next few days so that his water doesn't freeze! :)
hugs all
--Peacock
May I take this moment to say an extra *big* Thank You!! to Zann for the wool shawl! to my current SP9 spoiler for the wristies, the head band, the shoulder shrug, the leg warmers! to everyone who has sent me handknit socks!! and to everyone who sent me sock yarn (much of which has become handknit socks by now!) .. I have been wearing them *all* for the past four days!
No kidding. It is cold enough in our house to see our own breath in the air. We have no electricity, and I have been exceedingly grateful for our gas range top, and for the candles (The candles!! My apologies to each of you who were *going* to get a candle as a gift this year! They're kinda half-used by now, but I can still send them if you still want them! ;) .. once this is over and I don't need them anymore, at least! They've been incredibly useful, thanks for letting me borrow them! ;) )
I'll put up pictures later-- when I can actually get the pictures onto my server. Right now that's just not possible. In fact, it wasn't until mid-afternoon today that we got any sort of phone service at all restored! We now have intermittent use of our cel-phones, at least, but no way to recharge them except by remembering to plug them in to the car when we drive somewhere.
And it's getting *COLD*! .. it's only about ten degrees warmer inside the house than it is outside the house, and right now outside the house (somewhat after sunset but still before midnight) it is 30 degrees, and if it gets that cold inside the house the pipes may freeze. .. for that matter the bunny's water bottle could freeze. Fortunately I made some calls today and found someone who has power and heat and a willingness to watch my bunny for a few days until my own house regains power.
Last night we went to bed under 4 cotton blankets, 1 down comforter, 1 silk cloak, 3 wool shawls, 1 poly comforter, and whatever else we could find! .. *still wearing* our wool hats, socks, and mittens!!
My knee does *not* like this cold, btw. It *hurts.* .. a lot. and it's tight. (thank you again for the leg warmers, SP9!)
But maybe the cold will help keep the stuff in my freezer from thawing out too much! that would be an up-side...
and it's really cool to get 7 days of no power for Channukah this year... just pretty durn nifty timing, if you ask me....
but my husband doesn't like being cold almost as much as my knee doesn't like it, and my husband has the power to do something about it.
So, since I've already asked my in-town once-Friends for help many times throughout this year, and almost every time have received the same exact advice in return: "throw money at the problem, I can't (won't) help you." -- can't clean house because of my knee injury? "hire a maid" can't take care of the yard? "hire a gardener" need someone to watch the bunny for a few days? "hire a pet-sitter" need someone to talk to, commiserate with? "hire a counselor."
((To each and every one of you who gave a better answer than "go hire someone," I treasure your support and your friendship. There are very few of you this year.))
So, knowing from previous recent experience what the answer to asking for help or comfort would be, and assuming that some portion of those once-friends are in electricity-less situations themselves, I just plain set out to do the best I could with the circumstances that exist. No phone, no electricity, no computer, no support, no camaraderie. Some day the power will come back on and things will start getting back to normal. In the meantime, painful and cold as this week has been, it's *nothing* compared to the pain and limitation I suffered throughout most of this year, throughout which quite nearly everyone whom I asked for help turned me away. And I got through eleven months of this year so far-- what's another seven days of freezing?
.. .. so how am I on the computer tonight, typing up this post for all the world to see?
Simple. Keith did exactly what our once-friends would have recommended. He waved some money at the problem to make it go away.
So here I am in a hotel room for the night. I've had a warm shower, and I've washed my hair. And I will sleep warm tonight without my wool socks and wool hat.
If I'd thrown money at every previous problem I had, I wouldn't have had the budget for this one.
And before I sign out for the evening (who knows when I'll get back on again), a great big Huge Thank You!! To Zann and to my SP9 for asking how I'm weathering the storm. :) .. and to R. for agreeing to watch my bunny for the next few days so that his water doesn't freeze! :)
hugs all
--Peacock
posted by Peacock @ 9:24 PM
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