Power's back!

[lavendertook]

Yay--we just got our power back--it was out for 18 hours starting at 4:30 this morning. So all's good here now. I hope all you folks north of us who were more in the eye are OK.

I didn't get to bed until after 5 am when the winds were settling down, and it took me a good hour or so to get to sleep, but I slept through until 2 in the afternoon--I was pretty exhausted. So then I got up and went hunting for ice, tried several places before I was successful, and came back with my quarry an hour later. The power was out in all of Old Greenbelt through to Greenbelt Road, and lots of branches and leaves were down on my drive, but I saw no downed trees. We're not very flooded because, until last week, most of the storms in the area have missed this immediate area, so we haven't had as wet an August as most of the area has and our water table needed all that Irene brought.

The fridge was up to 50 degrees F, so I think I got the perishables iced up just in time as they had several more hours of power out to go. I still have my perishables in the coolers, so I'm going to clean out the fridge tonight before I put them back in. I don't know if the freezer would have really made the 48 hours they say freezers can go, because, though the freezer was full, the ice cream I just checked seemed pretty soft. However, no ice had melted. Still, I don't think the frozen foods in this freezer should be considered safe after 24 hours. So that's good to know at least for next time.

I went out later this afternoon to check on the strays--they were fine. I gave Ostra her massage and pet down. I don't think I mentioned before but she's fully pettable now and shimmies her tail straight up in the air mewing all the while as I approach--it only took 2 years. (-; I can pet Brigit fleetingly, and she's just started mewing to me, but it's going to take some more months, I think, depending on how jealous she gets of Ostra, and if Ostra lets me pet Brigit; Ostra's trying her best to keep us from touching by swatting both of us. Cats. (-; A. keeps saying she's going to try to trap them and bring them to a fosterer, but I'll believe it when it happens--she's been saying it since spring.

Then I picked up some more ice and batteries on the way home, as I sure made use of the battery powered fans and lights last night. So it's good--I'm almost stocked up again for next time. I made use of every bit of prep I did. I'm sure glad I won't need to get more ice tomorrow--the cost of this stuff adds up, and I'm glad I won't have to truck my frozens to L tomorrow, although I'm very grateful for her offer. And I'm glad I didn't have to buy dry ice--I looked up where I could get it locally and that stuff is expensive--I'm not sure it's worth the expense if you don't keep expensive fish and meat in your freezer. Tomorrow I'll walk down to the lake and see how it looks there.

What an exhausting week! Be safe everyone!

Comments

[saraqael]

So glad that at least Ostra lets you pet her. I hope that someone is able to give these cats a decent home at some point.

I think I got my power back just in time to save most of the food in my fridge. I am throwing out the jambalaya that I made because I just don't trust the shrimp to be okay after 16 hours without power. I packed up my freezer with bags of ice and additional blue ice packs so I'm confident that the frozen food is all okay.

[lavendertook]

A. keeps saying she's going to trap them and take them to a rescuer with a cat farm, but I'll believe it when it happens. At this point, now that Ostra is pettable and Brigit is getting there, I think they would be placeable in a patient cat loving home--but I don't know if they would adjust to being indoor cats or not yet. They definitely live much better lives than your average stray cat, but I'd like to see them in a safe home before they get too old and slow down.

Yeah, I did that with my freezer, too. The ice cream did lose some texture, though.

[delux-vivens.livejournal.com]

so glad you are ok.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon!!! I was nervous about the car and the strays, but didn't really expect any bodily damage, being mid-level in a cinderblock building, just the inconvenience and expense of power outages, and I'm just glad it wasn't worse. I'm sorry for the people who were more directly hit, and yuck on the tornado in Lewes--I know that town.

[romeny.livejournal.com]

Glad you and yours were OK but losing power is a hassle.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you--it is! And those D batteries and bags of ice eat up the budget fast.

[verangel.livejournal.com]

Glad all came out fine for you. much love xooxoxox v

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon!!! *hugs* I"m exhausted still--those poor people who have it ten times worse with flooding and home loss and power out for days.

[shirebound]

I'm glad to hear that your power is back! It must have been an exhausting weekend.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!! It was--I"m exhausted still. I can't imagine how it is for the poor people who took the brunt of it.

[addie71.livejournal.com]

I'm glad your power is back and you were able to save all your refrigerated and frozen foods.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And I cleaned my fridge to boot.

[honeyandvinegar.livejournal.com]

So good to hear from ya--it's BEEN good to hear from people. I'm glad you got your power back and no drama-llamas occurred!!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you--I'm so glad you got off light too. I'm still exhausted from it all and I can't imagine how it is for the folks who took the brunt of it.

[lovethosehobbit.livejournal.com]

Glad you're alright and that the kitties survived.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I know the strays take refuge in the sewer during blizzards so I worry they'll get drownded in something like this, but they are wicked smart and pretty damned scrappy, so they did fine.

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy for you!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you weathered the storm well. It's good to be prepared for emergencies.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I did, then I spent this week being exhausted. (-:

[ex-lbilover.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear your power is back and all's well with you and the kitties!!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!! I hope your parents and brother are hanging in there and I really hope they've gotten their power back.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

*hugs to Saki and company (AND YOU)* from Helo and I!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

*would hug you both back but I know you've been having it hot, so hands you an ice tea and scritches Helo*

[mechtild.livejournal.com]

I AM SO GLAD IT WASN'T WORSE!!!!! Thank heaven your power wasn't off for ages - didn't that happen to you recently? And such progress with Ostra! I'm so pleased for you both.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think I've lost everything in the freezer 3 times in the last couple of years. So I was determined to not have that happen this time, but it sure was exhausting--those poor folks who got the brunt of it!

Yeah, I don't think they qualify as feral anymore. A. keeps saying she's going to trap them and take them to a rescuer with a cat farm, but I'll believe it when it happens. But now that I can tell people that Ostra is a pettable cat and I'm hoping Brigit gets there--and I'm thinking now she will--I'm going to keep my ears open for a home for them. In the meantime, the kitties and I will keep enjoying each other. (-: