Addicted to power

Posted Saturday, February 7, 2009, at 7:36 AM

I tried to think of a kinder, gentler term than "addicted," but I just have to admit it - I am absolutely, completely, mentally and physically addicted to power. Electric power, that is.

I didn't realize how strong this addiction was until the ice started coming down on Monday night. When we woke up on Tuesday morning without power, we thought it would be as it always is, maybe a few hours or a couple of days and everything would be back online. As I roamed about the house in my warm, fuzzy jammies on Tuesday half-heartedly attempting household chores, I was constantly distracted by the crack and snap of ice and trees. The trees around our house and at my mom and dad's have shaded my family for generations and every time one of the huge limbs came crashing down it felt as though we'd lost another good friend.

My power withdrawal began Tuesday at dark. While a Coleman lantern does shed a romantic glow, it does not quite offer the convenience of a light switch for bathroom breaks. Our DVD player was fully charged so we were able to watch almost all of a movie before the battery died, and with little else to do we went to bed at 8:30 p.m. Wowie, no electric blanket to provide a preheated bed - I was beginning to really miss my power.

Wednesday morning, cold in most of the house, warm around the gas stove. A little bit of warm water, at least a camp cook stove, but no power again? We wandered around outside like gawking tourists just looking at the damage. Those huge crashing noises during the night turned out to be the huge power poles along the highway. This is really bad we thought. We made it to town, waited in line for gasoline, checked on the Chamber office and at the Slicer Street Church of Christ shelter. We started seeing the extent of the damage along the highway and somewhat in town. Dark comes again and we're ready for bed about 7 p.m. We're also really ready for a nice hot shower.

I spent Thursday at City Hall, where I learned that things were very serious. I was also initiated into emergency management and knew that we were in good hands.

And so it continues for us and for thousands in the area. Power is being restored as quickly as it can be done. Although I am almost getting accustomed to the quiet and the dark, I am ready for a little television and most certainly anxious for a hot bath and a hair dryer.

If there is a good side to this devastation it is another power - the people power that always rises to meet the most difficult circumstances. In every neighborhood people are helping each other, along every street progress is being made. No matter which direction you travel, you can see truck after truck from local and visiting utility companies. We send our heartfelt thanks to all of these folks, our city and county officials, our emergency management teams and the scores of volunteers who are helping to overcome this situation. Herein is our greatest power, and that is an addiction that I hope we never overcome.

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Jan...

Why not do the blog article (the one written by member of your family) in two or three "parts"? That way, loss of the original content does not have to be of drastic nature.

Hoping this is about the ice storm....

Ruth Chambers Holt

-- Posted by Ruth on Wed, Feb 25, 2009, at 12:49 PM

I hate to report that my vow to monitor my power use lasted long enough for me to turn on the TV, run the washer and dryer, take a long hot bath using most of the hot water, all while leaving a couple of extra lights on. I did adjust, though, once I realized I was back in my bad habits and I hope to remember how little we actually have to have to make do.

Thanks for the comments, everyone - I received a great story from a family member that I will submit as soon as I figure out how to decrease the size without minimizing the details. I haven't forgotten you, Bill!

-- Posted by Jan McElwrath on Tue, Feb 24, 2009, at 11:50 PM

Jan,

First, I'd like to give my "hats off" to the diligent light crews that came in and helped restore our power here in Kennett and the County! There are still a few spots without power run to them, but those areas will be gotten as needed.

I had gone out and bought an ATT Cell Phone so that I could take advantage of the "friends and family" deal that they had going... only it's still a $1/day! UGH! But, in talking with my sister, who was in Florida, she had told me this: "You don't mind camping out in your house!", talking about the ice storm we had a few years ago and I had to bring my mom up to my home and we stayed at my house till power got hooked back up in Senath! I survived this '09 Ice Blitz only because I had the training when I was in Boy Scouts, the Army and my own personal experiences. I went around to all my neighbors' houses first, when I got dug out of my "iced in driveway" and then I went around and visited all my renters to see how they were surviving... I then went around flagging the downed lines going across roads and paths with orange tape to warn people that they were there. I just did this on my own..noone told me too...tried to call City Hall, but my phone went out the 2nd day into the storm... so couldn't use the landline. Had to use my trusty CP's... Also got a power inverter going to run a b&w tv and my powered antenna so I could have some type of news and some type of entertainment. I finally hooked up my VCR up to the inverter and could watch about 6 tapes then the 12v car battery would go down and had to be recharged. I got my Police scanner going by attaching it to a 12v lawn mower battery... I had CLG&W tuned in to listen to their deal. Almost felt like a command center here...lol.

