Power outage for 3 freezing days in upstate NY!

Hello all,
We had an electical outage in our region due to a

~~seadancer~~...

Thanks to all who replied. We're slowly getting back
to normal, but I'm left with an ear-ache/tooth-ache which
has to be taken care of. So I'm not posting too much here.

I see that some of you have had similar experiences.
You mentioned that much of the UK doesn't have the
extremes of weather which we have here. Could be.

Many of you remember days years ago when there was
no central heating. We are definitely spoiled nowadays.
LOL about the Monty Python sketch.

John, we did get "boiling mad" (g) when the power
company didn't get around to doing timely repairs.

FN, I looked for the origami kettle, but couldn't find it. (g)
We heated bottled water in pots which we set on top
of the kerosene heater. So we had coffee/tea/soup.

Val/Aries, thanks for telling me about Dorothy Sayer's
background. Interesting that she was an ad copywriter.
She's an amazing writer. Wonderful characterization,
especially with the different English accents.

Aries...

Here's a short biog about Dorothy Sayer at this link that you may be
interested in taking a look at Sea. Hope your ear/toothache clears soon.
http://www.sayers.org.uk/dorothy.html

Thanks very much to all those who sent good wishes.
This is such a thoughtful group.

Hugs, Sea

wind storm. We were without power for 3 days.

Tickettyboo...

Bummer, that can't have been much fun at all, looks like the power is back
on though , so hope you are warm and well now.

House temps were down to 53F (11.67C ) in

Smokey...

How dreadful, luckily our weather is not quite so cold.
Happy Anniversary to you both, have a lovely day

Pam the goose...

Oh dear:( We've never had it as long as that in my life!
We've resorted to candles in my childhood but only for a few
hours and it was exciting!
We never got cold cos electricity was only for lights,
heating was from the coal stove in the kitchen or coal fire
in the living room.
Happy Anniversary:) It must have come back for your
Anniversary:)

Ali...

...

Thousands of people were affected.
Temps were down to 1 degree F (17.2 C) at night.
Our power just came back about an hour ago.
(The outage began last Friday afternoon.
It ended today, Monday, about 5 PM.)

We are absolutely exhausted.
It's been 3 full days of no electric power. No running
water or flushing. No stove or oven. No TV or PCs.
We used a kerosene heater, a kerosene lantern,
and candles. The heater couldn't keep up with the
temps. House temps were down to 53F (11.67C ) in
the living room & kitchen, and 44 F (6.67C) in the
bedroom areas much of the day.

Tickettyboo...

I grew up in a house like that..LOL we often wrote our names on the frost
on the inside of the windows on winter mornings.. sometimes it was hard
ice and you couldn't write in it. ..honest injun ! The only source of heat
in the house was the coal fire in the living room..we did ok though cos
the chimney went up through our bedroom :-) I am sure others will have had

Paul Jeffree...

Sounds familiar. My first experience of central heating was at school - I
got double pneumonia there!

Hope your power stays on now, Sea..

similar experiences

Aries...

I grew up in a house like that too Boo and remember how cold and damp it
was in the mornings when us kids rushed to get dressed. Mum used to wrap
us in thick towels after our bath and dry us in front of the living room
fire! Ah the memories come rushing back LOL

Troy's Human...

You were lucky. We lived for three months in a brown paper bag in a septic
tank. We used to have to get up at six o'clock in the morning, clean the
bag, eat a crust of stale bread, go to work down mill for fourteen hours a
day week in-week out. When we got home, out Dad would thrash us to sleep

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

Shades of Monty Python methinks. LOL

Tickettyboo...

You had it easy you did! We lived in a hole in the road, had to get up an
hour before we went to bed and then lick the tarmac clean !

pmj...

LOL!!!
Eeehhh...
& yoo try tellin' 't kids o' t'day thut!...

& they wunt beeleeve yoo!
:-)

>
Try searching the web for:
the four (or 4) Yorkshiremen sketch monty python

Ali...

or even "At last the 1948 show", which is where it started.

with his belt!

Rabbit...

Oh yes and heavy coats over the blankets, old army coats IIRC. Yet funny
enough I don't remember ever *feeling* cold.

We're exhausted from just being cold & uncomfortable,
and not sleeping or eating well.

Thank goodness our grands' visit was postponed,
just in time! Imagine this with 4 visiting kids!

Our advice to everyone:
Equip your home with *automatic* generators.
Don't think this won't happen to you! Tell your kids!

~~seadancer~~...

PPS - Today is our 46th Anniversary. (g) Ironic.

Aries...

Many congratulations Sea and hubby, hope you found a warm way to celebrate
it :)

Rabbit...

Congratulations to you both. I had relation in Colorado who made it to 75
years, so that cold weather and power outage must have done some good :-)

noreen...

CONGRATULATIONS to you both ;-))))))

Jeff Gaines...

Happy anniversary :-)

You can huddle up together to keep warm! I've only ever lost power here
for a maximum of 4/5 hours but where I lived before power was out for 10
days after the 1986 storms, the electricity board regarded it as the most
isolated part of England :-)

noreen...

That must have been awful Sea , it is bad enough when your heating is off
but
when your cooking facilities and lights !! it is bad .
We never had heated houses as kids and there would be three i a bed too so
kept warm .
But now we depend on such a lot , we have had some power cuts but
thankgoodness not for so long ;-))))

John #8...

_______________________

Gee! It was around zero in Norwich this morning so I can imagine
what a awful time you had, Sea. We seldom have power outages
in Norwich. When we do it's a short one. Even then it's a pain so
I bet you were boiling mad. Be honest Sea.

Ali...

How could she be boiling anything, John?
The power was out!

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°°6 +...

I reckon making an origami kettle or _teapot_ and using a candle - it does
w*rk.
http://members.aol.com/ukpetd/trad34.htm