Twas a VERY interesting week here at Casa Juvat starting this time a week ago Sunday.
...There I was*...Happily writing my weekly Usual Monday Morning Missive (UMMM???), when the weather app on my Cell Phone beeps. (Ain't progress great? Your phone beeps to tell you the Weather Changed. Who knew? What did we do before Cells? Oh, yeah, looked out the window.)
Stay on Target, juvat!
On Target, Aye, Sarge!
The notification was a warning on a large winter storm with very cold temperatures and precipitation. Now, when Sarge gets notified of cold and precipitation, his thoughts go to visions of snow and such. Here in lovely Texas, those conditions are spelled I. C. E. As in No Bueno. Texans being Texans and therefore, extraordinarily self-confident, have this belief that THEY can drive on ice.
Nothing can be further from the truth. My firm belief is no human at any time in the history of humanity has successfully driven on ice. And, no, managing to stay on the road and not hitting anybody or anything does not constitute "Successfully". Lucky is a more accurate descriptor.
So...having been informed of the weather forecast and remembering recent similar accurate forecasts and their consequences. I started my mental campaign planning operation for dealing with the situation.
Possible ramifications.
1) Extreme cold.
Pro's a) Gas Heat b) Full Propane Tank. c) Gas Stove (ed. And the Libs want to ban gas utilities? YGBSM!)
Con's a) Gas Fireplace hasn't started since we ran out of propane a couple of weeks ago.
Probable impact. Cool inside, but manageable.
2) Loss of Electrical Power Grid
Pro's -None to Speak of
Cons a) Electrical equipment not available b) Miss B's medical support equipment has limited battery power and must be recharged often
Probable impact. Since that medical equipment involves supporting her breathing, loss of electricity could be life threatening.
At that point, about 5 seconds into this planning process, my stress level went way up. Lots of options went through my head at that point. Almost all were followed with "Yeah, But..." Do we evacuate and head some place more likely to have a more resilient grid. If so, what do we do with the animals? 3 dogs, 3 Cats, 2 Horses, plus my Sister's two dogs. Somebody's got to stay behind.
In short, no good answers.
Yeah, I'm pretty tense. Hit the rack that evening with no good plan in mind. Storm isn't supposed to hit until around lunch on Monday. So...We'll hang out and get a better feel for the weather.
I'm going to switch gears at this point to add some background info for this tale. I've been reading and commenting on this blog since soon after Sarge started it in 2012. One of the reason's for signing on was the quality of Sarge's posts (gratuitously looking for a raise there, yes I am!) and, more importantly, the quality of the commenters and their comments.
A lot of blogs had turned me off with the verbal fist fights that seemed to break out in the comments. That is extremely rare here. Virtually all comments are polite, even in disagreement, and are more like sitting in a bar watching a game on the tube and teasing each other.
To be frank, it very much reminded me of the camaraderie I experienced in my Fighter Squadrons. One might get into an argument and vociferously defend one's position, but the following morning, if the klaxon sounded and the Master Arm Safety Wire 1 was broken, well...You know that person would be there along side.
That's the feeling I've gotten with the commenters on this blog, and the primary reason I enjoy it. Keep up the good work.
Now, back to the story.
So, I schedule my posts to go live at 0600 (6 AM, Beans) Texas Time. I generally arise around that time, just to make sure I haven't screwed up the numerous settings that have to be precisely set so my drivel is visible to the waiting world. If I haven't, there's usually a comment or two waiting. Which is nice.
The weather at this point is about 30o and fog with a bit of drizzle. I walk out to feed the horses, the ground is wet, but not frozen. So far, so good.
 |
| That's about an inch of ice on the upper part of the lamp stand. That would soon be all round. |
At 7:10, I notice a comment from a semi-regular commenter using the callsign "Cletus Valvecore" asking me to check my email.
That email read:
juvat, we have a standby whole house generator and heat provided by heat pump or (at a computer's choice) lpg. LPG also powers the generator. Although I did work a summer job (being a grunt, aka helper) working for the electrical power company at home, all I know about electricity is that it will shock the crap out you, with a fault can set stuff on fire and finally, it can kill you. I know what sine waves are, but how you test for 'em to determine if the power is from the generator is satisfactory for running Pulse/Ox sensor is way beyond my "plug it in knowledge". Long story short, if push comes to shove and you can make it to our house, you all are welcome to come roost till things get back to normal. We have 4 bedrooms (total) and three baths. One of the spare baths is for one bedroom and the third is shared by two bedrooms plus the master bath. You all are definitely welcome to stay with us till weather moderates and electrical support gets back to normal.
