This weekend: cold, dark, and havoc-full

A crazy nor'easter cycled through this weekend and targeted our power grid, trees, and physical structures.  Some brutal wind gusts, some over 50MPH, and the whole time it sounds like a freight train running past.

Our power came back on at 10 o'clock (today's Sunday), and it's been out since 9:30 Thursday evening, a complete waste of a weekend.  I did a bit of writing, putting down a batch of story ideas in my journal--by the light of couple LEDs strapped to my forehead.  Yeah, not as fun as it sounds, I can tell you.  

Last year, during the infamous Ice Storm that wiped out thousands of old beautiful trees across New Hampshire and took down power to most of the state for days--ours was out for five days, and we spent three of them in Massachusetts at the only hotel we could find that allowed us keep our dogs with us. 

The last three days weren't nearly as bad as last year's power outage, and it really shows what an ass-freezing difference twenty degrees makes.  The last few days, no power, darkness after the sun goes down, temps in the 30s, we burned through a bunch of wood in the fireplace, and kept the living room above 50F.  We don't have a generator--yes, big mistake.  We should have learned from last year. 

Still, this time it started out as fun and flashlights and headed into the "camping out" phase of a prolonged power outage, and pretty much hovered there at the far edge of that.  Contrast that with last year, 0 - 10 degrees F, the fireplace going constantly and unable to keep the living room--forget the rest of the house--above 38F, and within a day, we'd shot right past the "camping out" phase and headed into the dreaded "Donner Party" phase of a prolonged power outage.

Oh, one more thing.  I fractured a couple toes Thursday night, in the dark looking for flashlights. I did this trying to challenge the immutability of several physical laws, in the process of kicking a five inch solid block of wood that is the front left foot of the couch like a soccer ball.  The couch didn't move, and I spent the weekend limping with two toes that have these turned wonderful solid shades of purple and dark blue. 

Power's on now, and we're back in business with a limp.  Thanks Unitil and all the power crews who had to come from other states to get our power back in order. Cheers! 

Comments

[Skott Klebe]

Maybe it's time to move to a fully-industrialized part of the country?

I'm sure that you were relieved to break the toes, given the enormous upheaval that the physical-law violations would have caused, and always with the attendant "It's Chris's fault!" ....

SK

[Chris Howard]

>Maybe it's time to move to a fully-industrialized part of the country?

Not when we've come so far, taken so many strides, to live entirely off the grid!

>I'm sure that you were relieved to break the toes, given the enormous upheaval that the physical-law violations would have caused, and always with the attendant "It's Chris's fault!"

I know. I know. And who wants that kind of responsibility? It's just not worth it. Thermodynamic second law now, there's something to think about.

[LJCohen]

Chris--next time, come down and camp with us in Newton. We're even dog-friendly.

:)

[Chris Howard]

Thanks, Lisa!