Raincharm’s Weblog

Most important? This morning we got a newspaper.

The area ice-storm started more as a ice-slush storm on our block (see the newspaper in its little jacket)

There is still now on the ground. I don’t know how many days in a row that make is so far.

Day 3 buddies

One buddy partied a bit too hard apparently

I am once again telecommuting.
Work is out of power and running on generator. However, that means no heat.
I tried for solidarity for a while with folks at work, by not turning up the heat (which goes to 66 degrees during the day). I know my mother would think this was balmy, but I like about 70 degrees thank you.

The ice-rain of first thing this morning changed to snow, and now it looks as though it is morphing back to a “wintry-mix”.

And I just got a call from work, where we have activated our Emergency Operations Center. This is mostly to respond to widespread power outages. But, I have been notified to be prepared for the 2nd shift, which would start at 7 PM.

REPORT 2

It is 6:35 PM, and I am still at home.
That is because it was decided that I would not be “essential” for tonights activities at work. I am happy with that decision, although I had put myself into the frame of mind to be ready to go.
I washed up for the day, put on long underwear, underarmour top, found my headlamp, work badge, warm socks, and was putting that all together when …
The phone rang and I was released. If I had not been busy getting ready, I wonder where I would be now.

I have played a bit part in work today. Doing some work, answering questions about whether we should declare this an emergency. (We did) Most of the day I have found my position to be “situational awareness.” That means I had the TV on in the background. And they did play news ALL DAY.

Despite our efforts to get our press release out through several channels, our primary city press person was not aware that we had requested folks to conserve water. So when the newperson (who does look at press releases) asked the City person about the sewer situation, his answer was, “I am not aware of any situation.” Now he had been e-mailed and a phone message left, but …. We re-e-mailed, and sent a more robust explanation to the TV station as well. Now it has become part of the story they are telling.

The situation is – we are completely out of power at work. We run sewer lift stations and wells, water booster pumps, … We do have generators to operate the facilities and spend our time operating the generators, fueling the generators, hauling fuel to the generators.  We have not stopped operating, but if folks use less water then we don’t have to re-fuel as frequently. One of the primary problems in the long run for our area is finding fuel after a day or two. I hear it may be several days before we are back in power.

Here at home we are toasty warm, lights blazing.

We did shovel (Carl) and clear the snow off of the carport.
The snow was lighter snow from yesterday and before, an ice layer from last night/this morning, more lighter snow from today. We got about 2 additional inches on top of the ice layer. This was unexpected, as it was supposed to warm up and rain today.

yesterday's snow on bottom, ice ledge, today's snow on top

See the ice layer in the snow on top of the car.
And school has already been cancelled for tomorrow.
We also found out from a neighbor that our napping snowman was due to a young couple knocking it over last night.

The snow has started up again over night.
Way south (about 1/2 way to Portland) they have over 1 foot.
We have 1″ new so far, and it is snowing.

Start of day 3 of snow week - No newspaper

Same picture – a short time later

Sun is up, about 1/2 inch more snow (at least), and still no newspaper

My decision – go to work, or stay and telecommute.
My problem – my car-pooler is planning to go in, just leave late.

The latest newscast has shown problems on some of the transitions around our neighborhood. I brought work home, and am currently leaning that direction.
How will this be perceived at work? If I am able to get on-line, and get much done – probably won’t be too much in the way of repercussions.

Decision yet to come.

Decision has arrived. It is almost 11 AM, and still snowing. I am staying home.

Snow person with added skirt. A hoop skirt I think.

Late afternoon, and it is transitioning from snow to to freezing drizzle

The snow today, at least where I have been located, has been minimal.
The roads this morning were actually a bit worse than yesterday, but the light flurries that have been around all day have not accumulated.
In fact, I-90 was dry on the drive home.
And Carl reported everything from wet, to blizzard to sun in Seattle.

The big snow is supposed to come tomorrow.
The forecast seems to keep moving a bit into the future.
And maybe a bit further south.
And maybe a bit less than the 6″-14″ they originally predicted.

But, on the strength of the predictions, NOAA and NWS predictions, not just TV stations, many things have been cancelled. I myself cancelled a Wednesday 8 AM meeting at work. We postponed a Thursday AM meeting that required a consultant from across the Sound. Seattle Public Schools and several others have already cancelled Wednesday classes. All of this with nothing that would keep folks from making their appointed rounds.

This morning classes were cancelled in some locations, 2 hours late in many others. After getting his charge to school at the appointed time, it started to snow (as the bell rang). Then after a few hours of learning they decided to let the kids out. The 1 PM departure occurred as the snow stopped and the sun came out. It’s all in the timing.

Growing up in Michigan there was the saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes.” The same adage could hold true here. Or perhaps, “If you don’t like the weather, drive 5 miles.”

Personally, I hope it snows hard tomorrow. Before the morning commute time so it will be an easy decision to work from home. And stays through the day, but is handled by the Thursday AM commute. This will allow the public works folks to pat themselves on the back, the school folks to not look too reliant upon forecasts, as well as helping out my personal desire to stay home.