Turns out he lives 8.75 miles (as the crow flies, about 11 miles by road) from me. Holy Cow! Blood Pressure went down significantly at that point. We had an option that would make workable all the considerations for the circumstances.
Thank you, Cletus. Even though we didn't need to take advantage of your extremely kind offer, it was very thoughtful of you and your wife.
In addition to Cletus' offer, there was a lot of excellent info I did not know passed on from other commenters . Suz's comment about informing the Electric Co-Op about having a "Medically Fragile" person on the property was especially informative. While not needed this time, that notification has been accomplished just in case of a future problem. (This status can influence the order in which power is restored.) Also a lot of good cautions and suggestions about back up electricity.
Cletus also gave us some good info on who to call locally to get a whole house generator system installed. Got to do a little (ok...not so little) money moving, but that's going to happen shortly.
As to the results of the storm, we never lost power. The house, while cool, was tolerable with a sweater on.
 |
| Cooper decided her blanket was essential to drinking water. |
The Dogs, as usual were smarter than I.
 |
| Annie and Oscar after I told them the fireplace wouldn't light |
As was Mrs. J.
 |
| Mrs J, with two of three cats, and 3 dogs after I told her the fire place wouldn't light |
Going outside to feed the horses was an adventure. In addition to the sweater, a sweat shirt went on, then a wind proof lined jacket with hood, gloves and a scarf were worn for the 50 yard walk to the barn to feed the horses. Stepping carefully as the ground was now ice covered and the wind was 20 knots plus. The horses were smarter than I. They never left the barn.
It was interesting, I guess I had just tuned out traffic noise before. We live 1.5 miles from a very well used road. Except for the wind, now there was no noise whatsoever. Very quiet. Spooky quiet.
But, by Thursday, I was going stir crazy, and we were getting low on some food essentials for the horses (Hay primarily, managed to forget that in my campaign planning), so ventured out to see what was what.
The roads were ok, not great. The Hay Guy was hungry for sales and glad to see me. Additionally, the addition of about 1000 lbs of hay did wonders for my traction on the return.
Friday's high was 65. Such is Winter in Texas. As an aside, San Antonio, our bug-out option, had lost power in several large sections for 2+days.
 |
| Even the Deer knew Hunting Season is over and it was safe to graze |
I meant what I said about the commenters on this blog. You folks are great! Thanks.
Oh, and the fire place not lighting problem? The guy arrived Saturday (temp 72o), walked over to the fireplace, flipped the switch and voila' guess what. I had tried that exact procedure, several times during the adventure...Nada. I think he did it with his left hand and that made the difference. Who knows?
Peace out, y'all!
Addendum: Just in case you need a chuckle. Doctor Grumpy hit one out of the park today.
1 Switching the Master Arm Switch on would enable launching all weapons. Therefore, it was safety wired in the off position to prevent any accidental firings. In short, Breaking the Safety Wire is the last thing that happens before employing weapons in anger.
*SJC
Good to hear all survived except for the increased wear n tear on the blankets..... :) Kudos to Cletus and his spousal unit for such a generous offer. Been looking at a whole house generator myself, can't take $$ with you after all.
ReplyDeleteNylon,
DeleteThanks, You're right about the last. My Banker, (AKA Mrs J) is responding to a jury summons this morning. As soon as that is over, we'll start the financial maneuvering. Woulda, shoulda, coulda done it last time, but...Not gonna make that mistake again.
The old solution for driving on ice was tire chains. They work but are a pita to put on, when I farmed I had a set for the FWD F250 and the few times I needed them they worked. Speed must be kept moderate or links will fly off.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
DeleteYeah I remember them and my Dad and I putting them on. That's where I learned to swear. Gonna ponder that option. (Now that the problem is over for now)
Qualifier to make a comment. Colorado resident off and on for 78 years. The best option for driving on ice is studded snow tires. Overkill for Texas. Traditional link chains or cable chains? For your conditions cable should work fine. There are now something called snow socks. I've never used them but reviews are favorable and installation seems easy. I always have an air compressor in my vehicle that plugs into a cigarette lighter socket. With chains, I deflate the tires about 10 psi, install the chains as tight as possible, the reinflate the tires.
