Losing power sucks
Thursday night we had some excitement. I had the day off so we went to Chester Woods Park. We didn't realize that you had to pay to get in so we drove there and turned around. There are lots of public parks with playthings to visit. We went to the one at Soldier Field and had a lot of fun running around playing in the sand boxes and slides and steps.
That evening I was messing around on the computer and watching the Dolphins preseason game. The kids were bouncing around and Elena was watching TV in the other room. We had weather alerts telling about tornado and hail conditions and that people should get in the basement. The wind was whipping around and rain was pouring. Then we started losing power. It flickered a few times then went out completely.
Elena had some flashlights stashed so we could at least see around. We played a competitive game of candyland which Elena won. We were in good spirits and would have had a fairly uneventful night if it wasn't for the constant thunder and lighting waking everybody up and the sump basin filling. Man alive, I went down to check it and was just in time as it was to the edge full of water. I used cups and 5 gallon buckets to empty it and the water stops coming in so I take a break and go to sleep. Elena wakes me up an hour or so later because of the rain and I go check it again. It is mostly full and rising quickly. I grab by 1.5 gallon bucket and a few 5 gallon ones and start bailing water. I scoop as fast as I can but it was coming in as fast as I was pulling it out. I'd fill up my buckets, dump them in the sink 15 feet away and rush back and it was to the brim again. This goes on for about 100 gallons and the water starts slowing down and I can see progress. Bucket in one hand and flashlight in the other I keep at it eventually emptying the basin.
I emptied it again later that night/early morning but it wasn't nearly as bad. If the water had flooded the basement we wouldn't have lost much I don't think but it would have been frustrating to have wet carpet and, well, anything we did have on the floor. I'm seriously thinking about putting in a battery backup system. Next time they go on sale that is.
With all the goofy power surges it did some funky things to the computer. It messed up some setting on my browser. I tried to log onto blogger but it wouldn't work. I tried again and again. I had my password changed, I tried a few of the FAQ recommendations. I was confused. Elena tells me tonight that she tried to get on here and decided to use the correct user name and, jeepers, it worked just fine. Ah, well.
That evening I was messing around on the computer and watching the Dolphins preseason game. The kids were bouncing around and Elena was watching TV in the other room. We had weather alerts telling about tornado and hail conditions and that people should get in the basement. The wind was whipping around and rain was pouring. Then we started losing power. It flickered a few times then went out completely.
Elena had some flashlights stashed so we could at least see around. We played a competitive game of candyland which Elena won. We were in good spirits and would have had a fairly uneventful night if it wasn't for the constant thunder and lighting waking everybody up and the sump basin filling. Man alive, I went down to check it and was just in time as it was to the edge full of water. I used cups and 5 gallon buckets to empty it and the water stops coming in so I take a break and go to sleep. Elena wakes me up an hour or so later because of the rain and I go check it again. It is mostly full and rising quickly. I grab by 1.5 gallon bucket and a few 5 gallon ones and start bailing water. I scoop as fast as I can but it was coming in as fast as I was pulling it out. I'd fill up my buckets, dump them in the sink 15 feet away and rush back and it was to the brim again. This goes on for about 100 gallons and the water starts slowing down and I can see progress. Bucket in one hand and flashlight in the other I keep at it eventually emptying the basin.
I emptied it again later that night/early morning but it wasn't nearly as bad. If the water had flooded the basement we wouldn't have lost much I don't think but it would have been frustrating to have wet carpet and, well, anything we did have on the floor. I'm seriously thinking about putting in a battery backup system. Next time they go on sale that is.
With all the goofy power surges it did some funky things to the computer. It messed up some setting on my browser. I tried to log onto blogger but it wouldn't work. I tried again and again. I had my password changed, I tried a few of the FAQ recommendations. I was confused. Elena tells me tonight that she tried to get on here and decided to use the correct user name and, jeepers, it worked just fine. Ah, well.
posted by Scott Watson at 9:57 PM
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