Forgive us our preoccupation with the weather, Gentle Reader. I, speaking as a majority of one, feel quite like I'm overcome with a mild form of temporary insanity. We're just past the noon hour and only recently nudged ourselves over the zero degree F mark, and only by two insignificant ticks of the thermometer. The wind is still doin' her wild banshee act and the windchill effect makes outdoor activities of any sort problematic if not life-threatening. That's NOT hyperbole.
Here's a view of the tundra-like landscape from my hotel room window:
Dang. You'd think we were in Irkutsk or something. Not that I've ever been there... but Siberia does come to mind.
Speaking of minds... it works in weird ways. For some strange reason I've had this stupid '80s techno-pop confection running through my brain ever since I opened the curtains this morning:
I mentioned late last night I was gonna have to go over to El Casa Móvil De Pennington to check on things and stuff, retrieve some beer, yadda, yadda. But I can't make myself do it. Nope, we will not venture out in two-degree weather with unholy and gawd-awful wind chills. Life isn't at stake here, no one is gonna die if I don't go out. So I won't. "And you can't MAKE me," adds my Inner Child.
Yup, it's not the little bit of snow or the roads, which I think are fine. It's just too damn COLD to go anywhere!! Kids' school was cancelled, ENMU was still on, at least for my classes. But my truck said, "I'm NOT starting today, are you crazy!?", and my suv intentionally had a flat tire. And so I ditched.
ReplyDeleteBeer? Two *F. Beer? Two*F. Hmmm, that's a helluva conundrum. At lerast you have a cigar, right?
ReplyDeleteJenny: I'm wonderin' if TGH will start in this cold. She might... or she might not. We'll see... tomorrow. Enjoy your ditch-day!
ReplyDeleteDeb: We have two of each... beer and cigars... in our possession. So we WILL re-supply tomorrow, come Hell or high water. It will be warmer tomorrow, too.
Good, at least you've somewhat rationed yourself.
ReplyDeleteI've been in a couple of winter situations like yours. Mostly, I was stuck in a hotel. So I stocked up on German beers and left them on the windowsill to get/stay cold and made sausage sammiches.
ReplyDeleteThe good deal-thing for you is some proper tv being available, I presume.
Crank up the heat and pop some cold ones!
The weather is the news these days. I took the bear cub out of the house today and almost got stuck in the snow when I did not make it up an icy hill and had to slide back down. At that point I said "too bad" I'm going home. Her friends in their four-wheel drive pick-up truck came and got her. I inched my way back home. The Pappa Bear is making jambalaya and is happy for the moment.
ReplyDeleteYou won't get an scolding from me, my friend. I've aired my opinion of cold weather before, so I'm glad you're safe and sound in the HIE. Although I can see the value in venturing out to replenish the hop supply.
ReplyDeleteDang. What Buckskins Rool said. Forgot about you since http://exileinportales.blogspot.com/2011/01/oh-goodie-i-cant-wait.html in all our own difficulties here at Casa de 34.952 by 106.248 . Glad you moved across the street.
ReplyDeleteWent to the parents-in-laws' house in Edgewood today. They left a week ago for a funeral in Wisconsin. They didn't leave a drip or something in anticipation of a record cold snap. Yep, frozen pipes. I shut off their water until we're sure there's not a broken one. Perhaps you should venture to your Casa and shut off the feed in case when it warms up you don't have a damaging flood.
My sympathies, Buck. I won't tell you what our weather has been lately. I will pass on to you a terrific website, though, that might help you pass the time agreeably. (Assuming you haven't seen it before):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.googleartproject.com/
New Orleans is under a Winter Weather Advisory until Saturday! I won't mention the differences, though. We have no blood running through our veins, however, and freeze up PDQ.
ReplyDeleteIt's often wise to heed one's inner child.
I did a post last winter when there was ice and snow in New Orleans.
ReplyDeleteIt was the lame, "Hell has frozen over" sort of deal.
But dangit, it's cold. Again this year. I think we only hit 18. Interestingly the local news did a story on the "record low" for Feb. 1 in Shreveport. It was +2, so it's been worse.
Coulda' knocked me over with a feather though. The record low temp ever recorded for Feb. in LA was in something like 1895. -16 in Minden (just down the I from me). So, it's been worse.
At least they didn't have to worry about their pipes freezing. Jeepers, how did those Southerners survive it?
So, it's been worse.
Still, it sucks.
I don't think anyone else asked, so I will. I'm not afraid to display my ignorance (since I have it in such abundance, if someone takes some it won't leave me wanting.)