DeleteWSF, good checklist to have. Will look into that tire option. Thanks
Deleteice sucks but you know that... A propane powered generator is good thing as propane will stay fresh in the tank a lot longer than gasoline will in a can. They make chains that will go over your boots for that one time every other year when you have to walk on the ice to take care of the animals, you could hang them by the back door (or someplace like that) so you can find them when/if you need them.
ReplyDeleteRob,
DeleteNow that might be on my Amazon list shortly, thanks for the reminder. Not needed very often, but when needed...needed bad.
Yes, there are stretchy rubber crampons that fit over shoes or boots with steel cleats on the bottom. Many years ago, I bought my Dad a pair for Christmas. He snorted, saying he would not wear the silly things. Next time I was home to visit, he was carefully putting them on to go downtown for the mail. Asked Mom about the change in attitude. Seems he had stepped out of his fish house, turned to close the door, and went flat on his back. Took a couple weeks and a couple of tubes of Ben-Gay before his muscles and bruises stopped aching.
DeleteDon,
DeleteBen-Gay is good. Wish it weren't needed but...
Um, regarding the fireplace, couldn't you just light the propane fire with a match or lighter? I mean, unless there's some weird Nikolai Tesla funky electrical garbage that somehow compresses and expands the gas, it's propane/natural gas, which, if my chemistry and personal experiences are anything to go by, should be lightable with an outside flame source, like, matches, a lighter, a burning brand, a flammenwerfer...
ReplyDeleteGlad you've survived the great freeze yet again. Hope your backup electrical plans fall into place without too much bother.
Beans,
DeleteI know hard to believe, Fighter Pilot reading directions, but...They did say "Don't light the gas directly". This being a fairly new house and not having had the problem before, we contacted the Gas Company as directed a Week before this incident. They said they'd send somebody soon. Checked on them the Friday before we heard about the storm. "You're on the schedule for next week." Bam! The storm. Weather Clears and the guy shows up. Flips the switch, nothing, (I know, I exaggerated in the post a little for comedic value.) Opens the fireplace, lights a lighter and flips the switch, Whoof. Lets it burn for a minute or two, turns it off, turns it back on Whoof. Haven't gotten the bill yet, probably a gajillion dollars, but now know that I can ignore that particular instruction in the book, as well as know how to do it.
Thanks, us also.
Ah, that' almost an ID10T Error. You know something's up when the gas man lights the unlightable fire with... a lighter.
DeleteIt's like those click-starters for one's propane bbq grill. Never ever ever have I been able to make them work. So... flick a bic, strike a match, power up the flammenwerfer...
Glad to hear I ain't the only one lacking click to start skills. I'm back to charcoal, newspaper and a charcoal chimney. My Blood Pressure thanks me.
DeleteSame with my gas furnace in GFND some years ago. House is very cold at 02:00 on a Sun morning and the furnace is running the starting cycle endlessly. Ceramic igniter was burned out (the thought [and cost] of rousting out a plumbing & heating man is even more chilling). Found a box of farmer's matches and waited till the gas valve opened in the cycle and applied a match. We have ignition! (the flame sensor sees the gas flame, not the ignitor). Turned the thermostat up to 90F, waited till the furnace shut off, turned it way down and went back to bed. House still in the middle 60s the next morning when the shop opened and I could by a new ignitor.
DeleteDon,
DeleteSounds similar to what the gas guy said about relighting the fireplace. He held the gas match over the igniter for a few seconds before he hit the switch. Said it would atomize the gas (or something like that) and then it would ignite. Worked, so who am I to argue.
Anonymous is correct about chains. When we had a truck I eventually retired the chains and bought the wire cable type of chains.
ReplyDeleteThey were a lot easier to put on and take off.
With us both retired, our answer to ice is to stay home, but just in case I started looking into a sort of sock that goes around your tires. I have not yet figured out the best option.
Shortly after your post last week we had a one day drop in temperature to the low teens, and I decided that it would be the perfect time to test how the emergency generator would start.
Around 0830 on Saturday we bundled up, walked to Shed #1, checked the oil, and used a little jet start in the air cleaner to help out.
A few seconds of the starter cranking the engine only resulted in my wife asking if it was normal to have gasoline dripping from the engine and making a puddle in the drip pan.
