This morning I woke up to face an angry Grandpère telling me that the power was off and on, and that when it was on, we were in brownout mode. None of the neighbors had the problem, so we knew that it was our damaged main electric line, which our neighbor cut many years ago, that had sprung a leak for the fourth or fifth time.
It is cold, and earlier this morning, it was snowing. I'm not kidding. Down here in south Louisiana, it was snowing. The snow has now turned to rain.
We thought we were back in business with our own personal generator, but we are on dim power. The stove and the microwave don't work. We don't know if the heat works or not. We'll know it doesn't, if the house gets cold.
That's the news from our house.
Snow- why are you stealing our snow?? Just send it right back where it belongs! Our grandkids are coming for Christmas and expect it to be here. LOL
ReplyDeleteSorry you are having these issues - so maddening.
Stay warm, Mimi. Maybe you have to snuggle with Dianna...
ReplyDeleteIT
Poor Mimi! It is raining here, but it is in the 60s (it was 72 yesterday!). Feel free to head this way--I'll be happy to put you and Grandpere up, and Diana and Jasper can play together. Wouldn't we have fun?!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Doxy
Dearest Grandmère, I was wondering about y'all when I saw the weather report this morning. It was cold here this morning (30's) but clear.
ReplyDeleteImagine...snow in Nawlins... (they got it too, yes ?)
Thanks, all. It's not a good day.
ReplyDeleteHow did your effing neighbor cut the line? And why was it you didn't get a new line? I know you have talked about this before but Lord knows I would never be able to find it.
ReplyDeleteSusan, when our subdivision was established about 30 years ago, the developers cut corners. Our main electric line is connected to the same box as our neighbors, and part of our line is buried on his property. He was using a bulldozer, and he saw the line, and instead of digging around the line with shovels, he continued to use the bulldozer, and - surprise! - he cut the line. That was about 15 years ago, and the line has not been right since. A spliced line is vulnerable to moisture penetration.
ReplyDeleteWe're going to have to spend a shitload of money to trench the whole area and lay a pipe through which the line will run. That way, the utility company can pull the line out if it becomes defective again. Today, you're not allowed to lay a bare wire in the ground.
Grandpère told the neighbor today that he thought he should pay half, but he mumbled something and walked away. They probably won't, but I'm glad he told him that.
Geez, I thought this kinda stuff was limited to David, Leonardo, the Lovely Mona and the rest of us all living in the Developing World. Our power goes off a couple times a week. I'm pretty quick at re-setting all the clocks in the house.
ReplyDeleteYou want me to talk to that neighbor?
You and I have talked about your power problems before. Oh dear- what a major headache.
ReplyDeleteAnd snow! Snow?!
Wow.
Padre, Louisiana is, in many ways, the developing world, or the regressing world, or something.
ReplyDeleteFran, snow. Their school let my grandchildren go out to play in the snow. They were thrilled. The snow didn't last long, and, since the ground was wet from the rain, it melted immediately.
GP tells me the machine was a back-hoe, not a bulldozer. What do I know?
ReplyDeleteSnow in Louisiana? Goodness.
ReplyDeleteWarm thoughts to you and Grandpère from the frozen wastes.
;>)
Our power goes off a couple times a week, but the water goes off a least once a day. No regular hour, just when I am taking a shower and have my eyes closed and shampoo in my hair.
ReplyDeleteWe have a five gallon jug with a hand pump and a plastic cup in the shower for just this reason. But that water is damn cold about this time of year!
Darkblack, it's beginning to warm up today, and the power is back on.
ReplyDeleteDahveed, I know exactly what you look like. All I have to add is the suds in your hair.
Each time I had to shower with the power off, there was enough hot water left in the tank to get me through - thank goodness. I don't like cold showers.
We have one of those new fangled Japanese instantaneous hot water heaters, but there is nothing to heat when the water goes off.
ReplyDeleteBTW, they cut the natural gas bill by 60%. No big tank of water being constantly heated to a set temperature.
Dahveed, that Japanese water heater sounds great. Excellent and efficient. I had never heard of them before now.
ReplyDeleteWe have a water heated on demand water heater
ReplyDeleteIt is great and efficient
Not sure who made tho
Endless water at whatever temp you want
Safer too
No mixing with cold from being too hot