November 8, 2012 - Hurricane Sandy - Day 11

 

The Nor’easter was essentially a nonevent here last night.  During the day yesterday we had some rain and sleet which turned to wet snow in the afternoon, lasting overnight.  There was no accumulation.  The winds were a bit gusty and rather chilly today, but overall the temperature was up a bit.

We were alone here at the site today.  I went to the rec center around 11 AM for a much appreciated, long, hot shower.  Even though we are dressed appropriately (Dave and I both have insulated overalls) and our RV is indeed well-insulated, it was simply one of those days yesterday with a damp chill that it was just hard to get warm.  That shower this morning felt darn good.

Between us, Dave and I saw four different gas stations without fuel for sale today.  Things are far from the usual normal in the area at this point.

Shortly after I arrived home from my shower, I saw this.

This beautiful convoy of eight power trucks pulled into the driveway of the property!  What a sight to behold!  I went out to meet them and, sure enough, they were here to help us.

Within 30 minutes, they had us lit.  I turned off both generators, rigged the office trailer to hook our RV back in, checked the pump down in the pump house and bingo!  We had power and water!  (Dave was out grabbing some much-needed bike time to maintain what little sanity he had left at this point.) 

Whoooohoooo!

Tomorrow I can do laundry and start putting back together our home and the office.  Things have been a’clutter around here during the outage.  My office is how I left it – in hurricane mode – when we evacuated.  With no power (no heat, no lights) there was no sense in trying to mess with it.  Now that we have power, I can see if the cable Internet is working.

Earlier today Dave suggested we go to the Perkins Restaurant for breakfast Saturday as a wee treat.  Yum!  He doesn’t have to ask me twice!

Tonight we are absolutely chilling out.  I can take a shower before bed as is my usual routine.  We can turn in early if we want; no more staying up until 11 PM to refuel the generator.  Tomorrow I can put on fresh clothes.  I have been wearing the same insulated overalls (changing my top and other items) since the Monday Sandy blew through.  I have a second pair but was saving them in case these became totally disgusting and I needed clean ones.  That’s probably TMI, but there ya go; that’s the reality of the situation.

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to those still without power and the basic comforts.  So many have lost so much and we keep them close. Even those we work with had a foot of snow overnight, are once again without power and have more trees down on their properties.

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior.

November 7, 2012 - Insecure Writers Support Group

It’s time yet once again for a post as part of the Insecure Writers Support Group.

We are wrapping up Day 9 without power and water.  Yes, we have a generator and are fine right now for bottled water.  (Thanks to the volunteers at Wal-Mart distributing free water the other day!)

Our days are focused on maintaining power to our RV, keeping ourselves and our wee doggie Maggie warm.  My writing efforts are limited to updating my blog chronicling our life on the road as full-time RVers.  I invite you to visit and follow along at Phoenix Once Again for a view of life before, during and after the Hurricane Sandy/Nor’easter combo.

Thanks so much for visiting!  Now go write!

I am a Warrior.

November 5, 2012 - Hurricane Sandy - Days 7 and 8 Off the Grid

 

Our days now revolve around power.  Here’s our daily routine:

7:00 AM:  Turn off generator and refill its tank.  Turn it back on to do breakfast, recharge various devices and get on Internet.

If needed, Dave goes in search of gas to refill our gas cans.

11:30 AM:  Turn off generator.

Around 4:30 PM:  Turn on generator.

10:30 PM:  Turn off generator, refill its tank and turn back on for the overnight shift.  Nights are below freezing, so we must keep the rig warm enough for us, Maggie and for our pipes, etc. 

7:00 AM:  Repeat the cycle.

It’s a juggling act keeping cell phones, laptops, batteries for the industrial-grade flashlights we use and other items charged.  This is charged; plug that in.  Repeat as necessary.

We’re also without water as we’re on a well here, so we’re very conservative with what we do use.

We are trying to stretch our power resources (generator, RV battery, propane) by using this rotation.

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Day 7 Off the Grid

Dave left before 7 AM and was lucky to score some gas for our cans.  At Wal-Mart he also got four free cases (three one-gallon jugs per case) of water.  Volunteer workers encouraged him to take more water and some ice, but he declined; there are others who are in more need than us.

Neighbors across the street were so very gracious in allowing me to do a load of laundry – socks, undershirts, thermals and underwear.

Dave went to the Riegel Ridge Fitness Center to take of advantage  of a free shower.

I really don’t remember much else, but I know we stayed pretty busy until evening.

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Day 8 (Today) Off the Grid

Day 8 matches our previous record off the grid which occurred during last year’s Nor’easter.  Looks like Dave gets his wish to break our record.

5:30 AM:  Awakened from an extremely deep slumber by a phone call from a power company lineman sitting at the gate needing onto the property.  He was going to begin preliminary steps to restoring power.

I was in a total zombie state all morning after being jolted awake.   Dave resumed clearing the property of fallen branches and larger limbs.  I fielded a few business calls and felt very out of it.

