Um, sorry. We're gonna need those couch cushions in the basement because guess what? It's the tail end of a holiday weekend where the holiday falls mid-week and therefore no hotel rooms are available. All of my family is out and well basically the entire city is an exercise in frustration. It is alien to me that people so quickly give up on the food in their fridge. We immediately went into operation food save. The freezer is basically a cooler unto itself and is doing fine. The fridge? Well, we had to pick what we were going to save and I'm glad to say we saved a lot. We have been given no ETA for when we're going to have power and it's 100 degrees right now. Balls.
So I'm working off wifi in a parking lot to bring you guys this post...
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| The Mr says he apologizes for the bad cell pic. I think it's fine. Gets the point across |
I'm sad to report the Mr's beloved bird fledglings were casualties. They were no match for the high winds. I felt horrible for him. We named them post mortem...Poofy, Henrietta and Petey. You don't want to know why we named the last one Petey. Let's just say Dumb and Dumber and leave it at that.
Workouts will continue in the dark. Yep, the dark. We have 2 workouts on his tablet, free weights, a water rower and step. It'll be awkward but it'll get done. I have already proven that no power doesn't mean suffering on the food front as we had grilled pepper corn cheese stuffed chicken burgers on asiago bread halves, no salt tortilla chips with chipotle hummus. Damn straight I saved the hummus! I made corn/black bean salad so we can have something balanced as a side with dinners this week. Tonight will likely be mahi fish tacos and that salad.
I won't be able to check on here as much during the day so I can save power so please be patient with me this week until we have juice again. I will say there is something about being in this situation that makes us want to eat every bad thing out there. (Like Nutty Bars and Dark Chocolate Snickers) We somehow feel "entitled." There are going to be a lot of food demons being slayed this week. Pray we stay strong on all fronts!
Have you ever been without power? What time of year? How did you pass the time?
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I've been fortunate to never have been without power for more than a few hours. I think the longest was about 6 hours, but it was scary since it was during a snowstorm and my son was only like 4 months old.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get yours back on soon. I'd offer my couch, but I don't think you want to drive this far.
Do the best you can this week, and try to spend as much time as you can in places that have air conditioning. Sorry about your bird losses.
I'm so sorry to hear about your situation! I live in Massachusetts where it's been hot and humid, but not like the rest of the country. And to hear you have no power and no AC, etc. I feel awful for you and the people in VA, etc. And those poor people in Colorado! I hope you get your power back real soon. And I'm not tuned in to the background on the Mr's birds, but hearing bad news about any little harmless critter makes me feel awful and I'm sorry for the loss! Hang in there and BRAVO for still working out under the circumstances!!
ReplyDeleteBless your heart...I feel for you. I hope you get your electric back on real fast. Good thoughts for everyone affected.
ReplyDeleteI have been without electricity several times for days at a time. The three times that first come to mind are:
-September 1989 after Hurricane Hugo - several days to a full week without power.
-September 1996 after Hurricane Fran - a week without power.
It was HOT and humid after these hurricanes came through (I live in North Carolina), and after Hugo I lived in an area without public water (we had a well), so we also had no water during that time except what my mom had drawn out into jugs.
-March 2002 (I think) - 3-4 days after a freak wind storm came through.
Being without power when it's cold is bad, that's when we usually get hit (winter storms often take down power lines). Being without power when it's HOT, though, is way worse--you can pile on blankets and clothes to stay warm or huddle by the fireplace in the cold, but there's a limit to what you can do to stay reasonably cool when it's so hot. Hope your power is back on sooner rather than later, and those food demons back off!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I hope you get power restored soon. Sounds like you guys have done everything in your power to maintain some normalcy, so I'm not worried you'll cave to the nutty bars. Stay strong!
ReplyDeleteAnd poor Petey! "Harry, I took care of it!"
I am completely impressed that you are sticking to your workout program despite the lack of power! Hopefully your power is back on now.
ReplyDeleteOne of the good things about cooking at home regularly is the well stocked fridge, freezer and pantry. Sounds like you have no real need to leave, unless it would be to seek out AC which I would be doing! Perhaps your neighbors left because they had no food.
Oh NO!!! sounds like ya'll are making the most of it, at the very least.
ReplyDeleteWe were without power once during a massive heat/humidity wave and we sat in the car with the air running while watching the portable DVD player for as long as possible. Then we finally gave in and went to a hotel about 45 minutes away - everything closer was either booked, seedy, or had no air either.
The kids were all teenagers and it ended up being a fun adventure!
My sister is still without power too. Almost hitting the 4 day mark. It is tough. She does have a generator so they have water (well/septic) and can survive. I will add you to my list of good vibes. And while I am not one to talk, you are right: Just because you are enduring this apocalyptic-like event does not mean that you are "entitled" to all those non-food items! Stay safe and as cool as you can. Glad you have a basement!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever been without power?
ReplyDeleteYep! ... though for no more than two days.
What time of year?
Late winter, Summer, Fall... and NOW (insane wind here in central Canada, too)... it's been more off than on for the last week!
How did you pass the time?