If we had lost power, we would not have had electricity.
The generator started and ran fine when we tested it in the fall.
Most likely the problem is the float valve in the carb.
I quickly found out that with the generator being around 35 years old, the carb overhaul kit is not available.
We may be able to work around the issue by replacing both the float valve and the seat, both parts are available, but more likely is an aftermarket carb, and after research a new machine that will run on both gasoline and propane and supple the good electricity needed by modern electronics will end up being the solution.
Sometimes testing does exactly what we want it to do and reveals problems.
I'm glad things turned out OK for you and yours.
I forget to mention that we both have a pair of stretchy rubber ice cleats that go over our boots, ours are a knock off of Yaktrax, and we also have a set of micro spike crampons for boots.
DeleteWe have tried both out in glaze ice and they make walking possible.
Gas station gas, with ethanol, absolutely sucks for long term (> 10 min?) storage. The Murphy's Gas Station at Walmart sells ethanol-free regular for about $0.50 more per gallon than alcogas. It is the only thing that I will store for use in my small engines. The extra cost is well worth the hassel saved - and repairs. Ethanol messes with rubber and plastic, which your fuel system is full of.
DeleteMike
JiP (1)
DeleteYep, Once installed, there will be regular testing done. Maybe once in the summer just in case something major (i.e. lengthy lead time to fix) is wrong, then at least once a month in the cooler months.
JiP(2)
DeleteYep, as mentioned above, definitely going to look into those. Walked down to the guest houses to make sure water was still running and everything hunky dory about mid week. Walked on the grass as I knew the road wasn't safe. Even the grass was slippery. As you said, I won't need them often, but....
Thanks
Mike,
DeleteYeah, I actually knew that and take advantage of the higher priced stuff towards the end of the season.
Thanks
When I was a broadcast / transmitter engineer, I exercised the generator weekly. I did a load test (transferred from shore power to generator) monthly. It was rectal pain at times, but when there is a medically fragile person, I'd lean to that sked. Makes for fewer false starts, less stress on your personal hydraulic system when the chips hit the fan, too.
DeleteSTxAR. "Person hydraulic system." I'm going to be using that.
DeletePower transfer.That sparked a memory. (sparked!) Part of the qualifications for standing Engineering Officer of the Watch while underway was to actually transfer the load between forward and aft generators, and transfer from ship to shore and back.
The breakers were pure manual and you operated them by pulling a wooden handle that was sticking out of the board while your foot was braced on a wooden railing at the base of the board. With the synchrometer rotating slowly in the clockwise direction, you had to wait until the needle was at the five minutes to twelve position and then attempt to rip the shovel handle out of the board.
I haven't done anything like that since 1977 and the fact that I still remember it says much.
When we replace the elderly generator, we plan to up the test frequency to quarterly.
When I was working as a technical manager in dialysis (13 years) our stand alone clinics required a supervised generator test four times a year. The system maintenance guy was a lazy jerk-off and I had to stand over him to make sure he did all of the check offs. I have no idea if the clinics I didn't supervise had working generators and most likely neither did he. Since dialysis is a life saving treatment, having working generators may have important.
DeleteDo gen test in spring, so it can be fixed in time for hurricane season. Do gen test in fall, so it can be fixed in time for winter.
DeleteAnon,
DeleteYeah, I'd say dialysis is somewhat important. He may not have done the checks, but did he initial that he did? That would be an interesting answer.
Beans,
DeleteSounds like a doable schedule.
It's interesting watching the small-engine repair place get inundated right before swirly storms of doom happen down heah.
DeleteBeans,
DeleteI also suspect the per hour charge might go up a little also.
"(gratuitously looking for a raise there, yes I am!)" - Juvat, self promotion is never a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteHaving come from a place where Ice something that only appeared in trays and drinks, it was a shock when we relocated to somewhere that had ice storms. It is actually incredibly destructive and life threatening in all kinds of ways that are not obvious - not just the slipping and sliding, but the bringing down of power lines and trees (mostly onto aforementioned powerlines and other things).
We weathered our ice storm relatively well with only a single power loss of around 30 hours (I say "we" - I was "on assignment" in the Near Abroad [San Diego] and thus missed the whole thing) and a number of branches that came down in the yard. It was a good field test of a number of things and revealed some additional holes (if you live in a place with trees, get something to cut them up with, either a chainsaw or more tree saw blades. Also, a generator is now on the menu). That said, we have friends that did not get their power restored until yesterday and The Ravishing Mrs. TB read that in some locations, power may not get restored until the next round of rainstorms this week completes its journey through.