11:45:  It was my turn to boogie up to the fitness center for a luxurious hot shower and I knew I would feel better after showering.  One of the ladies at the reception desk remembered me from last year’s Nor’easter.  It was good to have a wee yap session with other women; that’s what I miss most about our situation here. 

While showering, my phone rang.  I wasn’t about to interrupt my luxuriating under the hot water, so when I checked my voicemail, Dave said there were about five power company trucks on the property.  They were here to continue the process of getting power back online, although we still have no idea when we will be restored.

Sunshine greeted me on exiting the fitness center for the first time in over a week!

My next stop was the market, where I picked up a few more provisions in view of the Nor’easter scheduled to blow in here Tuesday night/Wednesday.

The last of the power crew left the property just a few minutes ago.  They were mostly from Virginia, but also from Tennessee and North Carolina.  Told those guys how much we appreciate them coming up to help out.

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Tonight is Guy Fawkes Night in Scotland and we wanted to have a campfire, even a wee one for a wee while.  Dave has wood prepared, and at this writing is going to see if the wind has died down enough to do so safely.

I will say that the company we are contracted to is working on a plan so we don’t get caught without power in the future.  I’ll also say that our security company is working to help us out financially a bit in the interim; we are forking out a lot of money right now for gas to keep us with power.

We didn’t plan to boondock, but we are; don’t look for us at Quartzite or on BLM land in Arizona.  We’re coping and very grateful for what we have, but we’re not incorporating boondocking into our RV lifestyle.

This was long and I apologize, but it was two days’ worth and then some. 

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters who continue to suffer, to cope with losses I dare not attempt to comprehend and to bravely rebuild their lives.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I am a Warrior.

 

 

 

 

November 2, 2012 - Hurricane Sandy - Days 4 and 5

 

Day 4 – Thursday

This photo was taken across the street from a large Quick Chek convenience store/gas station in town. The store is behind the blue dump truck and actually even off the photo, a bit to the left.  If you enlarge the photo, you’ll see a long line of cars waiting for gas.  This was taken in the late afternoon on Thursday.  The same scene was being played out at every station in the area that was open.

That’s all I’m going to say about Thursday except that it was a depressing and somewhat scary day, reading about the gas shortages, seeing it firsthand, seeing folks driving foolishly and dangerously,  and wondering if we would be able to keep our generator and ourselves going and, if so, for how long.

Day 5 – Friday

After coffee this morning, I called around to see who had gas.  Our usual local places didn’t even answer the phone and the Quick Chek mentioned above was out.  I called the TA truck stop on I-78 where we get propane.  The guy said they did, but the line was starting to get long.  Dave set out and was successful in filling our empty gas cans and the company truck.  He said it was pretty much a mess with semi’s going in and out of the truck stops and cars waiting in line for gas.

Cell phone service is better, but not yet 100% reliable.

I contacted the company who supplies propane and other gases to the mill; if I let them know about 24 hours beforehand, they can come fill our tanks.

Our main concern is getting gas for the generator.  Now we have enough to get through Monday morning, if we are conservative with our usage.

We then ventured out to the grocery store and were able to get food provisions, mainly soups and other dry types of meals.  I was lucky to find milk, eggs, cheese and some ground meat.  We stocked up pretty well because . . .

There is the possibility – or probability – that we will see the effects of a Nor’easter next week.  Even with a bit of ice, we will most likely lose power.  (Not that we have power right now . . .)   Of course, we lose power here sometimes even when it’s a nice day out!  I wanted to get a preliminary stock of provisions today versus over the weekend or at the last minute when everyone else would be shopping and already limited supplies would be diminished.

Although our onboard tank shows 3/4 full, we stocked up on bottled water today, too.  We are being very frugal.  We both had very quick showers Wednesday night.

Yep, today’s Friday.  We could use a wash.  Thank goodness for Handi Wipes!  That may have been TMI, sorry.

After returning home, there were still things to be done.  Fill the gen, crank it up.  Drain our water hose and disconnect it from the rig in case of freezing.  Check on a couple of things in the mill for the office down in Hamilton.  Things like that.

We did see this today . . .

This is the first JCPL truck on the property!  What a beautiful sight!  Unfortunately, they were here just to cut off a broken live wire and then had to go down the road to Finesville; there was a hot wire on the ground that had to be taken care of immediately.  I was told we probably will have power tomorrow; I’m thinking realistically that means Sunday or Monday if we’re lucky.

These guys are working hard; one of the linemen said they are provided two hot meals a day but they had been skipping lunch and just having dinner around 8 PM and working until 11 PM.  You bet I expressed our gratitude!  Even if we do not have power yet, they are getting power back to the area in general faster than after the Nor’easter in October of last year and faster than after Hurricane Irene last year.

Last week I had made stew and put some in the freezer.  It survived Sandy, so it thawed yesterday and tonight we had our first “real” hot meal since Monday’s breakfast.

Totally yummy with a bit of bread

Now we’re just chilling out; we’re both pretty dang tired.  The community center up the hill is open with free showers, so we will both take advantage of that tomorrow.

Well, hey, we just noticed that lights are back at the park across the street and in surrounding homes.  Our site is always the very last to have power restored.