Pictures? Well, since there wasn’t much to add today – look over the pictures from the past two days. (And it was dark when I got home, but the snowplayer is still looking fit.)

This is the week of snow for 2012. At least as predicted.
It really started yesterday, but we did not have to go anywhere, so it hardly counted.

Today was a day I had to get to work, and had to be the driver.
Of the two car-poolers I share rides with one is from Chicago and has a 4-wheel drive vehicle. That means he is willing to drive in anything, and has an attitude about it. I am not complaining, because that usually means I don’t have to drive on dicey weather days. But today was a “floater” holiday. This means the office is open, but you don’t have to participate. He was not participating.

The other car-pooler is Hawaii born and bred. He doesn’t do snow. At least not if he can help it. So, he was dropped at my house this morning, and I got to drive. Compact ice on our street, but we are a flat street. The rest of the roads looked icy, but clearer. We went I-90, not to avoid the toll, but to avoid the reportedly icy corner on SR 520 at the Marymoor corner. I will pay a toll to get a better drive in the snow. The parking lot at work was an ice-rink, but managed to navigate OK, especially with less than 1/2 the normal cars competing for parking.

Most of the day was spent at an off-site manager’s retreat. I managed to score rides over and back with others, so my car could sit snug in its parking spot. The retreat location was a co-workers wonderful house. This was the view from her dining room.

Lisa's Fine Retreat

It snowed on and off during the day, but with the temperatures warming to just above freezing the roads were not getting worse. Worse should happen tonight when it all re-freezes.

Tomorrow may dawn similar to this morning, although it may snow more tonight. But I have arranged for Chicago to do the driving.  The real fun is predicted for Wednesday. I am predicting a day at home.

Very Young Rey

One of the pictures unearthed from a pile that was not pictures.
That is Rey at probably less than a few weeks old, enamoured of a TV remote.
Note the size difference with Poofter, our small cat.
Rey was well less than 6 pounds when born, and I think the cat was 7-1/2 pounds our so.

Carl has taken the lead on sorting of the house today.

He is going through innumerable piles of stuff from around the places he keeps stuff.
I am given occasional tasks to sort through sub-piles.
I also put about five bags of recycle into our bin. Unfortunately this is an off-week for recycle pick-up, and we are very close to filling the bin already. But I don’t want to stop the cleaning. (It seems to be picking up steam.)

We did get out a bit today – if only to play in the snow.
In the front yard more or less.

I did find that pulling the recycle and yard waste bins through the snow is much more difficult than I imagined. The snow and ice sticks to and cakes on the wheels, which only have a modest amount of clearance.

The living room is now covered in Carl’s piles of papers, the clothes that were out have all been boxed and moved to the study. I did realize after I finished that task, that there is still a boxful of clothes (at least) in Ashlan’s wardrobe. Maybe the last thing I will do tonight. Before that I do need to do a bit of work before my day-long meeting tomorrow.

And please, weather gods, make the driving slow and easy tomorrow AM.

The past week has blown past.
Where did it go, where was I, what did I do?

Well, I know I went to work.
I was at work until 5:30 on Friday.
With a car-pooler, sort-of patiently cooling his heels.
And an out of town duo in a meeting with me, rushing to get through everything.
And everybody else from my end had, well, left.

Moody? Yes – and that was about the size of my work week.
I was definitely in a mood the last two days.
I feel a bit like it has carried into the weekend, but am trying to keep it at bay.
But – of course, there is some work I need to do this weekend ….

And we are working on Monday. At least all of the managers – we have an all day retreat, to be sprinkled in with timesheets and payroll. The first of our bi-weekly payrolls after always being paid bi-monthly. (The use of the two bi-s meaning the opposite is interesting, but I think it is correct.) On the other hand, perhaps what I really mean is semi-monthly.
In the end – changing from 24 paychecks to 26. But since getting a paycheck is important, I am really trying to not complain about the change. We will all adapt.

Carl has worked a few days this week, but his days off were due to him getting strep throat. I have no signs yet. Fingers crossed.
I know he is on the mend now that he has drugs on board, because he is much more verbal and complaining about referees. (Hockey in the current moment.)

OK – back to the negativity index. I just uttered a triple negative to my husband. His comment, “You are usually such a positive person.”

On to the house report.
I looked at the last post to see where we were.
I had folded and boxed the stay clothes for both kids, and the go clothes for one.
The go clothes for Ashlan had been staged to the living room for folding.

And the Ashlan go clothes are still there. Waiting.
But in the meantime, we somehow got diverted to books.
One box has been sent abroad. But that was before we really got into the bookcases.
I really don’t know how many bookcases we have, and I don’t think I want to count.
Truth be told not all books were in bookcases.

As with clothes, we are identifying stay and go books.
We have a wide variety of books.
Many, many, many, many kids books. These are in varying states of still togetherness.
After all they have been through a large number of kids use.
Some we are sure we will keep. Suess, Dahl, the Eyewitness series (probably), and certain favorites. And then there are the nature guides – keep. Lots of science fiction/fantasy, mysteries, and on and on. And we have not even approached the baseball collection. Rey had gone through his room’s books before departing east. Not so much with Ashlan.

