posted February 04, 2011 10:48 AM            

We were finally told today that the gas company made the decision to cut off the gas to 4,500 residents in order to help the rest of the town out (including the Fort). They called it:

"Cutting off the tip of the finger to save the hand". Yay.. awesome, especially since we just so happen to live on that sliced off tip of the finger LMAO... Hopefully, they won't forget us and will turn the gas back on between now and tomorrow.

Bear was on duty (in a nice warm office) and is due home in about an hour or so. I had the space heater on in the bedroom plus 5 blankets, a comforter, layered clothing and best of all- the 90lb snuggle bunny of a retriever. Needless to say, I crashed out and slept like a baby early last night . Rocky was rewarded for his warmth with a delicious treat.

posted February 04, 2011 02:06 PM            

And I was becoming more and more frusterated by the moment yesterday when my northern family and friends made statements like "well atleast you dont have snow, snow drifts, bla, bla bla..." etc.

I tried to remind them that they are prepared for such weather while we in the south are not!

Our homes are largely electric, thus causing power outages, and I have froze my behind off not running the heat much in my very big house.

I have 6 cats indoors and they are ofcourse fine, and a colony of ferals outside, which still managed to survive the 20's, since Tuesday pm, and snow and sleet last night.

This will be a winter to remember for many years to come!

posted February 04, 2011 06:54 PM            

Hippichick- I totally feel what you're saying. My mom reminded me several times that she is in Northern Idaho and they had worse storms than us, however, she has never lost heat, power or water in the 7 years she has been up there. This area (like yours) is just not prepared for the shortage in natural gas or the extremely low temps. Our houses are insulated but not to the measures that they take up North.

I told my hubby it felt like Germany but without the snow, however, we were prepared in Germany and although the house would lose heat all we had to do was call the housemeister and he would get it going again.

Stay warm everyone

Thank you Charm

BTW... Bear is back home (he got back from work around 9am after pulling a 24 hour duty day and answering all the emergency calls) and is sleeping like a baby with the dog curled up next to him.

Since the house has warmed up a bit, I moved the space heater into the cats room so it can warm it up. They are LOVING it (laying next to it like it is some kind of kitty goddess or something).

posted February 06, 2011 12:01 AM            

We lost power around 9pm on Tues night.
We lasted through the night and the next day.. nobody could get out of their driveways or streets.
I remember the night of the storm, the sound of trees breaking and transformer boxes exploding everywhere.
It really freaked me out because I had a tree land on my bedroom in one of the other houses I lived it. Waking up with a tree coming through your roof is not fun.

But these noises.. were so eerie! I cried out several times in my sleep, and finally my son came and slept with me (supposedly because I was scared, but I think HE was scared, he's 15, so he's not going to admit it, lol).

The next day we sat around playing monopoly and drinking hot tea. My stove is gas so it still worked.
By around noon we were wearing hats and gloves indoors.

I kept stubbornly thinking that any minute now, the power will come back on.
Even though the news said that Dayton had 75,000 power outtages, and we were calling in help from as far as Maryland.

So, on day two, we relented and went to a motel.
Good thing we did when we did, because had we been ten minutes later, they would of been full.

We stayed there for two days with kids and dogs, and it was just hell.

I kept waking up all night to the sound of sirens and cars smacking into one another.

Ugh. Finally we got the call from the power company that the power was on.
We went by the house, but it still wasn't!
The power company then suggested that WE could expidite matters by removing the downed trees from the power lines ourselves, or hiring someone to do it!
I was a little more than mad!

posted February 08, 2011 01:12 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by littlecloud:
sounds like how I've been spending my winter. We can't afford heat so we use a space heater. It's weird to see your breath indoors.

Dogs are the best space heaters. Mine is small but I stick her on my lap to keep me warm anyway.

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