don't it always seem to go...you don't know what you got till it's gone
NOT! Just yesterday as my nostrils were defrosting from the arctic (no--it's actually colder here than in some places in the arctic right now) air I sent up a little prayer of thanks for things such as central heating, Milguard double insulated windows, shoes and socks, black leather gloves, cozy quilts, but especially that central heating.
At precisely 3:20 a.m. I was awakened from my toasty slumber by Z~. "Mom, the power is out." Normally I'm not so worried by such an announcement, but when it's below zero outside that kind of news alarms me. I round up all the candles I can find. First order of business is to shed some light on the subject.
I never go anywhere without my trusty reminder of my all-time basketball hero, Larry Bird
Next we call the power company. I love calling the power company because even though our instructions during a power outage are expressly spelled out that we are to call them and inform them of the outage they always reply, "Duh, we're on it already." Not this morning. I got a very polite gentlemen who patiently asked, "Are you in the northwest part of town?" "Yes," I replied. "It should be on by about 7:30 a.m." "Thanks!" I said, as I tried to calculate exactly how much colder the house could get over the next four hours when it was well on its way to negative 2 degrees outside. BRRRRRRRR!
within an hour I had the place lit up with candles, all the critical (read: expensive) appliances unplugged, and extra blankets on everyone's backs
most perplexing challenge: how to keep cold-blooded Buddy warm enough. I realized the candle cup was pretty warm and glass is a good conducter of heat. Sometimes I amaze even myself. (Buddy, however, remains unimpressed.)
sadly, my emergency lamps are of absolutely no help to me
bad, BAD virgin
Of course by that time I was wide, WIDE awake and even if I were not there was no way I could've slept with that many candles burning throughout the house. After about an hour of shivering--I'd given all the good blankets away--I got up to check on Buddy and as I was getting ready to light another emergency candle Voila! the rest of the lights went on as well.
Hurray for Provo Power! And how 'bout the fact that they exceeded even their own expectations!
The best part was hearing the beloved sound of the heater kicking on and warming up.
Mmmmmmmm. Toasty! Did I mention how grateful I am for central heating?
At precisely 3:20 a.m. I was awakened from my toasty slumber by Z~. "Mom, the power is out." Normally I'm not so worried by such an announcement, but when it's below zero outside that kind of news alarms me. I round up all the candles I can find. First order of business is to shed some light on the subject.
I never go anywhere without my trusty reminder of my all-time basketball hero, Larry BirdNext we call the power company. I love calling the power company because even though our instructions during a power outage are expressly spelled out that we are to call them and inform them of the outage they always reply, "Duh, we're on it already." Not this morning. I got a very polite gentlemen who patiently asked, "Are you in the northwest part of town?" "Yes," I replied. "It should be on by about 7:30 a.m." "Thanks!" I said, as I tried to calculate exactly how much colder the house could get over the next four hours when it was well on its way to negative 2 degrees outside. BRRRRRRRR!
within an hour I had the place lit up with candles, all the critical (read: expensive) appliances unplugged, and extra blankets on everyone's backs
most perplexing challenge: how to keep cold-blooded Buddy warm enough. I realized the candle cup was pretty warm and glass is a good conducter of heat. Sometimes I amaze even myself. (Buddy, however, remains unimpressed.)
sadly, my emergency lamps are of absolutely no help to me
bad, BAD virginOf course by that time I was wide, WIDE awake and even if I were not there was no way I could've slept with that many candles burning throughout the house. After about an hour of shivering--I'd given all the good blankets away--I got up to check on Buddy and as I was getting ready to light another emergency candle Voila! the rest of the lights went on as well.
Hurray for Provo Power! And how 'bout the fact that they exceeded even their own expectations!
The best part was hearing the beloved sound of the heater kicking on and warming up.
Mmmmmmmm. Toasty! Did I mention how grateful I am for central heating?
Comments
You are lucky that the people in your house will let you put an extra blanket on them. We're still transitioning to blankets at our place for the little guy. He's not receptive. If the space heater went out in his room...BRRRR.
BOO: single panes
Yay: central heating.
We actually dipped into single digits last night and this morning I founds myself in a very cold garage helping my 8 yr old with his first pinewood derby car. brrrrrrr indeed.
Three cheers for Provo Power and keeping Compulsive Writer from becoming Popsicle Writer!!!!
Maybe I'll just make 2 per person. hmmmmmm.......
It is still sooooo cold! I am sitting by my double-paned Milguards and I can feel the draft--it's like the cold is just sucking the heat out of my home, my body, my soul. It didn't help to go to work today to find one of the heaters broken there as well. I haven't been warm for days!
And yet my son (see below) chose to go kayaking in the icy waters of the Provo River today. INSANE!
Cardine--you can get these clocks at Sam's Club and Costco and probably online, I'd guess. I LOVE mine, especially as it was the only thing that was still working when the power went out.
I love our central heat, butI love our eybrow-singeing wood burning stove even more!
That was the laugh I needed to start this day!
I just got my three lamps refueled this week. That's not a lot of preparation, but it feels good that something is ready. When I was a kid, I looked forward to power outages (in my South, it wasn't usually cold enough to worry about) because my mom and I would always meet at the kitchen table to read by lamplight. I still have that hurricane lamp, my great great granny's.
b., don't forget to crack open a window or door when you burn your woodstove for long periods. I got carbon monoxide poisoning by not doing that.
Atomic clocks are AWESOME!!! We have two of them.
ROTFLMAO
Hurray for Central Heating!
You rock!
b. You know I have to admit, I try to be environmentally conscious and responsible and all, but this week I have had a very hard time hearing the words "Global Warming" and taking them seriously. I feel like it's the middle of the ice age. Will we ever thaw out from this?
I took my quilt to work today and laid it over my lap and wore gloves as well. I can't see to get warm!
HAHAHAHAHA!
Our power hasn't gone out (knock), but I find it curious that I have to turn the thermostat to 74 in order to make it feel like it's 60. Brrrrr...
I'll never forget my sophomore year at the Y. We got to 20 below and the power was out. Campus was closed, except I didn't find that out until I'd trudged up the hill....My roomies heated up soup to eat on little tart burners. Talk about bad virgins. 6 nineteen year olds waiting 2 hours for a cup of soup to warm up. Ahhh...memories.
Glad you remembered the cold animals. I would definitely have forgotten about our fishies.
My question: Did you turn the water on a trickle to keep the pipes from freezing? I thought about getting up to do that, but then I thought again and just snuggled down in bed. Our thermostat goes down to 60 every night anyway, so it wasn't exceptionally cold to us. The heat did come back on when the power did, though, so that tells you it was COLD in the house.
Guy--
1. I got up because Z~ was sick and I wanted to make sure he awas OK. Then I realized I needed to make sure everyone else was warm. Then I thought about the lizard. Then I thought about how funny it was that my lamps didn't have any oil. And then I couldn't sleep because I had candles burning everywhere and I kept thinking about the Crookston's house almost burning down from candles (two separate Crookston houses and two distinct fires).
2. I used the term virgin figuratively. Obviously.
Lo--I didn't even think about the pipes. Duh! And I didn't feel "that ain't nuthin'ed," so I guess you're fine. My thermostat is only going to 62 because if I set it at 60 it doesn't hardly get warm enough to get ready in the morning before it shuts off again.
glad to hear they got the power back - the cold snap has Cali in freezing temps, so Utah must be nearly unbearable. I'm grateful Provo power came through for you!
Love the pic's D. You are such a thoughtful host to the lizard to give him his own fire. I don't doubt that you thought of some kind of grasshopper s'more for him to enjoy. What a woman.