Life goes on as usual - we're old hands at coping (lots of BBQ cooking)... the winter outagee are hard, because nights are SO cold... power has always been restored just before we all turned blue and pipes start bursting. We play board games by lantern light, get outside, snuggle, lots of sprinkler action in summer... get irritated at how power dependant we are (it always goes out when all the clothes are dirty, I just bought groceries, and I have 'critical' computer needs or my favourite show is in a cliffhanger... once it went out just as we sat down to Christmas eve dinner and stayed out until long after Santa dropped in, LOL). It often feels a bit like an adventure holiday, and we look at it as an opportunity to just be together without distractions.
I'm so sorry about Mr.'s baby birds! We've had a lot of birds on the ground the last few days... woodpeckers feeding from the lawn, birds walking everywhere... looks so odd, but it's just not safe in trees right now!
I also hear you about protecting yourself and property... power outages drive people (the good the bad and the ugly) out onto the street. On one hand we connect more with our neighbours and band together, and on the other hand once it gets dark, we watch everyone with suspicion and steel ourselves to 'stand firm'.
Got you in our paryers! Tell Mr. I loved the pic!
{{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}
Growing up, we were down on our luck financially so being without power happened for long periods of time and with regularity. So needless to say, I'm an old hand at this. :-)
ReplyDeleteOur power just came on today right before dawn. I had no problem living electricity free for a few days but needless to say my 14 year old son suffered some tech withdrawal.
Wuss.
I schooled him in the fine arts of shadow puppetry, checkers butt-kickery, and *gasp* READING for a change. LOL
I told him that's why my cousins and I are so well-read and creative--when the lights were out I drew comics, wrote stories and poetry and read by the light of the kerosene lamp until my eyes couldn't take it any more.
The only thing that was insufferable this weekend was the heat at night. OY! However, having experienced all 12 months without electricity before, I must say it is MUCH easier cooling off than trying to warm up. A cold shower in June--refreshing. At 6am on a December morning before heading off to the school bus--torture!
We are seldom without power for more than several hours..maybe a day. It's being without water that I struggle with and that has happened a couple times. I feel totally lost without water!
ReplyDeleteYou sound like you're doing wonderful, though, so congrats on that and try to stay cool as possible....basements can be very useful at times like that- even if they are dark!
OMG! Sending prayers and good vibes your way!!! Let us know if you need anything non-perishable and we can throw it in the mail for you...if the mail is coming?!?
ReplyDeleteSorry about everything. For some weird reason I'm particularly devastated about the birds :(. Poor little things. You are so right about the food situation though...don't get why people don't understand how a refrigerator and freezer function and how long things can stay cold in there if you aren't constantly opening doors. Glad you saved the hummus I would have too. I totally get the reward mentality of getting to eat like crazy in a crisis. St George slaying dragons has nothing on you two. Will send the good karma I've been saving up and prayer and crossed fingers and toes your way in hopes that things resolve quickly and you guys don't have to deal with too much.
ReplyDeleteI'll be thinking of you guys--keep us updated! And if there's anything I can do to help you out, let me know. And my gosh, don't work out too hard if you have no AC! :o
ReplyDeleteThat sucks so bad! You are welcome to come to my house just outside Lincoln, NE, we've got two empty bedrooms, lots of AC and electricity and wifi!
ReplyDeleteWe lost power for a day or so after an ice storm about 12 or 14 years ago in late October, so at least it wasn't sweltering hot but it was pretty cold for a day or so.
We were out of power for a week after hurricane Ike. It was such a nightmare. Within 72 hours all of our cell phones were dead. The house phone would come and go so you just never knew when you picked it up if it would be working. The roof had a massive hole in it so I was always wondering what was walking into the house at night when we couldn't see. The car was almost out of gas and there were no stations that had gas after the storm so we walked any place we had to go. We walked to a radio shack and bought a mini radio and batteries and that was our only line to the outside world for a week. The grocery store opened for one day then a fire started in the store so you were stuck with what you had. It was a praise Jesus moment when the Jack in the box and taco bell opened back up day 4 of no power because at least we could eat something warm, and have a cold drink. The ice we had, was long gone. Some very awesome neighbors brought us ice they found, but it was gone with in a day too. It's very hard. The day the line that snapped preventing us from having power was fixed I think the entire neighborhood could have kissed the center point energy men that fixed it. I am praying for you and everyone around you because I know what you are going through.
ReplyDeleteSO SORRY!! That just stinks! You know I'm a heat wuss so I would be complaining... I've never been without power for more than 5 or 6 hours and that's doable. Praying your power comes back soon! Sorry about Mr.'s birdies too.
