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 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.

 

 

 

 

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.