A tad worried

[cornerofmadness]

An ice storm is on the way. I love winter. I love snow. I'm pretty sure no one loves ice. I love the way it looks on the trees, I want to go to an ice hotel but that's about where it ends.

My worries stem more from my experience in the last major ice storm where I was without power for 6 days and my well meaning but not entirely bright landlord brought me a space heater, assuring me it was safe. Had I not cracked a window I wouldn't be alive now.

That's my thought for house hunting. does it have a fire place? I wouldn't worry if I had a fire place. I'd burn the house down I'd feel much safer with one.

I do have stuff to grade and countless books. I could stay in bed for a day or two provided it doesn't get too cold since there is you know, NO heat in my place if I lose power.

I DID find the lighter (under the futon), going out drinking in a bit (because I'm only a TAD worried) when I get home I'll get the candles in place and dig out the heavy sheets. Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll pass over me. I'd like to be able to go to Jackson tomorrow...

Comments

[sp23.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I just saw the winter storm warning at the weather channel website. I'm going out to dinner with a friend after work up at the Highlands so I hope the bad weather holds off until after I get home. :-(

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yeah I mean I can drive in snow. Ice, we all die

[helliongoddess.livejournal.com]

We lost power for over a week during the hurricane last summer, which for us means no water, as well. After five days or so, it started to get pretty gnarly, and after seven, it was downright hideous. We had no power in an earlier house several years ago over the holidays because of an ice storm, but that actually ended up being not so bad, because it gave us an excuse Christmas day to just stay in rather than traipsing all over the countryside (to see people we were just as happy not seeing.)

I am working on getting us an inline generator - one that runs off of our propane tank, and kicks in automatically whenever the power goes out. It wasn't so bad in the other house, there was a fireplace, but with no fireplace here (one of the few real shortcomings of this house) if there was a prolonged winter outage, I'd be SOL. I'd be sleeping on the kitchen floor in front of the gas stove! Not pretty. Plus, with no water moving when the well goes out, there's much more concern about pipes freezing.

Hope it isn't too awful for you, or prolonged. Get some batteries and flashlight handy -- those candles are lovely, but they don't last too long, when they are your only source of light. I invested in a handcrank/battery AM/FM weather radio last year, and I was very glad I had it during the hurricane.

Stay warm and safe!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks. I have all of that, flashlight, candles etc.

I would love to have a generator but there's no propane here or a place to store it. MANY of the houses here are propane adn I've done that and nearly died at hte cost of it.

yeah I know you had a rough time of it. No water would be even worse

[helliongoddess.livejournal.com]

We had the propane put in when we moved in so we could have a gas dryer and stove (I HATE electric stoves!) and a gas water heater when our old one goes. It cost a couple hundred bucks to get it installed, but it was worth it. The generator won't be cheap, but it will be worth it, and will add to the value of the house, since it will be permanently installed. Living here in hurricane alley, and out in the country enough to where we are always the last to get power restored, we really need it. Especially for me, since I don't work and am stuck home 24/7, and with my health problems - to lose the heat in the dead of winter would be a real problem. We really just have to suck up the expense and do it.

Glad to hear you are all prepared. And I may have spoken too soon - I just got a weather alert that we are supposed to get a light dusting of snow and ice here tonight, but it's going to be in the 40's tomorrow, so it will all disappear by noon, dammit.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

ah then that's not so bad. I hate electric stoves too. When I lived with evil_little_dog we had a propane stove which wasn't bad. When I lived in Rhinelander WI, it was costing me nealry 500$ a month in propane and that was 6 years ago.

good luck to you too

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

Ice, yuck. I hope you have a battery-powered reading light, at least--one of those little things that clip to the book. You can get a lot of reading (and writing, and grading) done when there's no power to run the computer and TV.

The temperature is supposed to top out at around 80 down here on Sunday. This has been the screwiest winter.

Mom asked me the other day why, instead of buying a house, you didn't just rent one and have the best of both worlds. I couldn't remember, but I know there is a reason. Probably a dearth of desirable places to rent, knowing your area.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I think that is the reason (dearth of desirable rental houses). I've seen what's up there. It's kinda scary. Like, Interlochen, only worse.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

you nailed it and they mostly want in the 800-1200$ range for houses because they expect whole families (as in plural, hell we have plurals living in these apts) to rent it out and share.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Sort of like Zog's comments about Waukegan and what it's housing was turning into.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

not a surprise

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

No, that's why he wanted to get out of there.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

you know my mom DID get me one of those. I have no idea where it is. that blows. I totally forgot about it.

it's been screwy here too

you nailed it. Points to my response to ELD as well. most rentals are in drug house alley. I can literally get a half way decent house here for what the Honda CRV I just looked at costs...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Good luck. I know about your problems with those heaters.

What's happening in Jackson?

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i haz problems

laundry

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Just throw them out in the ice storm, and after everything's frozen, beat the ice off and the dirt will come with.

...of course, your clothes might break.

Or maybe I'm thinking of Paul Bunyan.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

snort it could work

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

:D

[geri.livejournal.com]

Be safe and stay warm and dry i would hate to hear that some thing bad happened to you. Be cautious when and if you need to go out i've never seen an ice storm that i can recall but i don't like the winter period it triggers my asthma and if you have to drive please be very careful of the black ice patches. Have a safe and healthy weekend.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you very much. so far, nothing.

I've been in many an ice storm.

summer does that to my asthma which is why i hate the season

[enemytosleep]

Yuck, ice storm. :|

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

my reaction no doubt