Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Entering Day Two...

… of nineteenth century living. We were sitting here waiting for our water hose to thaw when last we left you… but alas, Gentle Reader, it did not. Our temp rose to 33 for about an hour yesterday afternoon but that wasn’t enough to free things up and we remain a water-free zone this morning. Yesterday’s principal activity of import was to saddle up Ol’ Bessie and head into town to fetch water.

It’s neutered brass monkey cold this morning… 12 degrees when I awoke and seriously overcast, which reminds me for all the world of Detroit during the dead of winter. One of the more depressing things about winter in those latitudes… and by that I mean the swath of territory stretching about a hundred miles south of Detroit all the way east to the Atlantic… is the oppressive grayness. I can remember going for what seemed like weeks without seeing blue sky during winters in Detroit and Rochester, NY. But that’s NOT the norm here on The High Plains of New Mexico, as it’s usually one bright beautiful day after another, even in the dead of winter. Such is not the case today, though. But we’ll look on the bright side as is our wont and toss out the de rigeur “things could be worse.” As in a mere ten miles or so to the east and/or south of us:

Or worse yet… as in certain parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri:

The WeatherHeads are ALL agog about the World Class ice-storm that’s in progress as I type, and it most certainly DOES look rather grim, both on my teevee and in the radar picture. I’ll take a temporary water outage… measured in hours… over power outages and freezing temps that last for days. I just hope we hit our forecasted high of 41 today. Because heating water on the stove for bathing and doing dishes went out of fashion well over a hundred years ago.

Update, noon-thirty or thereabouts: The WX Channel revised today's forecasted high temperature downward... from 41 to 33... which means no water yet again today. {sigh} And still MORE {sighs}. It's easy for me to remain philosophical about "stuff" when events are well and truly out of my control, but it's MUCH less so when I'm a victim of a self-inflicted wound. I sincerely hope this latest trick of mine fills 2009's quota for Teh Stupid. I kinda doubt it, tho.

Update, 1800 hrs: Boy, do we EVER feel better now that we're clean! The water started coming back just after 1700 hrs with a drip every three or four seconds, which increased steadily until full flow was restored around 1730. I then did something quite out of character... jumped in the shower and ran the hot water heater entirely out of hot water before I got out. It was that good...

19 comments:

  1. What about heat for you Buck? You need to stay warm and a shot of Crown will only go so far....LOL! We received a hint of what's to come, last night. I'm at work today, I just don't know how long I will stay here. The temp is at 34right now but they are saying that by noon the temps will take a nose dive. I plan on heading home when the temp reaches 32. Central Arkansas is not the place to be driving around with ice on the ground! Stay safe Buck!!

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  2. The second year we lived in OK, there was a big ice storm that caused power outages all over the state for weeks. Now that was the pits! Life without water is not good, but without electricity...I would not be nearly so entertained during the cold without my computer.

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  3. “I can remember going for what seemed like weeks without seeing blue sky during winters in Detroit and Rochester, NY.”

    I can testify that that is no exaggeration. My analogy is that it feels like living in a closet for three months. Extremely depressing.

    This year though in ole Rochacha, the winter has brought WAY below normal temps, higher amounts of snow but strangely and rather ironically the sun has been shining a lot more than normal. It’s a cruel tease since doesn’t help warm us up but hey, we’ll take it, especially considering we haven’t even got to the hearty of winter yet.

    BTW, good luck with the pipes. Since we’re in store for @ 10” tonight/tomorrow, it’s all relative.


    BTW, good luck with the pipes. Since we’re in store for @ 10” tonight/tomorrow, it’s all relative.

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  4. Your weather in the southwest has been up and down...here in the Buckeye State we are looking at 3 to 15 inches of "White Death" in the west more south towards Cincinnati and less up this way(Celina)....we have been a constant cold all month.

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  5. So much for global warming....

    hahahahaha.....

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  6. Time to consider the motel option.

    Think of a loooong hooooot shower!

    I would check in now, and get out at 1100, tomorrow.

    You could make sure to waste all the electricity and gas on that two hour shower.

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  7. I'm just happy the precip is off to the south. We've got more than enough snow on the ground at the moment...and it's currently moderately snowing.

    Don't feel too bad about Teh Stupid...I locked my keys in my car yesterday. Both of them. My spare key was in there because I use it in the mornings when I warm up my car and I hadn't been home yet. Fortunately I have a friend who is an expert at breaking into her Ford Ranger pickup (I drive the Mazda clone) so AAA did not have to be called.

