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After a massive ice storm last night, we never lost power at the house \0/ (YES!) But, upon arrival at my studio, I have no power, and it's 49 degrees there, (BRRRR) Expecting a low of 0-5 tonight.
So, amid the scramble by the locals to secure generators and kerosene heaters, I am sitting in a coffee shop downtown, (one of the few places with power) and cruising the net. I am amazed of how necessary electricity is! Even if I had painting I could do, it's too durn cold!
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3485 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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We bought a generator out of our personal money but most of the time it sits in the shop. Just in case we need it. We had to take it home recently, as we lost power there. We have a 3000 sq ft house and its big enough to run the furnace, refrigerators, water pump and electronics (tv's & Computers) so that gets us by. We went to many years without one and I would never do it again.
-------------------- Laura Butler Vision Graphics & Sign 4479 Welch Rd Attica, Mi 48412 Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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68 here yesterday.... An all time record. Wind is blowing like crazy right now, the power has been off and on like 6 times this Am. Supposed to be a high of 20 tomorrow. Where's the SNOW????
-------------------- Ed The Signwerks 1951 SR 254 Orangeville, Pa. Posts: 199 | From: Orangeville, Pa. USA | Registered: Dec 2000
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""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3485 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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It went south of us there Rick. Madison and Green Bay got the worst of it. We're just gettin the cold from our northern brothers and sisters. Car battery freezing stuff, had to break out the gloves today.
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Rick, You enjoyed the sights of a hurricane area via yoru volunteering to help during your Christmas break.. Now you get to sample lack of power. It's interseting, Is it not??
Just to let you all (is it youse guys?)know from a little personal experience.. Just a little ... If you have some special need for power then your generator purchase is likely covered by insurance.
For example. If you use a CPAP machine. You could be paid for a generator by the ins co because you must use that CPAP. If someone in your family must have any electrical powered medical device then you could be covered,,
I get to sample this winter stuff finally... ITs down to below freezing. I had to scrap the ice of my car window this morning. Man this is hard work.
Start the car, let it run a few minutes while I scrap the windows, get in and hold a steering wheel so cold I could use it for an ice pack, use the windshiled washer to clean off the rest of the ice from the windscreen and have that instantly freeze into solid ice so thick you cannot see. Have to stop and scrape the window again and have drivers behind blowing horns ,,, sheesh.. This is goona be very interesting
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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Raymond's MC router coats MDO when the power is out. Sawatzky's MultiCam just sits there taking up space. Hmmmm... it's almost time for a side to side comparison of the features.
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5084 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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its extremely windy here today...50mph gusts...well aaaalrighty then...that means i really shouldn't be using the desktops, versacamm, cnc or anything that gets tweaked with power surges...i think taking friday afternoon off with the hubby sounds like a great idea! have a great weekend folks!
rick...go home and enjoy the afternoon!
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Rick, Go home, make some hot chocolate and play with your kids when they get home from school.
Sometimes nature is telling you to take the day off.
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3722 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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Rick, If you have a lot of supplies that aren't supposed to freeze (paints, glue, caulk, etc.) it might be worth buying a small propane heater and moving all those items to one heated room in your shop. Be careful about venting, though. Good luck.
-------------------- Eric Barker Rosewood Design LaGrande,Oregon Posts: 107 | From: La Grande, OR | Registered: May 2002
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About the 8th or 10th Sunny day here...40F on the deck in the shade, freezing and lower at night. After 2 months of rain, this is Fine!
-------------------- John Lennig / Big Top Sign Arts 5668 Ewart Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada bigtopya@hotmail.com 604.451.0006 Posts: 2184 | From: Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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I just got in a load of fully seasoned firewood so I am armed and ready for our power to blow! I dare it!
I also picked up a small battery type generator strong enough to run small appliances. At the very least, it can help a lamp light up so I can read at night. Never did like just going to bed only for the sake of not being able to see anything.
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rick i feel for ya, really. we had IVAN here sept 04. 2 weeks no power...i have a 6.5kw generator, so i was ok. also it never went below 70!!!!!!! so i was not cold in the least. i did my time in the frozen north for the 1st 30 years of my life, seen -75 temps, moved 5-6 ft of snow with a tractor.....I KNOW all about it, dont like it and never will subject my body to that punishment. iam so bad now, its 50 here and iam sittin with my feet on a heating pad!!!!!!!!!