I had some people tell me I was McGiver with all my deals I rigged up...well it's using common sense in times when things are getting tough that the tough get going and surviving. Just hope others learn that one can survive, if you just put your thinking cap on and utilize what you have got. I do it all the time.

I have a saying I made up years ago, it goes like this: "We the willing, lead by the unknowing, have done so much with so little for so long, that we are now able to do anything with nothing!"

-- Posted by wbelisle on Tue, Feb 24, 2009, at 12:00 AM

No problem, Ruth. The line crews also have taken some great photos so we'll see what we can get posted. Thanks for your good wishes.

-- Posted by Jan McElwrath on Mon, Feb 16, 2009, at 2:27 PM

Hi again Jan...

I did not wish to indicate that I wanted the pictures/musings on Topix.

Lord knows..., no,no,no...

I meant that it would be nice if the DDD or the Chamber of Commerce or 'someone' or maybe the Garden Club (for example) could put something together from pictures that were taken (from the time it started, hopefully and to the end of restoring etc), so that we could get better ideas as to what it was like (personal insights/being better prepared 'next' time, etc.

Also it would really help if something 'written' could be published (on a site such as the DDD) written by residents on their feelings, thoughts, ideas as to what they learned, what they will prepare for in the case of another crisis etc.

The 'written' stuff would come in very handy for the whole area as to how the'next time'might be different because of precautions they have learned from this recent crisis.

It would be so interesting to read some first hand observations and some of the thoughts/musings about how it (the crisis) has helped change their outlook on mother nature, family values and family communication, having to rely on the'old' ways again for food cooking, storage of food etc., etc.

Wish I lived there, *I* would be writing about it (the crisis) for the next six months ;-)

There has been so little over on Topix as far as pictures and personal observations and I find I really WANT to know and understand the entire crisis and 'coping' with the crisis and would like to encourage folks to please put thoughts/ideas/checklist (for future use) down and then somehow that info could be made available to not only Kennett residents that live there now but to exresidents that now live elsewhere and not in the Bootheel.

I hope none of you in Kennett ever have to go this kind of crisis again and am wishing the town a speedy recovery from all of the damage and loss suffered.

Again, I was NOT even thinking of putting this kind of effort/endeavor on Topix. THAT forum is used by a different 'breed' of folks and I would not be there myself if it wasn't nessessary for me to be there at this time.

-- Posted by Ruth on Fri, Feb 13, 2009, at 7:51 PM

Hi again Jan...

I did not wish to indicate that I wanted the pictures/musings on Topix.

Lord knows..., no,no,no...

I meant that it would be nice if the DDD or the Chamber of Commerce or 'someone' or maybe the Garden Clut (for example) could put something together from pictures that were taken (from the time it started, hopefully and to the end of restoring etc), so that we could get better ideas as to what it was like (personal insights/being better prepared 'next' time, etc.

The 'written' stuff would come in very handy for the whole area as to how the'next time'might be different because of precautions they have learned from this recent crisis.

Wish I lived there, *I* would be writing about it (the crisis) for the next six months ;-)

I hope none of you in Kennett ever have to go this kind of crisis again and am wishing the town a speedy recovery from all of the damage and loss suffered.

-- Posted by Ruth on Fri, Feb 13, 2009, at 7:49 PM

Ruth - I try to stay away from the other site you mentioned because it tends to bring out the very worse in folks. I do hope the DDD continues its excellent coverage of the storm, the recovery and the aftermath.

bbsage - Gimme folks can be any age, gender, race, religion, or income level. My definition is those who continually have their hands out with little respect for themselves or others. I have been in situations where I needed help and thankfully there were those willing to come to my aid. I have never been in a situation where I felt inclined to leave my trash a few feet from a trash container while I waited in line to receive aid.

-- Posted by Jan McElwrath on Fri, Feb 13, 2009, at 5:38 PM

I would be interested to know how YOU determine who the "gimme folks" are.

-- Posted by bbsage on Thu, Feb 12, 2009, at 12:48 PM

Jan, one thing I forgot to ask (in my lst post to you here,(I am like you...TOO MANY ideas/things/projects to keep up with in the ole gray matter...8-)

Will the DDD be publishing pictures that were taken by the DDD staff (and other residents in Kennett) of the ice storm and how it hit kennett and the surrounding areas? How it 'hit' and pictures of the effect that ICE has 'changed' the landscape and how ice has affected resident's thinking and ideas as far as any other emergency goes?