The biggest storm issue (beyond losing heat)? We had enough ground coffee for a single pot and the electric coffee grinder could not be run (that is a tragedy that we will definitely resolve).
Glad all is well and you experienced no significant power failures. Go Miss B!
They sell inverters that can be clamped to a car battery, that could run your coffee grinder...
DeleteRob, that is a great suggestion! We are definitely looking into the alternatives (The fact that I was out of town was not a crisis. The fact there may have been no coffee for a few days may have been).
DeleteTHBB,
DeleteGlad you managed to survive your emergency. No Coffee? The end of the world as we know it!!!
We have a major Electric Line that transits the land behind ours. In the last storm, the ice brought them down causing the power outage. This time I kept a close eye on the sag factor of those lines. Fortunately, it never got too bad. Tree branches in the vicinity however... Fire wood for the fire pit!
Glad things worked out for y'all.
Juvat, one thing that actually made a difference at my parent's place is when the installed the new poles and disconnect, The Cowboy (gentleman that keeps the cattle on The Ranch) approached the power crew and asked them that, as the were replacing the disconnects anyway, could they move it from the pole on one side of the road to the other? Just that simple move meant that my parents, my aunt and uncle, and our renter would not get cut off in the event they had to shut the line off for farther up the road.
DeleteI have two of those cheap Harbor Freight inverters, they worked when needed and were good enough to run the freezer and refrigerator alternately until power returned. Another reason to keep the vehicles filled up.
DeleteTHBB,
DeleteNice. Would not have thought of that. Might have to look into the specific routing of the main power line and its offshoots. JIC.
Anon,
DeleteLJW Car has that built in and that was on the Too Be Considered list, but in the end not needed. Still keeping the small (inexpensive) generators/inverter option open.
Last summer, I ran across a classic manual coffee grinder at a rummage sale.
DeleteDude! I'm jealous.
DeleteGlad you came through that okay. Nothing like a spell of bad weather to get one's attention.
ReplyDeleteSaw the temperature in Little Rhody get down to 7 below, with the wind chill it "felt like" -27 on Saturday. On top of Mt Washington (in New Hampshire) the "feels like" temperature was -108. Yup, over a hundred degrees BELOW zero.
The mini-split was starting to lag in the extreme cold so I "fired up" the boiler (it runs to heat the water anyway). Cranked her up to 64, that helped the mini-split immensely. Was a toasty 68 in the house all weekend.
I've only used 32 gallons of oil over the past two months. Just don't ask about the electric bill. (The powers that be jacked the price up on that so that it doubled. I hate politicians to the very core of my being.)
Sarge,
DeleteI saw that -108 WCF. Holy Cow! Glad I don't work there.
For a lot of different reasons, work in my shop has been at a standstill lately, not the least of which is the mini-split. Hopefully, it will resume with the warmer weather.
Politicians, a pox on all of them!
(Now, about that raise...;-) )
Miss Jeanie and I have decided that we’ll pay you thrice what you’re earning now to just keep the info coming.
DeleteD4,
DeleteThanks, My Friend!
Oh...Wait....
I may be the only Texan to successfully drive on ice. I will endeavour to remain humble. On the way to basketball practice in high scruel, I started up the little rise as the road neared town. The old '69 F100, started fishtailing, and basically said, "no thanks". I just let it ease off into the barrow ditch, and everything was good. Made it on time and under budget. Those stupid yellow and white paint marks on asphalt don't mean anything. Even a curb and sidewalk are suggestions at best. If you need to be there, you can get there. And, yeah, a 100 miles from the Gulf, I have a set of chains. I'm an eternal boy scout.
ReplyDeleteI kept waiting for the freeze so I could unload my freezer and clean it and defrost it. Never got that cold. We have another shot at it this weekend.
Seeing the missus in the bed like that reminded me of Three Dog Night. Keep warm!!
STxAR,
DeleteSo...Lucky? My theory about humanity is still intact.
Glad things worked out okay. Been in a few Bar Ditches myself in the Lubbock area.