Not counting the kids rooms I have listed about 8-9 pages (landscape) of book titles and authors, and sent them off to the kids so they can give me any titles to keep. And others keep showing up. And we are running out of boxes the size I can carry loaded with books. (Copier paper size boxes. I have told our maintenance guy I am on the look-out for any we empty at work.)

I have found a few that were provided to the kids with notes explaining the significance of the book. One was translated by their great-great-great-great-grandfather Wippern.

Lately I have found myself identifying a few I think would be good “Cabin” books.Another standout was The Glorious Pool, by Thorne Smith. Written in 1934, it was his last book as he died before it was quite finished. His wife provided the finishing touches and it was considered quite a good read, a story about the fountain of youth discovered by an older couple. The front cover proclaims, “The gay and buoyant talk of three people who found their lost youth again.” This might be a good cabin book just because it is fun, readable, and dates to when the cabin was very young.

The beds have been changed, and the Sudoku and 1 crossword completed. So after a bit of work today it will be time to fold those clothes. I don’t think we are going to try going anywhere. Carl is still recuperating (and doing laundry), and it is morphing from rain to snow as we speak. I don’t mind that we are having this bit of snow (yet), as long as it is managed by the Monday morning commute.

Side note for those familiar with the Seattle commute conditions. I have now driven the 520 bridge with my Go-To-Go Pass in place. I have not checked to see whether it was correctly noted on my account. Fun and games to make that $3.50 decision every time we drive to and from work. So far we are at an occassional crossing – always in the evening when the traffic is heavier. Less than 20% so far.

From a blog perspective the new year has started slowly.

But at least part of that is because it actually has been quite busy.
Work has been busy, and lots of things to do at home.

Today the clearing of the house has continued a bit.
Mostly taking things out that have been moved around inside.
(Recycle day tomorrow.)

When I was outside with the recycling, I realized that it was a nice winter day, and if I didn’t finish the raspberry patch pruning started last weekend, I would regret it. This means that it would most likely be done on a drizzly day, rather than a dry one. So – finished the current round of patch maintenance. There is still a starter tree to dig out, and refurbishing the patch boundary.

The Ashlan stay clothes have been moved downstairs for refolding and packing.
(Rey’s clothes were done during the week. Started with Rey’s because 1) they were already downstairs, and 2) there were fewer.) After the stay clothes are done, the real task of folding the leave clothes will take place. Not sure whether I will get that far today.

Cleaning out is liberating, and I keep seeing other things I am mentally throwing out.
We did get to a fair part of the bathroom. The sorting there was garbage, keep or take to the drug disposal location. We have a few good drugs (street value), and more that are just old. The oldest expiration date we found was 1999. Lots of garbage. We even got down far enough to clean the cupboard shelves. Next up is the lower bathroom cabinets.

Perhaps it is not really a war, more like a skirmish.
But it is not the first.

First there was the new lawn.

Now we are into compost.
We have two green cones in the back yard.
They are for our vegetable matter not eaten.
We also compost meat and milk products, but those go to the city yard waste collection.

The theory is we use one green cone for as long as it takes to make it about 1/2 full.
Then we switch to the other, and let the first one sit, to prepare itself for future harvest.
This is my type of composting. Passive.

Except that now it appears there may be some action required.

A few weeks ago it looked as though something had been digging around the based of the active cone. But it could be that dirt was just sloughing in to the bottom of the cone. It looks quite a bit like a plastic laundry basket. Holes let the moisture out and the decomposers in. I put a few bricks over the hole. The digging reappeared, so I put more dirt in the hole and replaced the bricks.

Yesterday I was out pruning the raspberries, and noted that our sitting compost cone was open.
The kids have been around, and IF they had taken the compost out, it is clearly possible that they could have chosen the wrong cone. And they could have neglected to close the top. But I doubted that was the case. So I closed the lid.

This morning I put out the compost in the correct cone, and noted footprints on the side and lid of the active cone, and a brick askew at the base.
The lids were both closed, but I doubt this is the last attempt.

raccoon attempts

We are empty nesters again.
And spending the day in recovery mode.
My thought was to energetically spend the day taking down the tree and starting to re-box and better organize and label all of the items the kids sorted through during their short stay.

The kids both got out of town in states of severe drowsiness. Their goals were both to sleep on the plane.
Ashlan is now back at work and life in NYC.
Rey is now back in Michigan for a day or two, before returning to Tennessee to start his 4th year as a member of the Smokies organization.
We have only found a list of bowl game picks that Rey left, and some books that we were planning to send his way instead of carrying them on the plane.

The kids, however, each managed to leave town with an ORCA bus pass. (The Seattle use it anywhere pass for getting around.)

Our day started with Rey’s departure, early.
I wasn’t sure I would be able to go back to sleep after a trip to the airport and back, but in the end it happened rather quickly. We did not rise until almost 11 AM (unheard of). Just in time for the bowl games of the day to start. We are using Rey’s list of bowl game picks to determine who we want to win.

Our last planned act of 2011 will be to finish the ham.
The pea soup went at lunch/dinner time. (Getting up late really messes up mealtimes.)

Happy and safe New Year’s Eve to all.
See you in the new year.