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Well, we got power back around 2pm EST. The whole business district was down. Couldn't even buy gas. Now, the wind is picking up, it's getting colder outside by the minute...Guess it's a good excuse to work indoors tomorrow
(Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow" or something like that.
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3485 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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Weird weather,,, our 68 degrees hit on valentines day followed by 9 degrees (inch of snow, rain and slush, then it froze!) the parking lot is jagged with ice, everything is slick as ice. Going to Chicago now, with 5 letterhead tshirts on.
[ February 17, 2006, 05:37 PM: Message edited by: Deb Fowler ]
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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Glad you got it back Rick. We were OK here in TC. got about 16" of the white stuff yesterday and another 8-10 last night. I plowed the shop and home for over an hour this morning.
Keep warm and have a good weekend.
-------------------- Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modzel@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1356 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3485 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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Curtis, Welcome to Michigan...and this has been a pretty mild winter. I rmemeber one winter that the gas froze up in the gaslines on my vehicle.
When I went to Meyer's Winter Muster year or so ago, I left Michigan and it was about 5 degrees. I was budled up here in the heaviest coat I had. I get there and its -5 but yet it doesn't feel as cold. I would walk next door to eat in just my denim, long sleeved shirt. Go figure.
-------------------- Laura Butler Vision Graphics & Sign 4479 Welch Rd Attica, Mi 48412 Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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When out of candles, find a piece of 'fat pine', easiest way to do this is to find an old rotten pine log. The knots are so full of resin that they don't rot as soon. That resin will burn like a candle,knot and all, be sure to put it in some sort of tin, as the hot resin will drip. Ask me how I know.
Of course, I couldn't just blow it, no, I had to do it in front of probably 50 people. I was putting on an antique tool and wood demonstartion, and while showing the fat pine candle deal, a flaming drip fell on the backside of my left hand. Felt like jumping around and screaming, but just had to smile and keep talking.
Oh yeah, corn chips burn real well too. And if you do the fat pine deal, it's not so good in a room painted white. Kind of sooty.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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In fear of another hurricane this season I invested money in a power inverter that is hard wired under the hood of my truck. Should the power go out for any length of time, I can run an extension cord to my refrigerator and keep my heinekens icy cold. Thats all that really matters in times of desperation.
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
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jim down here we call "fat pine" "LIGHTER KNOT". stuff will burn for hours....
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Rick, after ten years of cloudy solar, flat batteries and wearing out three generators, we connected to the mains grid six months ago- it's wonderful! We still have the batteries permanently set up so all rooms have two sets of switches- one at 240V ac, and one at 12V dc, and the genny can be truned over to power the house at a spin. In the meantime, break out the pencils, paper & brushes.
(failing that, get a car cigarette lighter adaptor for your laptop, and bring in a spare car 12 volt battery, and connect the two with crocodile clips, and you'll get about 8 hours or so use from it.)
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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The ancient Egyptians stuck those in their ears as candle holders!!! DUH!! While they hand-lettered hieroglyphics! My God! We just unearthed the real use of ear candles!!
And all this stupid stuff about religious 'ceremonies' and 'therapy'!!
And all along, ear candles were the very practical source of hands-free, 'close & even' lighting for SIGN painters!
I can see you now Dudettah . . .
Mercy . . . I gotta learn to post pics so y'all can see it too . . .
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Rick, how are the Michiganites doing now? It's minus 4 without the windchill. wow, that's a perty fancy coffee shop! cyber coffee wow. that's mountains better than barnes and nobles!
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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We were without power ALL DAMN NIGHT!!! A car hit a pole somewhere and 400 homes were without power. No heat and no running water! It shows you just how "powerless" man has become in the grand scheme of things. Love.....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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I hear you, power in the winter is mighty nice.
The storm hit here friday morning the temperature dropped from 50 to about 10 degrees, we lost power for 24 hrs, a transmission line was knocked out by high winds. 150,000 people without power. Some won't see power until Wed. can you imagine the frozen pipes?
I can. A few years ago I came home from a week in California to frozen baseboard pipes, even the toilet was frozen. I got the house warm using kerosene heaters, then I had to repair broken pipes in 12 places.
Now I have battery backup for the entire house. Because the wood fired boiler needs electricity to run the fan and circulator.
ernie
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1695 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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ear candles were the very practical source of hands-free, 'close & even' lighting for SIGN painters!
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