Some scary stuff, having Miss B having to rely on and unreliable grid. My only concern with Cletus's offer is that the roads would be so icy that you wouldn't make it! Glad it all worked out this time but if it's forecast again, that may be the time to move over.
ReplyDeleteTuna,
DeleteYeah, Past results have no bearing on future problems (Ma Nature supplied ones anyhow).
Good for Cletus! Good neighbors are truly valuable.
ReplyDeleteDown our way power stayed up (unlike February 2021). Nonetheless, we arrived home from church on Sunday and did not leave again until Friday morning. FWIW, I have a small generator/inverter combination that is not particularly large (~1500 watts max, 1200 watts continuous) but large enough to run both the refrigerator and the propane furnace. Involves opening all circuit breakers (especially the 200-amp main!), then connecting the generator/inverter to an outside connection that shares the same bus bar as the refrigerator and furnace (separate circuit breakers, common bus bar). Once generator/inverter is powered up, close that circuit breaker for that circuit to connect to the bus bar and then close the breakers for refrigerator and the furnace to connect to that bus bar. Intended for short-term emergency use; i.e. only power up the circuits for an hour or so then power down until refrigerator or furnace are needed again. Whole-house generator is an option but I'm not ready to take that step.
If you go with a propane powered generator, ensure your propane supply can support the burn rate for as many days as you believe you may need it. Out at Fort Hunter Ligget the G6 used propane generators to power the IT equipment out in the multiple shelters in the training areas (limited power lines available on a ~170,000 acre installation). Once the generators fired up, the propane tanks would go empty within 48 hours so a ready resupply of propane was always required. What memories! "Fort Hunter Liggett, it's not the end of the world but you can see it from there."
I just keep reminding myself, "Electricity can kill ya!" and treat it with respect.
-Barry
Barry,
DeleteThanks for the info, especially the propane burn rate. Oh...The things I know nothing about! ;-)
Juvat, we too made it through the "event" without power loss.......till......about 4pm the final day of all day freezing weather and the temp had risen to 37 F. Generator tried to auto start 4 times...reached full rpm...shut down...5th time cranked and ran for about 6 hours till power restored. Talked to Chris, the generator guy, and his assessment was a small amount of moisture had formed in the pressure regulator and it was purged from the system before continuous run. Another item to put in the memory bank which is definitely getting full. In any event he or one of his hands will stop by soon to take a look and be certain all is well. Also, these newer generators have a regular exercise program built in where you can program them for a once/week start run period just to keep the system ready to go. Only thing I've missed testing is putting those test runs under load. I do put a trickle charger on the battery every now and then to be sure we've got the cranking amps when needed.
ReplyDeleteTuna was right about the road. But once you're close, we've got a 6 wheel drive ATV, 4 wheel drive Green/Yellow Tractor, 4 wheel drive PU (pickup may not be of much use), although the road to our gate from yours is pretty flat with only a few bridges to cross. Recent trips to town seemed to confirm highway dept. kept the roads well sanded/graveled.
Cletus
Cletus, I'm going to give Chris a call this week, hopefully. Mrs. J got called for Jury Duty so is potentially out of pocket. But, I'd like to talk/walk with him to see what he thinks will be needed.
DeleteGlad things worked out well in the end.
About the people: we may have our differences, and our bouts of spirited discussion (outsiders might call it a raucous bar fight), but end of the day ears get sewn back on, eyes put back in sockets, and we sit down for a pint or coffee and rehash what a fine time we had, we need to do it again.
ReplyDeleteAin't a one of you I wouldn't ride the river with.
Re: Ice. I was raised in north Sandy Eggs County, live now in Sonoma County. Snow and ice are things you drive to and play in if you are so inclined. I've not been so inclined since my early 20s.
Joe,
DeleteAgreed. Thanks.
YIKES!! ...and I thought I had it bad being snowed in for so long. Coldness works on the mind as well as the body. Power stayed on, only one pipe froze, but thawed out ok. Cats stayed inside, litter boxes filled but had a stock of litter to keep up...
ReplyDelete...hugs to y'all, Juvat!
BBC,
DeleteYeah, cold does work that way. Survival training in Winter up your way (Fairchild AFB), the instructors specifically warned us about that symptom. It was the only one we could call "Time Out" on and not flunk the course (e.g. start over from the beginning.) First assignment was Kunsan Korea. Let's just say, Siberia had an influence on the weather there.
