Deer Hunting and Snowy Cold Weather

Last year we had quite a bad snowstorm beginning the day before Thanksgiving. My oldest son came to my house with his two boys that day and promptly became snowed in with me. The same evening, with all the snow blowing and howling the furnace decided to go on strike. At first I thought that the pilot had just been blown out but I was unable to light it and finally gave in and called the repair people.

It took them several hours to arrive due to the weather conditions and a backlog of furnace problems that were called in before mine. When the repairman finally arrived I told him how sorry I was to have to make him come out when the weather was so awful, but we did need heat. He rudely told me that he was sorry to have to be out on a night like that too, and while he was speaking to me I could smell alcohol on his breath. I was quite shocked that someone who was on call for repairs would be drinking when the chance of having to go out and drive somewhere was a very strong possibility. I told him what the furnace was doing and he acted very disgusted with me. After checking the furnace, he lit the pilot and told me I should have tried that before I called for a repairman. I informed him that I had tried that, but it wouldn't stay lit and I thought since we had this problem a couple of years before it was possibly the same problem which was a bad thermo-coupler. He snorted while filling out his paperwork and left without waiting to see if the furnace would start up again after finishing the cycle.

Needless to say, the furnace didn't restart and the pilot was out again. I placed another call to the repair number and of course was told this time that it would not be possible to get a repairman any more that night and they would have one there the next day (Thanksgiving Day) by no later than 5 PM.

So my son went to my shed and brought in some electric heaters so we, nor the pipes, would freeze during the long, cold night. When morning arrived we had breakfast and my son took his little ones and left for my daughter's home for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner while I was forced to wait for the repairman. After he finally arrived around 3 PM and checking the furnace he announced that the thermal-coupler was bad! You can imagine how upset I was at that point and I tell him about the other repairman with the alcohol on his breath and he asked to see a copy of the work order that I signed. I showed it to him and he took some notes and then proceeded to fix my furnace. Mission accomplished and he was off to his family and I was off to mine.

Now press the FF key on the remote control and that brings us to today. We have had some very windy weather lately and there have been numerous power outages from which we had been spared .......until today! I woke this morning around 8:30 and decided to lounge in bed basking in the warmth of the covers for a short time. When I decided to venture out, there was no need for lights since it was fairly light outside. I used the bathroom, flushed the toilet, washed my hands and came downstairs to make some coffee only to discover that the electricity was off. We live in a suburb/rural area and do not have city water or sewer. We have a well and a septic system and when the power is out one flush of the toilet uses what water is stored in the tank and it won't flush again.

I called the electric company to report the problem and they told me that the best estimate for restoring my power was 11 PM on Thursday. Very inconvenient but I can survive. The weather has taken a turn for the worse and the temperature has dropped into the low 30's and it is now snowing and sleeting. I have 2 fireplaces so at least I won't freeze and if need be I can always roast some hotdogs over the fire. But I would like a hot cup of coffee. Brilliant idea! I will get in the car and drive to the local gas station for a cup. But wait. I will have to release the cord that goes to the electric garage door opener first so I can manually lift the garage door. OH NO! There isn't any cord that I can see. Now I am a hostage in my own home!

My middle son stopped over and I tell him of my dilemma and he goes to check it out. He finds the cord and tells me that the reason I didn't see it was that someone had wrapped it around a beam and even if I had seen it, I never would have been able to reach it. He takes care of it for me so I am no longer a hostage! By this time, it is almost noon. After he leaves, I decide to finish putting my shoes and socks on for warmth and also to drive to the gas station for that cup of coffee when I notice a noise. Hooray! The noise is the furnace running......the power is back on and I can get on with my day.

The point of this story is that none of this stuff happens when the hubby is home. It waits until he is 12 hours away in Michigans' Upper Peninsula and I must deal with it on my own. I'm beginning to think there is a conspiracy going on!