2020 redux

[bill_schubert]

I'm drinking hot coffee in a warm house so everything else is in the context that I'm basically whining.  We're not in a shelter and we are all healthy and fairly warm and safe.

Our pipes have not burst.  Of course I won't know that for certain until it gets warmer in a couple of days.  But I think we're OK.  

We had electricity all night, a pleasant surprise.  With my CPAP I'm very aware of electric outages.  Without it I'd likely sleep through but when the air pressure I need to breathe comfortably drops it tends to wake me.

With the stable electricity the water company can start getting their treatment facility back online.  The toilet was filled this morning and we have a trickle of water.  I'm sure it is contaminated so the pots Dana filled before this started and the case of water bottles she has are gold.  It is nice living with a paranoid woman sometimes.  I just cruise along figuring I'll handle whatever comes.  She worries.  It is a good combination.

We never lost natural gas.  Having a gas stovetop was/is wonderful.  I can cook nearly anything and we can boil water without needing electricity.

I suspect we'll be boiling water for a week.  The utility web site and notification system is barely past yelling from one ranch to the next to boil the water out of the well.  They are at least a day behind in posting news.  NextDoor has been more reliable, which is a really sad commentary that I will be passing on to city council.

We are slowly clawing our way up Maslow's pyramid of needs.  Nearly up to the second level.

Our stores, HEB, are going to be a disaster for weeks.  Some of them, at least, had to toss everything refrigerated after the power loss.  And lines.  We will have lines.  We're going to run out of milk and eggs soon.  Once the roads are safe I'll make a run.  We've still got food in the freezer and all the rice and macaroni and pasta and canned stuff in our pantry so we're not going hungry.  Maybe Sunday when they open.  Early bird.  

Saturday and Sunday are well above freezing so I suspect we'll be mostly melted before the beginning of next week.

And the noise all jumps immediately to the fortresses of politics.  It was because the Dems forced Texas to have windmills.  It was because the right won't regulate.  

The supposedly intelligent leaders we elect go on national news shows spouting partisan rhetoric in the middle of the disaster.  

It reminds me of Sartre's NO EXIT.  Given an opportunity to leave the room that is our hell, we choose to stay and continue our patterns. 

Yes, 2020 is alive and well.  Sad.

Dystopian suburbia

Comments

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Sartre's play is a perfect analogy. My brother's side of the family is spouting the nonsense about the wind turbines. (The wind turbines can be winterized). One nephew (the Q-ANON, anti-Vaccer, religious cult follower, prepper) was so ugly to me yesterday, I may have to cut ties altogether. The reason? Because I suggested winterizing utilities and strengthening building codes in Texas might be helpful going forward. Anyway, I'm glad you've got electric; hopefully, you'll have access to safe water soon.

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the wind turbine stuff is ridiculous. It is 20% of the electric infrastructure in Texas. We have more than anywhere else because it is a bigger state! We have more freakin' coal power than wind and natural gas over twice as much. Such a stupid discussion to have in the dark.

The issue came out to be, I think, that they just did not spin up enough reserve to cover all the people running their heat pumps at full blast 24 hours a day. So it caused overloads and they blacked out and the water utils don't have autobackup of their filtering systems so water died.

You know, those first world contingencies that well governed countries automatically consider.

Sorry about your nephew. Fortunately I have a VERY small family.

[somedayseattle.livejournal.com]

I am glad you made it through (relatively) well. I know a lot of texans wish they were in your boots today.

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we're lucky. And we can flush, not a small thing.

[wildcelticrose2.livejournal.com]

I feel so bad (and horrified and angry) over what is happening in Texas right now.

A friend just moved there from Seattle with chickens and several parrots. (All of which they are living in one warmish room with)

I hope this is over for all of you soon and that policies and people can be put in place to prevent this from happening again.

Maybe start by turning Ted Cruz away when he tries to cross the border back from Cancun.

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

The interesting part of this for me (other than going a day or so melting snow for the toilet) is that everyone is treating this as an event that will never happen again. And that might be so. OR... OR... we might be looking at climate change and this is the winter version of increased hurricanes and such. We'll see in another year or so but I'll be much more ready next year.

[igorota75.livejournal.com]

I hope you continue to stay safe.

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I think we're in pretty good shape. A freeze tonight then in the 60's over the next couple of days. Melting rivers of slush!