Thanks
quote:
ReplyDeleteSwitching the Master Arm Switch on would enable launching all weapons. Therefore, it was safety wired in the off position to prevent any accidental firings. In short, Breaking the Safety Wire is the last thing that happens before employing weapons in anger.
end quote
In Marine Corps terms: pulling the pin from the grenade.
Pawel,
DeletePretty much. The difference is that wire is only installed if there are actual weapons on board. On training missions, with training munitions (i.e. not capability to launch, shoot or drop), the Master Arm was not wired so that the parameters for any training munitions employment could be evaluated. (When you pulled the trigger or pushed the pickle button, a bright dot appears on the video. Airspeed, angles, altitude and a multitude of other things could be evaluated). But, hey, it is the Marines...Keep it simple! ;-) (One of those sitting in a bar, watching the game and teasing one another comments)
1. Make plans for a power outage NOW while you still have power. Write them down. Ya had a check list for flying the plane, right? Ya used it even though ya had the check list memorize, amIright?? To check for holes/forgotten items, pull the main circuit breaker on a weekend day and have a practice run. If ya find major problems, you can always power everything back up again. Doing this will give you a To-Do list that you can then work on fulfilling in consultation with the banker.
ReplyDelete2. The only way to drive on ice is to get studded tires, take you time, and go slow!!! Sand is a very cool invention that many townships are not very familiar with. But it works great. So does salt, but I like sand better.
3. Yaktrax are the BOMB!! Sold by LL Bean, Cabella's, DIck's, the local hardware store in many places, as well as Amazon. Pick your price point. The $30 ones work just fine. I use them often when we get snow, and ice, and my (homebound) patients aren't able to shovel, sand/salt the stairs/drive. Just don't walk into the house with them on as they will damage floors.
4. Science should look into how it is a 10-12# cat can create so many BTU's, never mind dogs...
Suz
Suz,
DeleteAgain, good info. Thanks.
Re:#4. Cats only have one speed. Full Blast. Dogs, not so much.
The Medical necessity (CTEC's name) paperwork has been downloaded and being filled out. LJW and Miss B have a Dr's appt later this week. Required signature should occur at that time and filed shortly thereafter. Thanks for the info.
You are more than welcome. Miss B and her Mom have enough on their plate and shouldn't have to deal insurance company nonsense to get important ie life sustaining equipment.
DeleteThere are reasons why I am still in the field. I would never be able to deal with being one of the case managers who work for the insurance companies. Their job is to say NO, every way possible, supposedly to save the insurance company money. I used to have to argue with them while getting insulin pumps approved for Type 1 kiddos. I used to tell the case manager that if they wanted to save the company money, they should cover the pump and the continuous glucose monitor as it will lead to improved outcomes for the patient. I had a care manager tell me "um, no, because the patient wont be one of their patients in a few years when the complications wouldn't be showing up due to the improved control."
I just shook my head. I need to be able to look at myself in the mirror at the end of the work day.
The other thing to think about regarding propane and generator useage--remember, the goal isn't to completely replace your normal furnace/equipment. The goal is to maintain a bearable indoor temp. So warm sweaters, long johns, warm blankets, multiple layers in other words. So you aren't going to be running the furnace at your usual 70+, you are going to be running it at maybe 64-65. And Miss B will be snuggled up in pj's with those blanket sleepers, or a sleeping bag, around her.
And you can put one of those cheap, thin mylar emergency blanket under the sheet on her bed. It will sound like she is sleeping in a potato chip bag, but it does help reflect her body heat back to her. Works for older folks too.
Also can get those hand warmers, or foot warmers, that the hunters use...they also come as a body warmer which will last for about 12 hours. Popped, and shaken up, and put under the covers, it works almost like a kitty cat. Nice and warm. Don't ever put on bare skin, and not in with a kid that is old enough to grab hold of it and start chewing or playing with it. I have used them in the past and they work great!! I hate being cold in bed!!! The price point for those is pretty low cost, and they go on sale after hunting season.