Maybe tomorrow . . .

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I am a Warrior.

October 28, 2012 - Hurricane Sandy Update - Sunday

 

I think this will be short because I feel like I’m finally winding down and getting a bit tired.  No wonder; we were busy from the get today, securing our rig and the property as it affects our home.

We have been here at the hotel since around 3:30 PM or so.  It’s pretty much of a dive, but we knew to expect that.  We have WiFi in our room and cable TV, and got a little microwave and very tiny fridge.  Glad I brought the Handi Wipes; I’ve wiped down everything in the room, including microwave and fridge, and we stripped the beds of the bedspreads.   Good news is it is easy to take Maggie out for walks.  We were just looking for someplace nearby and for shelter for the next couple of days and nights.

We brought food for our own makeshift dinner of sorts.  There’s two queen beds, so this evening Dave and I each claimed one for a bit of lay down quiet time.  Maggie, as usual, split her distribution of affection between us, going from one bed after a while to the other.

Food, snacks, drinks, beer and Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur . . . and I still have a few pain pills, which may be a good thing after doing a lot of physical work the last couple of days.

Sandy is an historic storm, being about 900 miles in diameter.  If it wasn’t troubling, it would be a thing of awe. 

Starting tomorrow morning through Tuesday afternoon should be interesting, a bit rough and perhaps even a bit scary if things pan out like they say. 

We have done all we can, so all we do now is wait, monitor the situation, trying to stay safe and praying for a good outcome for ourselves and others in Sandy’s path.

Thanks for stopping by!

 I am a Warrior.

October 27, 2012 - Updated Plans for Hurricane Sandy

 

After looking for a viable evacuation route yesterday morning for about two hours – checking forecasts for interstate highways and possible landing spots, talking with campgrounds about their forecasts and seeing that the weather there would be dodgy also – we altered our plans and will be hunkering down here.

We will close up, lock down and secure our rig and then move to a local hotel tomorrow.  We plan to check on the rig and property daily if weather conditions permit us getting out and about safely.

We spent the morning clearing the property around us of potential flying projectiles, taping windows in the office trailer and gathering items to take with us to the hotel. 

Staying or leaving is a crap shoot.  Our concerns with leaving included being out on congested highways with panicked folks and quite possibly encountering rough weather while traveling. 

Destinations I considered also had rough weather coming in either the form of Hurricane Sandy or wind/snow from the front approaching from the West.  We could conceivably end up in worse conditions than here. 

Even in ideal weather, there is always the risk of mechanical breakdown, blowouts, etc. when towing a 40-foot RV.

It’s a crap shoot either way and always has been in situations like this.  Living on the Texas Gulf Coast, I have sheltered in place and I have evacuated.

At least here we know the area and the resources available to us.  There are no trees directly around our rig to fall on it.  The Musconetcong River is 1-2 feet lower than it was prior to Hurricane Irene last year, so we are hoping that it will not escape its banks.  (Even during Irene when the river came out of its banks, the water did not threaten our rig at all.)  I have the iPhone app Flood Watch, which monitors river levels, so I can keep an eye on the “Muskie” from the hotel.

We are located essentially on the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border, inland from the coast (so hopefully Sandy will weaken a bit before reaching us, as hurricanes typically do once making landfall)  and in a valley with a mountain right behind us; therefore, we are  somewhat protected from winds, although we do get weird swirling winds here which could ultimately prove to be an issue. 

We have contacts to call who can see the property from their home nearby, so we can be in touch to monitor our rig and status of the property if need be.  If we have to come pull the rig out due to potential flooding, we should be able to haul it about a block up the road to higher ground like we did last year during Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.  (That spot, although higher ground, leaves our rig much more exposed to winds, so we will only do it if flooding is a direct threat.) 

Our generator is construction-grade and too big to transport with us (and too heavy for just Dave and I to lift), so at least we will have a source of power here after the storm passes.  Genny got moved into the mill and higher ground today to stay cozy and dry.

We have several full cans of gas for Genny.  We have four propane tanks; two are in the rig (and will be shut off prior to our leaving) and two full surplus tanks on-site.  That’s our usual routine, especially during Winter months.

The company we are contracted to has very graciously offered to pay for our hotel stay.  Although we are “only contractors,” they treat us with the most concern and caring from an employer I have seen in decades.  We all do seem to work together as a easygoing, respectful and fun team in both trialing times and when the going is easy.  We were even given the option of putting our rig in the mill; the boss would have sent guys up yesterday or today to move stuff out of the way if necessary.  We decided against this for various logistical reasons; besides, it would be too tight a squeeze getting it in.

Yes, we are taking a risk staying.  Our rig may get flooded, topple over or be otherwise damaged. 

We would have been taking a risk leaving.

We are hoping, as are millions others in the region, that we will come through just fine regarding material possessions, including our home.

It’s a crap shoot.  You weigh your options, make your decision and take your shot.  Then you live with your decision come what may.

As devastating as destruction of our home or vehicle would be, as long as Dave, Maggie and I are safe and together . . .

Life is good.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I am a Warrior.