Tuesday, February 9, 2010

You See Her, Too, Don't You? The Radar Witch?

Snowing again. Do you see that mean ol' witch with her wicked wand? See her long ugly nose hanging right over us and Pittsburgh? No? You say I'm a little Jack Torrance up in here? Ya, maybe a little. We're at day 3.5 without power. Still looking like our best bet for restoration is Friday if we're lucky. More likely is next Wednesday.

If you can cook it on the griddle, we're eating it. I finally put it away for awhile because even this clan can only eat so many pancakes.
On the good side, I'd stocked up on bunches of fresh fruit prior to the storm. Wasn't even on purpose. The fruit will hopefully also counteract all the cheese and pretzels we're eating.

Actually trying to take a break from all the eating...

The kids had school inexplicably yesterday. Attendance was down by about 25%, teachers included. Apparently there was a big stink raised by many parents about our school being the only one in a large area to have classes, so we were cancelled today. More than a few of us out here still without electricity and un-dug from our driveways.

While the kids were in school Mark and I loaded up the laundry and headed to the laundromat. One of my least liked places. All the years of relying on them has left me with a healthy fear and loathing. Even driving past them I still think to myself Thank God I don't have to go there anymore. We even bumped into a fellow country dweller come to town to wash their frozen blue jeans.
I realized while having my dirty unmentionables and raggedy towels and kids junky play clothes in public that those things aren't exactly fit for public consumption. Really, even my 'nice underwear,' I just don't care to show strangers. It all made me appreciate what a luxury it is to do laundry at home. And maybe to consider replacing some of our junkiest stuff.
I've also learned a lot about how much electricity everything uses in our house. For example, the coffee pot, such a small countertop appliance takes about 2 1/2 times as much power as a television. But a necessary luxury once a day I say.
The pump that provides water from our well. We're not one hundred percent sure how much power it requires but it for sure takes a ton to start up. So we ration water use, get everyone gathered to do their necessary things, and then turn off the furnace and refrigerators and freezers, etc. while we use water. The rule is, if there's no pee in the toilet, don't flush. If there's pee in the toilet, verify flushing permission and then proceed to flush. Um, number 2 requires prior written request in triplicate.
I've also learned that I don't have one of those hairdos that lasts more than one day. It just doesn't, and I can't really fudge on it either. So, trip to the laundromat enhanced by my ugliest layers of functional clothing plus second day hair reflected back to me in the dryer door was a little depressing. But at least we have clean towels. Relatively. I'm not convinced of the washing quality from those machines. Ick.
Evenings have been spent in a dogpile on our bed splurging on a little cable tv. The dogpile enables us to turn the furnace way down, thus allowing for tv and laptop wattage. We're getting pretty good at rationing power and I'm trying to think of ways we can carry it into normal life once it returns.
Other than that we're A-OK and hoping that 'witch' moves on her merry way.

10 comments:

Michele R said...

Yes, I do see that witch's profile! Your details make me stop complaining about the daily rain. Tomorrow it will get to 20's. Boys are so jealous of those who get snow and school off.
Love the Jack Torrance reference.
No coffee? Mine broke a couple weeks ago and I nearly hacked it into pieces with a knife handle trying to get the on button to work.
Hang in there. Bolt if someone starts to say "Redrum" or calls you Mrs. Torrance.

honeypiehorse said...

Oh, that does sound inconvenient and adventurous. My underwear are all crummy, too.

Osage Bluff Quilter said...

I was just thinking about you this afternoon as I was vacuuming (Sorry that takes electricity).
Hope those linemen get you back on quickly. If I were closer I'd send mine right over.

Becky said...

I see all kinds of crazy stuff in that radar picture! Eek.

It sounds like y'all are thriving even with the second day hair. I am with you in hatred of the laundromat. It IS a huge luxury to have your own laundry facilities. I don't want anyone to see my lucky panties.

And it does really make you think about how much power we unconsciously suck down. As I sit here, there are probably lights on in empty rooms all over the house. If your fridge is off, I bet that's a huge savings right there. Hang in there!

Analisa said...

I feel you and hope you have full power soon. We are also the victims of the radar witch. I live in Maryland and we are getting pounded yet again adding to the 30 inches we have already. The kids are out of school all week the federal government is closed which means most folks I know don't have to work. tons of folks are without power and this new storm is causing more power outages....but it is really pretty outside but my heart yearns for spring :)

Annette said...

We finally joined you in powerless-thank-heavens-for-generators pandamonium yesterday morning. Yes, our luck ran out even before the next snow hit. Go figure. Brought Mom over and went into survival mode. But our power came back on at 10:30 last night. Happy dance time.

Hope yours came back on, too. Pioneer living, even with the generator, loses its appeal real fast.

Amy said...

So was this your weekend company?? The weather witch? ;)

Jack Torrance... I had to click just because I didn't remember for sure, but I thought, "That's GOTTA be the guy from The Shining!" Nicholson at his very best.

I'm SO glad he scored one of the last generators... because otherwise we couldn't have these fabulously entertaining posts from you.

And I'm totally, totalllllly with you on the Laundro-Mat phobia. I too do a little mental dance of gratitude when passing by. All those years. Ugh. Uck. Brrrr.

Here's to hoping your power is restored soon... though you seem to be a lot more blase about it than I bet I would be, even with a generator.

Amy said...

ps, Errr, I mean so glad MARK scored the next-to-last generator. It appeared as though Jack T scored it, from my phrasing...

Camp Papa said...

I absolutely grok the witch. We had a three day outage in NC, before we escaped to FL. And that was just nine inches of snow.

In our area of Western North Carolina, in the days when we were renting vacation cabins, there was a laundromat/beer bar combination. My brother-in-law and I loved the place.

Sara said...

Michele R, I'm laughing at the image of you 'fixing' your coffee pot!

honeypiehorse, all that adventure and it was the damn laundromat doing me in. Not so tough after all, am I.

Patti, those poor lineman had to do a lot of pole climbing. Mark used to be a cable lineman and climbing all those poles gave him some killer forearms and back muscles, hubba hubba. I had to tease him about that a little.

Becky, ya, I saw some other menacing images in there, too. ;-)

Analisa, I hope you all are holding out ok, too! Do you at least have pancake mix? It's the new "milk & bread." :-)

Annette, um, sorry about that! I think it was our repairs that sent you into darkness!!

Amy, thankfully the witch *was* our only visitor! Too funny that we both make the hex sign at the sight of a laundromat!

Camp Papa, grok! :-) And the pub 'n suds is both the best idea and worst idea.(Don't tell Mark or it could be the newest addition to the farm market...) We had an entire family eating a huge meal of burger king in our particular 'mat. Can you imagine making beer available to them as well? On the other hand, a couple pints would've had *me* much less particular about the stray hairs and grime on the door of the washing machine. *shiver*