Written on December 11, 2007
So life in Northeastern Oklahoma came to a screeching halt this past weekend. We were blanketed with a sheet of ice that downed power lines, snapped trees, and sent the population into a mad panic looking for candles, lamp oil, fuel for generators, and all the other madcap hi-jinks that go along with a storm such as this. Our power went out at 7:15 on Sunday night and as of this writing at 9:45 a.m. on Monday the 11th, we still have no power. (I’m writing this blog entry at work with intentions to post it whenever we get back on-line.)
Here is the ironic thing. On December 10th, the temperature was above freezing for both the whole day and the whole night. You would thing that after last winter’s nightmare storm, our power company would have had things better in hand this time around. I guess that is not the case. So, in theory, this is the last of the precipitation and things should hopefully get back to normal fairly soon. Until then, I am living on generator power and bundled up in heavy sweatshirts when I am at home.
The schools are out but the roads are drivable. Most of the school closings are the result of having no power as opposed to road conditions. With highs supposed to be in the forties for the next couple of days, I’m hoping most of the ice will be gone.
Unfortunately, our front yard looks like a war zone that only a few hours with a chainsaw and several burning brush piles will cure.
So, to answer your next question… Yes, this was the worst birthday ever. My first couple days of being thirty-three years old have not started out very good. But I guess when it starts out this far in the toilet, you have nowhere to go but up.
Written on December 14, 2007
As I reach close to 7:15 a.m. on this day, we are now 108 hours without power. Five and one half days. Admittedly, we are far better off than we were when this happened last winter. I have a generator so we have limited power that basically gives us the bare necessities and some entertainment to get by.
Still having no stove, microwave, or refrigerator is really starting to get old. According to my power company websites, there are crews in our area and they are supposed to be working on individual homes… but still I am not holding my breath. As I learned last time, false hope is worse than no hope.
I think the most frustrating thing is that things are relatively back to normal. The roads are free of ice and were never treacherous and the ice is all off the lines because of several days spent above freezing. So we are much better off than we were before, let progress seems to be just as slow when it comes to getting everything powered up despite what you might call “favorable” conditions.
Oh well…
Yesterday was the first day off that I had from work and I spent the better part of two hours cleaning up my front yard. I have built a brush pile about the size of a full-size pick up. Maybe bigger. And I am nowhere near close to being done.
So as we continue to shoulder on, let me just say: Ice sucks.
Written on December 14th, 2007
God bless Will Smith. He fights aliens, he saves the planet, he delivers us from vampires, and be brings me electricity. Coming out from watching I Am Legend with some friends from work, I was given the good news. Power has been restored!!!
Written on December 15, 2007
What a difference a few hours makes. At approximately 5:20 p.m., 118 hours after this whole ordeal began, we finally have power restored and life is getting back to normal here in Adair.
Right now, in my refrigerator, there is a bag of bacon bits, a block of Velveeta, lemon juice in a squeeze bottle, some Arm & Hammer baking soda, Kool-Aid, and ice. Oh, and some Pepsi. Yeah, the refrigerator is pretty bare, folks. I don’t even want to calculate how meat we had to throw away.
Still I think we were much better off this time around than in January. I keep telling myself that I am slowly going to stock up on essentials like lanterns and lamp oil.
It could have been worse. When the power went out, I just walked out the front porch to start the generator. Last time, we had to scramble to find/buy one.
Now I just have to get the front yard cleaned up and get the house put back together. One step at a time… Or I could spend my day off going to watch Hitman in Pryor. Yeah, screw the yard. I’m going to the movies…
Unfortunately, our front yard looks like a war zone that only a few hours with a chainsaw and several burning brush piles will cure.
So, to answer your next question… Yes, this was the worst birthday ever. My first couple days of being thirty-three years old have not started out very good. But I guess when it starts out this far in the toilet, you have nowhere to go but up.
Written on December 14, 2007
As I reach close to 7:15 a.m. on this day, we are now 108 hours without power. Five and one half days. Admittedly, we are far better off than we were when this happened last winter. I have a generator so we have limited power that basically gives us the bare necessities and some entertainment to get by.
Still having no stove, microwave, or refrigerator is really starting to get old. According to my power company websites, there are crews in our area and they are supposed to be working on individual homes… but still I am not holding my breath. As I learned last time, false hope is worse than no hope.
I think the most frustrating thing is that things are relatively back to normal. The roads are free of ice and were never treacherous and the ice is all off the lines because of several days spent above freezing. So we are much better off than we were before, let progress seems to be just as slow when it comes to getting everything powered up despite what you might call “favorable” conditions.
Oh well…
Yesterday was the first day off that I had from work and I spent the better part of two hours cleaning up my front yard. I have built a brush pile about the size of a full-size pick up. Maybe bigger. And I am nowhere near close to being done.
So as we continue to shoulder on, let me just say: Ice sucks.
Written on December 14th, 2007
God bless Will Smith. He fights aliens, he saves the planet, he delivers us from vampires, and be brings me electricity. Coming out from watching I Am Legend with some friends from work, I was given the good news. Power has been restored!!!
Written on December 15, 2007
What a difference a few hours makes. At approximately 5:20 p.m., 118 hours after this whole ordeal began, we finally have power restored and life is getting back to normal here in Adair.
Right now, in my refrigerator, there is a bag of bacon bits, a block of Velveeta, lemon juice in a squeeze bottle, some Arm & Hammer baking soda, Kool-Aid, and ice. Oh, and some Pepsi. Yeah, the refrigerator is pretty bare, folks. I don’t even want to calculate how meat we had to throw away.Still I think we were much better off this time around than in January. I keep telling myself that I am slowly going to stock up on essentials like lanterns and lamp oil.
It could have been worse. When the power went out, I just walked out the front porch to start the generator. Last time, we had to scramble to find/buy one.
Now I just have to get the front yard cleaned up and get the house put back together. One step at a time… Or I could spend my day off going to watch Hitman in Pryor. Yeah, screw the yard. I’m going to the movies…
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