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  8. Dale sez: What about heat for you Buck? You need to stay warm and a shot of Crown will only go so far....LOL!

    I'm fine, Dale... nice and warm and toasty and all that. Just a bit "ripe," but I'll fix that once the water on the stove heats up...

    You be careful on your way home...

    Lou sez: The second year we lived in OK, there was a big ice storm...

    I have a couple of those tee shirts, as well. NOT fun. The results of an ice storm can be beautiful, indeed... especially if the sun comes out shortly thereafter. But living without electricity in this day and age can be lethal when it gets cold...

    Tim: You have my sympathy. Seriously. It was always my habit to take at least one week's vacation in mid- to late-February to someplace... anyplace... warm and bright while I lived up your way.

    Pat: I thought "constant cold" came with your territory. In winter, at least. ;-)

    Sharon: I've heard that a LOT, lately! ;-)

    DC sez: Time to consider the motel option.

    Nah. Not yet. But if it's like this TOMORROW I'll be over at the Holiday Inn Express right quick like!

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  9. Mike sez: I'm just happy the precip is off to the south. We've got more than enough snow on the ground at the moment...and it's currently moderately snowing.

    You guys HAVE had some brutal WX up Ames way this year! And it's good to have knowledgeable friends, ain't it (re: keys)?

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  10. Having just rolled my rv to the shop to have a new set of steps installed and body work to repair damage the "old" steps did on their demise as I navigated too far to starboard with steps I knew were not fully retracting...I feel completely qualified to dispense rv advice :) ...

    1. obtain a 2nd water hose? - possibly your remote location and/or frugalness makes this not an option.

    2. borrow a hose to fill your on board tank - I assume your on board tank is empty or you'd be using it...

    I'm guessing if either of these was actually doable you would have done it, but other people are always trying to solve my problems, thought I'd give the reverse a try...

    Cheers! I trust the beer supply is staying plenty cold.

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  11. Ann: In the "things unsaid" department... I have another white water hose coiled up in the service bay from a previous encounter of the frozen kind. One that's not completely drained, as it were, coz that was the FIRST thing I tried today once I noticed the forecast had changed. It too is frozen... and it goes without saying that it REALLY sucks to be stupid. We're gonna get to 58 tomorrow and I can wait for that, rather than add a third hose to my collection... ;-)

    And Hey! I'm open to advice from a fellow RV'er... any time!

    The beer IS cold, and we're more than adequately stocked in that space. Some things are attended to... and religiously, at that!

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  12. Ok, but ...sorry, I can't stop myself - I'm still reeling from my own operator error scenario...thaw the frozen hose in the shower???

    But seeing as how the beer is cold and stocked and it is to be considerably above freezing, well - nature will take its course in due time.

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  13. Oh Buck - hope this finds you with water by now!

    We're due for the ice/snow storm tonite into tomorrow. 6 inches of snow, followed by sleet/ice, followed by more snow.

    New England is experiencing the same stuff that Tim related about NY. Frigid temps, lots of snow but some really bright sunny days.

    But we do have a saying in New England - if you don't like the weather, wait a minute...

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  14. Ann: Patience is rewarded, as noted in my update. Now it's time for a beer or two!

    Kris: An hour after your visit and all is WELL. As for your "wait a minute" saying about the weather... I've heard that every single place I've ever lived, with the possible exception of SoCal. No need to comment on the weather there... coz it's just "one beautiful damned day after another"... which is what my father used to say. ;-)

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  15. You should relocate to Lost Wages. Even though it was *brrrrr* 39 degrees on my way to work this morning, that's still waaaaaay better than 12!

    Nothing beats that first hot shower. Like when you've come home from a camping trip, ahhhhhhh.

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  16. Buck, I sure like this Ann[a] from Montana.

    Glad you're all back to comfy.

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  17. That pink area on your WX pic has finally moved east, leaving us a beautiful morning. Should have some melt today only to yield that old evyl black ice this evening. I meant to tell you that your pic yesterday made me laugh out loud when i pulled the rubber band from around the XIP. I had no pwr in my garage last night oddly enough. I figured the reason was from the smoker running all day yesterday on some chickens and beans, but when i checked the main fuse box nothing had tripped. I found the culprit this morning, a lonely outlet had tripped, i punched it and everything was up to speed...poor cars...they were cold all night. Glad you got a shower i thought i was starting to get a whiff of something out of the west.

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  18. See what happens when you Twitter about temps in the 70's????

    Thaw out soon! I have hopes for us too!

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  19. Glad you got your shower, Buck. Yes, there is little so nice as being clean after going a goodly while without. Like being reborn.

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