Suz
Another item to think about, and reason to shoot for the moon and get a whole house generator, is to find out what happens to your water supply when the power goes out. If you have a well, a generator can be very helpful. If you have city supplied water, ya need to be thinking about storing some water away. Because every gal I know likes to be able to flush the toilet when necessary. In addition to being able to wash hands, and drink water or obtain water to heat on your gas stove in a percolator to be able to make coffee. As the Keurig doesn't work well without power, or water. You can get inexpensive water filters for about $10, they work well, at walmarts. And don't bother with the straw one, it works, but it's a pain to use. Buy empty containers at Lowes, and fill from your faucet while you have power. The blue ones are reasonable, hold about 6-7 gallons, which most folks can handle lifting if you are careful.
DeleteBesides storing water, shut off the city water/rural well pump and DRAIN THE PiPES! Juvet, I believe you have had some experience with this. Not a complete purge, just open faucets and toilet flappers and drain to the lowest outlet. It will not prevent pipe freezing and breaking, but will limit the damage.
DeleteDon,
DeleteYeah, Beans, thankfully reminded me to do that for our guest houses. No problems noted. Thanks Both of you.
Suz,
DeleteI knew you are one of my kin.
"I just shook my head. I need to be able to look at myself in the mirror at the end of the work day. "
You are a Fighter Pilot in my definition of the words.
Knew you were. You just proved it.
Anon,
DeleteYeah we're on well water (two actually). Brother Beans advised us to set the faucets to trickle. Worked like a champ. Knew that, just nice to have a checklist reminder.
Thanks, Beans
Suz,
DeleteYou are officially on my Prayer list. All good reminders that I am going to put on a Phone checklist program that launches when the temps get too frickin' low. If it goes viral, I'll split the proceeds with you.
Studded tires are also great for the occasional run through a protest march...
DeleteAnd you're welcome about the water drip thingy. Thought it was common sense but apparently it isn't.
Same with covering all the outside plumbing, especially if you have a water softener located outside the house.
One more for water shutoff and draining (the stuff of potential nightmares). A few years ago living in GFND and with a house in MN, I had shut off water at the city main inlet and drained everything down as best I could. Got a call in early March from the local COOP that delivers fuel oil looking for someone with a key to check their oil tank level meter (remotely read). It indicated that I had used TWO gallons of fuel oil in a cold below zero February (Pucker!). Next day, they called back "Gauge is working fine. Your furnace is out." (I had a house temperature warning light for neighbors in two windows - that failed). Called the Plumbing & Heating Co - they were on vacation and would be back in a couple of days (after a month a couple of days was not going to matter). Got the heating guy there the next Monday to start the furnace, then check back in a few hours to make sure the water pipe had not frozen and broken and leaking into the basement on the city side of the shutoff valve. Finally got down and assessed things. Apparently, the toilet tank flapper leaked a little, so it had been empty, and the heat from the sewer protected the stool from freezing very hard. Only damage was a few bulged pop cans in the fridge and some soup cans in the cupboard. With great trepidation, I finally turned the water on. The only leak was from the water meter itself (it has a cast iron bottom plate designed to break and protect the rest of the meter when it freezes - and that was the City's problem. Silently "Thank you Lord".
DeleteBravo for Cletus! Bet he is a native Texan, not a transplant.
ReplyDeleteSo glad Juvat and crew got thru unscathed, merely chilled a little.
John Blackshoe
JB,
DeleteDonno. Could be.
Thanks
John, Cletus is 5th Generation Texan, family here during time Texas was a Repulic. He has fathered 6th generation and grandfather to 8, of 7th. native generation.
DeleteCletus
Cletus, Good to know and looking forward to a face to face with you.
DeleteAmazon offers several portable power stations with 600W or more output for under $500. They are light weight, have lithium batteries and can be charged different ways. I have an inexpensive one to power my CPAP in an emergency. Testing, I used it one night and hardly depleted the battery. Mine should power my CPAP for several days.
ReplyDeleteWSF,
DeleteI'll keep that option in mind. I got permission from the Banker (AKA Mrs. J) to investigate whole house options. But, I can see uses for that type solution also.
Yeah, good move on the medically fragile notification. Glad y'all came through it okay! We got ice up here too, and I stayed in for two days.
ReplyDeleteOldNFO,
DeleteYeah, it was a bit ugly, that's for sure.
I am pleased that things went as well as they did.
ReplyDeleteToday's comments remind me of how much I love you folks.
ReplyDeleteSarge,
ReplyDeleteZackLy!
“added comedic input”. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteD4,
DeleteA little self deprecating humor is good for the soul and keeps things from getting too depressingly serious. Or...at least that's what my HS English Lit teacher always taught.