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Riding The Storm Out
Thursday, 4 September 2008
your opinions sought!
I'm looking for input from people who have actually interacted with - preferably used - the Midland XT511 GMRS "basecamp"-style radio.  I want something like this to have scattered about in the various houses that comprise our family's holdings so that we can talk to each other easily should everything else go out.  Reviews of it on amazon.com avg out to 2.5 of 5, but I don't know those people.  So, if anyone has any sort of experience, please sound off.  Thanks!

Posted by outlands at 1:43 PM EDT
normalcy restored!
Mood:  happy

Water came back on around midnight.  My son and I were up looking at Star Wars goodies on ebay and heard the antique ice-maker in the freezer dump a load of ice.  We just stared at each other for long seconds before huge grins erupted.  It was all we could do to not cheer!

 

Overall, we've had very little storm damage in our immediate area.  Mostly we have dead limbs down and little limb-tips scattered all over our yard.  Once you start working outward, oak trees have been uprooted and pine and sweet-gum trees have been snapped off.  I haven't heard about anyone suffering any structural damage in the family, for which we know we are very blessed.

 

Rebecca and I have been discussing things and we are working on a list of "lessons learned" that I plan to share, so stay tuned.


Posted by outlands at 9:21 AM EDT
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
evening check-in
Mood:  happy

Power is back!!  Water, however, is not...

 

Now I just need to label the breakers, since we now know what several of them *are*!


Posted by outlands at 10:43 PM EDT
morning check-in
Aunt says Entergy is telling her power should be restored tomorrow (Thursday) some time.  Hopefully that also restores water.  All in all, we are in fine shape and not hurting for anything other than a hot shower. :D

Posted by outlands at 10:32 AM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 3 September 2008 10:43 AM EDT
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
broke out the power supplies
Mood:  lucky
Dun Coille checking in again...

Pulled out the s'urban battery and the monster inverter (2000/4000 peak) to run the laptop.  Turns out the 100w baby was too small.  Water remains out, as does power.  Power, taken out to the town (and I suppose the water system?) by a single tree?, is expected to be restored around 2300 hrs tonight.  Hopefully that restores water, as well.  No damage to the houses on the hill here, and no major effects on the trees, only dead branches being knocked loose.

It is still raining.

My buddy, evac'd up from Lafayette, got called back to work today.  Seems his airport is now the central hub for military air - since Baton Rouge and Lake Charles airports seem to have run out of fuel.  So, he has to work his way back through pretty much the reciprocal path of the storm.  *sigh*

Posted by outlands at 1:22 PM EDT
computing by candlelight
Mood:  special
Here I am, rocked by a hurricane!  Power is expected to be restored by 11pm tonight.  However, we are now without water as well as power.  Small community water system that serves our area appears to have lost power to the pumps.  It is still raining.  The kids are running (literally) a bucket-brigade from the drip-line of the roof to the bathtub for wash/flush water.  So far so good...

Posted by outlands at 10:26 AM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 2 September 2008 10:31 AM EDT
Monday, 1 September 2008
more storm coverage
Well, we've had high winds and rain since about 6pm.  It's now 10:30pm and after quite a bit of flickering, the power seems to be off to stay.

Posted by outlands at 11:30 PM EDT
Updated: Monday, 1 September 2008 11:36 PM EDT
We are riding the storm out...
Mood:  lucky
Now Playing: Riding The Storm Out - REO Speedwagon

Doing what we do best!

Dun Coille update, approx 60 miles n-nw from Alexandria, LA:

Mild weather so far - stronger than normal wind and very light rain.  (stronger than normal is still less than most people have on a daily basis)  Our friend made it up from Lafayette just after 1am today.

Spent some time "up the hill" with the aunts and Mammaw - took them a couple bottles of lamp oil and a GMRS handset for if/when power fails.  Went over their supplies and plans and discussed some future preps.

Overall, we're in great shape so far. 


Posted by outlands at 4:34 PM EDT
Updated: Monday, 1 September 2008 11:13 PM EDT
Thursday, 28 August 2008
online combat forms!
Mood:  cheeky

ebay-jitsu - This form allows practicioners to find mislabled or miscategorized items of interest and to bid on them in such a way as to win the item for a pittance.

google-fu - Practicioners of this art can find literally anything on the internet.  Anything.  Plans for Air Force One, locations of Soviet missile silos, Patrick Hurley's favorite drink - ANYthing.

wikido - These artists know how to nail down the facts as known to the general public and recorded in the wikipedia. 

Wikido and Google-fu adherents can often be found trying to prove which art is the more comprehensive.

 

(some of us have waaaaaay too much imagination...)

 


Posted by outlands at 3:54 PM EDT
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Family Business & Hurricanes
Mood:  d'oh

Allen has made it safely to Kuwait.  Now, he just has to make it through the rest of his deployment in such shape...

 

Okay - if you live in the Gulf South, I'm sure you realize Gustav went "from zero to 60 in nothing flat."  If you are in the Gulf South and don't have a plan for responding to Gustav, figuring you'll wait to see which way he breaks before starting to worry,  then you are on the wrong site!!  If you don't already have your stuff together and think it would be a good idea, let me plug a website:

http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/p/map.html

Our farm, Dun Coille, is already on standby to receive evacuees.  They have their stuff together.  If you don't, you might have time to get through enough of Shane's materials to get a leg up on Gustav.  IF you start right now.


Posted by outlands at 9:34 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 26 August 2008 9:51 PM EDT

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