ReplyDeleteYes, last July after an incredible storm we were without power for 7 days. Cell calls to the power company were frustrating because you had to have your account number. We are paperless billing so I didn't have the info since the puter was dead. No account number, no info on when power would be up. Had just stocked up at Sam's Club and filled both my fridge and garage freezer. Lost everything which was about $300.00 worth of food. Sent in pictures and receipts because they allegedly refund for lost food and got a response back that they were not liable because it was a "Act of God". Got to take cold showers and head to work un-ironed and with a pretty witchy attitude. Couldn't use phone charger in car because lighter outlet thingy didn't work. Charged it at work but it rarely held. Then the phone went out and my son went to hang out with friends, I was completely unplugged and becoming unglued. The power did come back after two days, after 6 hours I decided to put everything back in the fridge and freezer and it promptly turned off upon my completion of those tasks. I realized just how much I took these things for granted. Hopefully you will be turned on soon:)
ReplyDeleteOne question: did you save the banana pudding pops? :)
ReplyDeleteSorry you're among the sufferers! Be careful in the heat. We had a derecho, or microburst outbreak a few years ago (locally referred to as 'Hurricane Elvis') and people were without power for weeks. The first few days weren't so bad because the temps weren't especially high, but when they rose people were getting sick doing seemingly routine things. Something about the long periods of time they were overheated.
And yep, I'm surprised at the number of people who just started tossing food. Even as the local outages continued, folks just fired up their grills and cooked everything they could. :)
The only time we were ever without power for longer than a couple or three hours was the night before we left park housing at Guadalupe Mountain National Park to head to Denver for our house hunting trip. Everything was packed, so we had to open boxes to find blankets as it also snowed that night. The worst part about it was that I was only half through vacuuming to leave the apartment clean. The power was still out when we left the next morning, so I left an apologetic note. To this day I don't know how long the power stayed out.
ReplyDeleteI'm in awe that you would work out in the heat! Please be careful!!
I hope that things are moving in the right direction for you. Your blog reminded me to check on some friends of mine in Columbus who have been doing the best they can as they wait for the power to return. (They credit all their years of camping for being able to endure.)
ReplyDeleteI have experienced power outages in every season. I pretend I'm on "Little House on the Prairie."
Sorry to read this update!! I will be sending good vibes your way for sure. DH's father was a gas generator owner and left it with us when they relocated to FL. When we built the new home, Dh ensured it was wired properly for our own gas generator, so the occasional thunderstorm is never a problem for us. We're in MA but thankfully were NOT effected by that really rare tornado last year and the central MA ice storm cluster-ridiculuster due to the power company inefficiency getting the mess cleaned up. I think those poor people were out for weeks!
ReplyDeleteIs it me, or is Mother Nature getting worse and worse?
Major Props for being level-headed and salvaging the food and keeping those workouts going! proud of you guys!
I hope those fledglings are up on the Rainbow Bridge with every other wonderful creature, till we all meet again. Give the Mr a hug for us bird-lovers here in MA.
Melly
I'm so sorry you guys were hit so bad by the storms. I got teary-eyed about the little birdies, too. It's wicked bad this summer with the heat. We went through a tornado about 8 years ago that took off part of our siding (there is a field next to us and all behind us)and we lost power for 3 days. It was July 4th weekend (ahem) and blistering hot. We'd just had a big party and lost about $400 worth of food (home cooked I might add!). We lived in the basement for those days and went to Kmart to buy a $10 black and white 5-inch tv just so we could watch the news reports about power coming back. Cell phones were out, but our landline in the garage still worked so I could at least let mom know we were ok (hence why I won't let go of the landline). We're in a major drought right now with temps in the low 100's. Poor hubs doesn't have air in his car (and works in a warehouse with no a/c), so he's wiped out when he gets home from work). Bring on the autumn weather!
ReplyDeleteOH NO! Hang in there! Hope the power comes back on soon!
ReplyDeleteI hope you guys are getting by ok and that your power comes back on soon. I'll be real grateful when it comes back on and you can let us all know how you guys came through.
ReplyDeleteI have to give you mad props because you handled it way better than I could. I went into immediately "save what you can" mode and moved most of our meat and dairy and freezer stuff to Hubs' work in town. I will admit that we ate out or grilled out for almost every meal (too damn hot in the house!), but I stayed conscious and tried not to go crazy and ended up with a win in the end of it all. But again, mad props for doing better than I did with this situation. I really hope your power is restored VERY soon. I know by Monday I was ready to bomb every fast food joint and start a hunger strike if I had to go eat out for much longer. I think the worst for me was being without running water though. That is BRUTAL! I hope you guys have an adequate water source near you or that your water is still flowing!
ReplyDeleteOk, I am getting a little worried about you. I am so used to reading your blog each morning and have been watching for you to come back on line. Sending you prayers and so hope you are somewhere cool and safe.
ReplyDeleteWe lost power in the middle of winter once for 3 days. We slept around the wood stove and grilled our meals too. Prayers for you.and all those without power in this heat!
ReplyDeleteI'm just getting around to emails after returning to vacation, so this is late. I am SO sorry you went through this. We spent one week post-Katrina without power in ungodly heat and humidity. By day two or three, the neighborhood started grilling everything that was thawing in the freezers and feeding the police, national guardsmen (and women) and the power company crews that were rolling in by the hundreds. I never, ever wanna do that again. And we had it lucky. Some folks were MONTHS with no power... and those were the ones lucky enough to have a house left.
ReplyDelete