ReplyDeleteWhat is the red fencing in the field for? Do you know?
Buck, I'm late to this so I hope things have warmed up a bit out there. Also, if you haven't already got that '80s techno crap out of your brain, try some Jerry Douglas. Hope TGH cranks up! Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteIt was with trepidation that I clicked on your blog today, because I had a dream about you and weather last night.... But it was a flood. Had been watching Yasi and Australia yesterday, had not been watching NM, so had no clue you were in the deep freeze. In the dream there was a flash flood and I saw the green hornet float by me. I panicked and had to go see how the El Casa Móvil De Pennington was faring. Weird or what?
ReplyDeleteThis is wierd, I had no water problems during the storm or yesterday, but this morning I turned on the shower all excited for la douche (sorry, that's a french douche not an american one, ha), and nada, zip, zero...
ReplyDeleteHmm, cold water but no hot water!
Opened all the hot valves and turned on the bathtub cold, and after two hours I finally got hot water.
Whew! I hate broken pipes. I guess it was colder last night under the house than the other day.
Now for my la douche, er, shower...
Suldog, here in snow country the red fence is used several yards away from the edges of the roads to control drifting of snow. The one in this shot looks to be demarking some sort of construction or hazard.
ReplyDeleteIt cant stay bleak forever! Time to wrap up warm and order in and raid their mini bar?
ReplyDeleteThe good deal-thing for you is some proper tv being available, I presume.
ReplyDeleteThe teevee here isn't good; the channels I watch the most aren't available. So I'm reading a lot.
Lou: It's GOOD to have friends with 4WD, eh? Jes prolly thinks so, anyhoo.
BR: I'm thinkin' I'm much better off here than in ECMdP.
Bob: I'm not too worried about broken pipes at my place but I feel for your in-laws.
Bec: Thanks for that link... it is just freakin' AWESOME.
It's often wise to heed one's inner child.
Heh. I'm glad ya agree, Moogie. I find myself listening to that lil voice all too often of late, tho.
I think we only hit 18. Interestingly the local news did a story on the "record low" for Feb. 1 in Shreveport. It was +2, so it's been worse.
The weather has been front page news in our local rag for two days now. And it hasn't been worse here!
Jim: What Deb said about the red fencing... it's to fence off a hole in the ground at a construction site.
Dan: Thank ya, sir... but the '80s stuff faded away around mid-day yesterday.
Laurie: That IS weird! But we're high and dry. And cold.
Douche: That's pretty weird, too. You'd think you'd lose your cold water pipes before the hot...
Deb: You win the prize! (If there was one. But there ain't.) ;-)
Alison: No mini-bar here, and that's prolly a GOOD thing. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like it's time to haul out all the old school-boy Jack London stories about the frozen North--that or listen to all the old "Sgt. Preston of the Yukon" radio shows ( prolly avail on the net somewhere, complete w. the ads for Quaker puffed wheat--remember the cannon shots?)
ReplyDeleteSURELY you're getting ESPN & hockey there, or no? If not, the withdrawal symptoms must be rough.
Dunno If I'd still be drinking BEER! Sort of like eating ice-cream--burrrr! Time for the hot-buttered rum thing, Buck (although past about two they get cloying) My deal would be Mig-15s: Drambuie & Cognac on the rocks--preferably a double shot of both. That, or a good Sherry--or Tawny Port & Cheese. Stuff like THAT guy! ( or mebee that gold Italian liquore "Strega"--the one with the Witch/crone on the label--cheaper and better than Galliano, but not as widely avail)
So there wasn't a prize, but what did I win it for???????
ReplyDeleteAnother site to pass the time is http://damnyouautocorrect.com/ . It really is quite funny.
ReplyDeleteTime for the hot-buttered rum thing, Buck...
ReplyDeleteWe'll do that once we move back in to our permanent quarters, Virgil. There's no mini-bar here, nor is there a BAR, even. So... one MUST infer that the HIE ain't that damned smart, after all.
Deb: The prize was for correctly identifying what that fence in the pic was all about.
Someone sent me an e-mail the other day with a lot of those DYAC thingies in it. I saw some GREAT ones in e-mail back in my working days, too.
You'll appreciate this, Buck. Yesterday we had a foot of snow and it was cold, cold, cold. Today it is only -2 and sunny.
ReplyDeleteRemember what a beautiful sunny day was like after a big snow storm?
It is sooooo beautiful.
I do indeed remember that. And you're right, of course. But I prefer to remember those sorts of things... fondly... rather than experience them directly. It's an age thing, I think.
ReplyDelete