Very few people over at the Kennett Topix Forum have posted any pictures of the crisis situation and/or it's aftermath and 'I' for one would love to see pictures and thoughts that resulted in the crisis... I know that people are still very busy cleaning up their yards and getting re-hooked (re-hooked with the electricity etc.) but I sure do hope that there will be lots of pictures and insights as to what the storm did as far as thinking about any future crisis.

Not only would it help we that no longer live there and we would get a better perspective of our home town's recent problem but it would help other towns/cities throughout the DDD's entire readership get some good ideas from people that have BEEN THERE/DONE 'THAT'..... In today's world, one can never be TOO prepared for a crisis before the crisis occurs....

I just KNOW that 'someone' in Kennett took many, many pictures and I do hope that "Chuckie" was right on top of all of the crisis of ICE with his camera ready!

Hoping to see many pictures and reading LOTS of "insightful musings" from Kennett residents....

Ruth

-- Posted by Ruth on Thu, Feb 12, 2009, at 12:40 PM

Thanks, all -

My apologies for the lack of blogs since August - it is not because I don't have anything to say, sometimes so much running through my head that it is difficult to stick to one subject.

Kennett is at about 50% power, with more poles & lines going up every day. The Pemiscot Dunklin Co-op area is maybe around 30%, with full power expected by mid-March. It is awesome to see truck after truck roll through and the hundreds of linemen (that's male and female) working into the night to restore power.

It is also inspiring to see all of the businesses open and the many volunteers out working to feed people or assist in other ways. The "gimme" folks are out, sure, but they are way outnumbered by the true givers.

Appreciate the comments and info, and I promise to keep the blogs coming!

-- Posted by Jan McElwrath on Mon, Feb 9, 2009, at 4:22 PM

Jan..., really enjoyed your post about the ice storm and some of the personal things that you have observed about yourself and your relying on the "power"....

It is so good to see you up blogging again too... I have missed your posting on the DDD.

That old saying of "You never miss the water til the well runs dry..." is certainly 'on-the-spot' as far as this ice crisis goes, huh?

I would think a lot of folks will be going "green" in the next few years because of this kind of trick that mother nature pulls on us earth dwellers...

North Carolina is testing going completely UNDERGROUND as far as "power" goes:

http://www.theitem.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...

It is interesting to go and read that and pay attention to the LAST line.... ;-) (see below for quoted text):

"Duke to test plan to bury existing power lines

CHARLOTTE (AP) -- Duke Energy plans to team up with three cities in the Carolinas to test putting existing power lines underground.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission gave Duke permission last month to do the test so it can determine the feasibility of a larger-scale conversion.

Duke plans to match local money for limited tests of burying high-maintenance or hard-to-reach power lines. The utility plans to spend up to $1.5 million a year over three years.

"These are targeted situations where we think there could be a benefit," company spokesman Andy Thompson said.

Duke has not said which cities it will partner with in its tests.

The commission has estimated it would cost $41 billion and take 25 years to put all of North Carolina's overhead power lines underground.

About a quarter of Duke's power lines are already buried because the company routinely puts lines for new developments underground. Columbia, S.C.-based South Carolina Electric & Gas says a similar amount of its lines are buried and Raleigh-based Progress Energy says about 30 percent of its lines are underground.

Duke also spends about $40 million a year trimming tree limbs away from power lines, but still had about 65,000 outages in the Carolinas last year.

The city of Greenville, S.C., has been considering whether to spend $12.5 million over the next 10 years to bury 30 miles of Duke's lines since a 2005 ice storm left parts of the city without electricity for a week.

"We've been at pains to tell citizens that even if we do this, we can't guarantee the power can't go out," said Greenville's assistant budget director Jim Campbell.

*************************************

25 years is a long time to finish statewide... Wish I could be here to see it as it will make for a neat looking landscape... ;-)

Take care Jan, stay warm, high and dry and please post more about your experiences with this ice storm.

Ruth

-- Posted by Ruth on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 3:27 PM

Good personal account of the situation, Jan. Very well-written.

Coupled with the map on the homepage, we in the north can get a little idea of what's going on down there in Kennett. I'm wondering if your community was hit even harder than Dexter (which I haven't seen yet). I was in Sikeston yesterday - the shattered trees look like Springfield did in '07, and power companies are still hooking up individual houses. I've heard that Sikeston is 70% restored.

This would appear to have been a 100-year-plus ice storm.

-- Posted by goat lady on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 8:43 AM

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