Monday, October 31, 2011

Yeesh!

So I'm still drinking my morning coffee when the power goes out Saturday morning.  Before I got a chance to fill the tubs or do any of those useful preparedness things.  And it's still out.  My telework today is curtesy Panera and I'm sharing a corner with a bunch of neighbors. Current estimation of return of power - Wednesday night.

What I have learned:

1)  FILL THE STUPID TUBS THE NIGHT BEFORE!

2) The regulator for the camping stove is flooey and needs replaced.

3)  Need a new back pack stove. The old one worked OK for a couple days and then this morning it got tossed out into the snow because fuel started spraying out from one of the connections and things got way too firey for the kitchen. 

4)  After a while, I hate the smell of kerosene.  I have a dandy heater - keeps the whole house pretty reasonable.  I can even, with patience, heat water enough to cook noodles and such on it.  But it stinks.  And I've got a pile of clothes covered with kerosene tossed out in the garage because of it.  Need to put in a wood stove.

5)  The batteries in the radio had died.

Fortunately, I hadn't been grocery shopping yet - I've plenty of dried and canned foods but the fridge itself was pretty bare.  I won't loose much.   

9 comments:

  1. In reference to the water issue, are you on a well?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope your power gets turned back on QUICKLY.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Matt - Yep. And normally I fill the tubs for flush and wash water when I see something is heading our way. But somehow this caught me by surprise. At least I still have snow around the house to melt for such use.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sorry, that indeed sucks...you need a good alcohol stove. Cheap fuel (any of 70%) and they burn clean with no smell. Search EBAY. Triagia, if I spelled it correctly, are the best.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Stephen - Hadn't thought about alcohol.

    Guy sitting next to me came home to his new (powerless) house for the first time last night to find that someone had backed a truck in and stolen all his firewood. Some people need smacked.

    ReplyDelete
  6. @ Proudhillbilly, some people need shot... just sayin'

    ReplyDelete
  7. Agree with Stephen. http://www.greatoutdoorsdepot.com/trangia-25-5-stove.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. Doesn't much matter what you're prepared for. Odds are, it'll be something else.
    God loves a good giggle.
    Q

    ReplyDelete
  9. Power back yesterday afternoon. Got my wireless back just now. Will have to explore Stephen and Old NFO's recomendation.

    I had to get up and turn the heat down during the night - just a couple crisp nights in the house made 66 degrees too warm to sleep in.

    And @quizikle - yes, yes He does...

    ReplyDelete