Thursday, January 16, 2014

#182. or, How was Your Yesterday?

  I want to take a second to apologize to all of my neighbours, who had no internet for pretty much the full day yesterday. That was my fault. Well, not really, but because my yard is the hub for most of the internet signal in our area,  I feel a  bit of responsibility when your ability to update your facebook statuses to the world, ends at my doorstep.

  It was a long day yesterday. I'm not sure when it started, but I woke up to howling winds around 3 in the morning. After losing the argument with myself, as to whether or not I should just try to go back to sleep, I got up, dressed in layers, and headed out to see if everything was alright.

  It wasn't.

  The wind had blown over a section of fence, and I had cattle wandering around the yard. Somewhere during the process of getting them rounded up, the power went out, and didn't return for another 12 hours.

  By the time the sun came up, the wind had blown down the fence in a 2nd pen, and those needed to be rounded up as well. Also, the sun shed light on the reason why there was no power.


That blows!


 Now, I don't want to complain here, because I know there are people out there who still don't have power. Ours was out for around 12 hours, and I think we got a bit of priority because we had live transmission lines laying in the yard. But there's nothing that will make you appreciate electricity more, and in turn, running water, than the prospect of having to trudge into the bush in the winter to take a dump. I'm just saying.

  Also, the winds polished the yard to a solid sheet of ice. So when I woke up this morning with some significant discomfort on my grion-al region, I could only attribute it to having to spend the entire day, yesterday, doing the stiff legged, "I just soiled myself" walk, to keep from falling down.

  And just to be clear, I'm going on memory of the "I just soiled myself" walk. It's been a significant length of time since that's happened, and it had nothing at all to do with the prospect of the having to crap in the woods, that I mentioned earlier.

  So I should thank the linemen who spent the entire day replacing our pole and getting things up and running. When my day was winding down, and they were finishing up, I suspect they would probably be heading off to the next repair. I don't envy them on days like yesterday.

  All in all, I guess I could have had it worse. By the time I got in last night, everything was content. I still have to try to figure out how to replace some fence posts in the frozen ground, to repair the fence, and there's still a yard light to repair, but that's par for the course.

  What's the 1st thing I did, when I got into the house last night?

   .............fired up the computer and checked my facebook. So I'm right there with you.

14 comments:

  1. Those high winds yesterday were crazy, man, CRAZY! I'm glad you clarified your fecal status because I did wonder.

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    1. Hey Debra,

      I hope you had everything secure, or you can pick it up on your next trip east!

      Delete
  2. I'm happy you clarified! Crazy weather everyone s having but I don't have to go out an rustle up cattle during he night. I do, however, need a working potty!

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    1. Hi Gina!

      It's certainly been a different kind of winter. Never underestimate the value of working plumbing! :)

      Delete
  3. It often strikes me, as I read your blog, that I still don't have a great grasp on what your life entails. I mean, I get annoyed at having to take my dog out and put him in the yard when it's freezing out, then wait for him to be ready to come in and go back out and get him. Chasing and rounding up cows at 3am only to have to do it again with some other cows? That does NOT sound fun.

    Glad you gave your neighbors their internet back, though! Ooh, maybe you could start offering them 'protection' that it won't happen because of 'bad weather' again for a nominal monthly fee!

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    1. Hi Kianwi,

      I didn't want to go out and chase cows in the dark, I would have much rather stayed in bed with my lovely wife. Each different type of weather brings it's own set of circumstances that needs to be dealt with. Wind is my least favourite. I do bitterly cold better than wind.

      I would have had to pay everybody back after that wind. I heard about 20 high speed internet towers blew down around the area we live.

      Delete
  4. I truly feel for you, Ken. I went through a very similar thing at the beginning of Winter. Of course, I don't have cattle, but I do have a dog that needs the fence up. Three sections went down. Thank God, the ground wasn't frozen yet! Bill was out on the road, so those situations are difficult when it is just me. I am glad you got things fixed. Good luck with the fence, though. Really.

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    1. Hi McGuffy Ann,

      You try to prepare for situations, but the unexpected things always cause us stress. It doesn't matter if it's a pen full of cattle or a single dog, it's something that needs to looked after that we weren't really prepared for.

      I'm going to try and auger some fence post holes through the frost with my tractor, If that doesn't work, I'll try a different plan. :)

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  5. I love my computer but under the circumstances you described I think I'd have downed a warming shot or two of whiskey before reaching for my laptop.

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    1. Hi Stephen,

      Oddly enough, no drinking was involved in the creation of this post.

      Delete
  6. Wow. Life without the internet. *shudders*

    Glad you got it/the pole resolved prior to your trip to Cuba. :)

    -Barb

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    1. Hi Barb,

      Shudders indeed! I'm not expecting much for signal while I'm away either, so I may need to offset lack of connection with large amounts of alcohol as a coping mechanism? :)

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  7. I often have to go without Internet whenever Kellie and I take a cruise. It's rough. She just booked another cruise for March. I don't know how I'll survive.

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    1. I think I could give up internet in exchange for a life of continual holidays.

      .........maybe.

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