While you're sipping spiked eggnog, feasting on filet mignon, and exchanging gifts from Cartier with your dozens of perfectly flawless friends and relatives - - -
I'm alone in a frozen forest, shivering in an impossibly frigid shack - - counting all the Christmas blessings I received this past week:
My car won't start, it's resoundingly dead.
The furnace in my house is dead. No central heat in SUB-ZERO temperatures.
The mice got into my linen cabinet and crapped and peed all over every blanket and towel that I own. Have you ever smelled stale mouse piss?
Every night, the raccoons keep me awake while they systematically rip the roof apart. I'm seriously considering making good use of my shotgun.
My rapidly deteriorating spinal problems are causing alarming issues. I get agonizingly painful spasms in both legs and frequent temporary paralysis. When I say I'm losing my ability to walk I am not joking.
I have many more Christmas blessings, but I'll mercifully spare you.
I managed to survive the absolutely horrific Arctic storm - - all alone with SUB-ZERO temperatures and no central heat.
For many reasons, I didn't go to my cousin Nancy's house. I'm not about to run away like a coward and leave my place unattended during a major blizzard. I'd rather risk dying here.
The full impact of the storm hit near midnight on Thursday night. The temperature dropped drastically and the icy winds shrieked so loud and blew so hard that I thought the trembling house would collapse.
By 2:00 a.m. the temperature was 10 degrees BELOW zero (Fahrenheit) and the "wind chill" was minus 20.
At midnight I couldn't decide whether to stay up all night or go to bed. Despite having several "space" heaters, the house was ice cold. I turned the sink faucets on full blast so the pipes wouldn't freeze.
Completely exhausted, I decided to go to bed at around 1:00 a.m. Bosco (cat) and I snuggled under the heated (electric) blanket. Almost immediately the power went off - - and I completely panicked. In a temperature of 10 below zero, I was sure we'd be dead by dawn.
By some unbelievable miracle, the power went back on in about twenty minutes. It went off and on a few more times during the duration of the night, but we (me and the cat) survived.
By dawn on Friday (the 23rd) the temperature was below zero and stayed that low all day. My house has two bathrooms. The tiny bathroom adjacent to my bedroom has a frozen pipe - and I can't unthaw it. It is FAR too cold.
Despite the unbearable cold, I managed to make homemade soup and also baked a pumpkin pie from scratch.
Today, Christmas Eve, the daytime "High" temperature was 8 degrees (Fahrenheit). There is very little snow, but everything is encrusted in ice.
I have a lot more to say, but I'll save it for tomorrow. I think I'll survive Christmas - - if the power stays on.
Good wishes and blessings of peace to all of you. Jon
A few photos that I took this morning from the back porch. I did it quickly - - it was too cold to stay outside.
Ice on the kitchen window
I kept checking to see if you had an updates, and hoping against all hope that you were OK.
ReplyDeleteWe've had rolling blackouts for the past two days, just fifteen minutes, but today it has warmed to 30 degrees and the roads are clear.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas Jon and sweet Bosco, enjoy your soup and homemade pie, which sounds delicious. All this cold will be getting better by Monday, hang in there.
~Jo
Your definition of a coward and mine are very different.
ReplyDeleteI pray your electricity stays on!
While the first paragraph is very far from the truth of how many are spending Christmas, Jon, I know perfectly well that sarcasm is how you meant it. I won’t add any sweetness as Your holiday eve sounds dreadful. That said, I am glad you and Bosco survived the power outages and that the power came back…there are small blessings at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI HATE the smell of mice in the house! And I can smell it. One of them got into my kitchen towel drawer. I have mousetraps all over and haven't caught any. They must have sent word out in Mouse World that Casa Tipton-Kelly is a minefield! I had to check in with you to see how you and Bosco are doing int his frigid weather. Thank goodness your power didn't stay out long. The cold is very dangerous. Please be very careful. I wish your Christmas was better. Perhaps next year will bring relief.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how you do it. I'd be dead already I think, or threw the towel in and torched the place and started over somewhere else. It's cold as hell here too. We awoke to a cold house, but not like yours. It was almost down to 48, but the furnace was running. By some mircule a serviceman from out oil company came and found out we needed a new thermostat. All is good again. I gave him a nice tip and a bottle of wine for coming out. He said he had 9 more homes to visit.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have Bosco. And somehow you still manage to enjoy something of the holiday. Your strong stock as I say. I sure hope the vibes there turn in your favor friend.
Thank you for letting us know you're okay. (In a manner of speaking.) We'll be anxious to learn your Plans going forward.
ReplyDeleteMice dislike strong smells. Put cinnamon or mint tea bags wherever you don't want the little beasties. Change them out every couple months or so.
ReplyDeleteI hate that you're having a rough time of things. Just remember we're all thinking of you 🤗
Kraneia