HotHotHot

[7rider]

I've been without power for extended periods in the cold of winter. Had to wear numerous layers of clothing, pile the quilts on the bed, and sleep with two dogs under the covers (they do keep you warm).

Be glad it's summer.
It's warm and the days are long.

I'd much rather have a power outage in the winter. The fireplace kept us warm, we had hot water and were able to save the contents of our freezer and fridge.
Now - Tom is miserable in the heat (I'm in San Francicso were it's cool and pleasant), pacing the house like a caged tiger and watching the food rot.
That sucks royally.
36 hours and counting, and a generator is a definite when I get back. I don't care if we have to rake out a loan for the thing!!

[Zen]

meh.
I never have much food in the frigidaire anyway.

You city folk are spoiled.

I bathed at the gym and went to the library to use the interwebs.

You do what you gotta do.

[OakLeaf]

At least in the summertime, a power outage usually goes along with thunderstorms, so we can collect rainwater for flushing. No such luck in the winter.

[Zen]

That's why you keep a stock of gallon jugs filled with water.
Also, even in the winter, you get ice for necessities like milk.

I can also start a fire with a band-aid and a paper clip

[Selkie]

...

I can also start a fire with a band-aid and a paper clip

You learned some great skills during your time in the pokey, didn't ya?

7 -- I'm with you. There's no good time to be without power, particularly if it's for more than a few hours. A generator sounds like a good investment...

[kmehrzad]

I can also start a fire with a band-aid and a paper clip

You'll have to show me this trick. It may come in handy when I do my x-country trip.

[ny biker]

This is a very cool* write-up on the storm that ended the heat wave on Sunday:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/cap...ook_at_su.html

*Well, I guess it's only very cool if you're a weather geek like I am.

I remember one or two summers ago we had a severe storm pass through, and it was a bow echo. There was enough wind damage from that storm to make me remember: if the meteorologist says the words "bow echo," head for cover now, seriously like right this minute.

I've read that some of the wind gusts from this storm were higher than those from Hurricane Isabel.

[ny biker]

Well, with the storm that just blew through, I'm hearing about 40-50 trees are down in my neighborhood and there are intermittent power outages. I was going to go to the gym tonight, but I just got an email that it's closed due to the power being out there, too. This is the Shirlington/Fairlington area of Arlington, for those in NoVa.

I'm really glad I had them take down the big shady but diseased tree behind my building.

We've got another severe thunderstorm warning in effect right now. I heard there were tornado warnings in some parts of the area from the first storm. I hope no one was hurt.

I was out riding my bike last night and got caught in the rain briefly, but thankfully it was not nearly this severe and there wasn't even any thunder or lightning.

This has been a crazy weather year...I wish it would calm down.

[Zen]

I haven't gotten any of those storm that you guys have had in the DC area. Not even the storms that went through Frederick.
Must be something about the mountains.

[Cataboo]

I haven't gotten any of those storm that you guys have had in the DC area. Not even the storms that went through Frederick.
Must be something about the mountains.

I didn't get any storms today A splattering of rain only.

Nonsense, I distinctly remember you telling me that you only live 8 miles from me and that ridge in between us had no effect on the weather between us.

Thanks for the peach, btw! I found it when I got home today. How long's it been on my door?

[7rider]

I didn't get any storms today A splattering of rain only.

I took a cab home from Metro yesterday because it looked so ominous and I could see the lightning flashing and I didn't want to walk the two blocks from the bus stop to my house in pouring rain and lightning (been there...done that, and it's NO fun!). But it never rained much more than a trickle. Didn't even wet the roads under the tree canopy. I then drove up to my appointment in Burtonsville (about 6 miles north of my house, which is about 8 miles north of the D.C. line), and they had JUST gotten a soaking, but that was it. I missed all storms on all sides. I think yesterday's stayed in D.C. proper and points south. Fine by me. In our third-world neighborhood, we lose power if someone sneezes by a transformer, so I was just fine with no bad storms in my 'hood.

[divingbiker]

I took a cab home from Metro yesterday because it looked so ominous and I could see the lightning flashing and I didn't want to walk the two blocks from the bus stop to my house in pouring rain and lightning (been there...done that, and it's NO fun!). But it never rained much more than a trickle. Didn't even wet the roads under the tree canopy. I then drove up to my appointment in Burtonsville (about 6 miles north of my house, which is about 8 miles north of the D.C. line), and they had JUST gotten a soaking, but that was it. I missed all storms on all sides. I think yesterday's stayed in D.C. proper and points south. Fine by me. In our third-world neighborhood, we lose power if someone sneezes by a transformer, so I was just fine with no bad storms in my 'hood.

I'm in NE so I missed it all.

7, have you bought a generator yet?

[7rider]

I'm in NE so I missed it all.

7, have you bought a generator yet?

Not yet. Still investigating options/prices.


Someone on my neighborhood listserv posted this as entertainment ideas for when the power goes out - yet again:
http://www.shadow-puppets.com/shadow-puppet-0.html

[ny biker]

Alexandria is still under a state of emergency. The GW parkway was closed in both directions during yesterday's p.m. rush because of trees down.

A guy who owns a company that does lots of home remodeling work in my 'hood sent his guys out with chain saws, and between them and the work the county has been doing, the streets of my neighborhood are now lined with pieces of trees. I hope that means the county is sending a truck to collect it all. Otherwise we'll be back to having people fighting over parking spaces like they did after the blizzards.

However I did have electricity last night. It had gone out after the storm but was back on before I got home.

BTW I saw on the news this morning that a woman in Cumberland was hit by a tree while riding her bike and was killed. I do think about that kind of thing when I get caught in a storm -- the other night it started to rain while I was out riding and I seriously wondered what would happen if I just went and stood on a stranger's front porch for shelter. Fortunately it was just a shower, with no severe weather.

[7rider]

I do think about that kind of thing when I get caught in a storm -- the other night it started to rain while I was out riding and I seriously wondered what would happen if I just went and stood on a stranger's front porch for shelter. Fortunately it was just a shower, with no severe weather.

DH one time took shelter from a storm while on a bike ride in a church's doorway (no one was there at the time!). He later found out that the storm had blown a roof off a nearby building!

I tend to not commute by bike when NWS is calling for storms with "severe and damaging winds" or "dangerous lightning." There are a few places to seek shelter on my ride home...but frankly, it's not worth it to me.