Well, I'm still alive! We got hit pretty hard on June 29th by the worst storm I've ever seen here! I still don't have power yet, I've been running my generator for 10 days and just got internet back today. I sure have missed you guys!!!!! I hope to have power back today or tomorrow. I've spent a small fortune in gas for my generator LOL!! I still have a house though, and everyone is alive and well, and that's all that matters!

 

Glad you're making it! That was a pretty ugly one up here too, but it sounds like you guys down there got the worst of it. Good to hear you're alright.

 

glad you are fine! Its just a good thing you let all of fte know first that you were ok.I for one thought something was missing but just couldnt place it....but now I know what it was. I just hope them trucks are ok!

 

Glad you're okay! The humor has been lacking around here lately...

On a side note... Columbus OH got hit pretty hard.. I should know I was on my way into town to visit TShrager for a pig roast.
Got in about 1030 after the storm and all power was out..street lights and all. They estimated residents not to get power for 5-7 days.

Thank the Lord that Todd was north enough to have power... so we still had a good time that weekend.

 

Glad you and the family are alright Bill! I was wondering where you've been! Take care of what you need to take care of, we ain't going anywhere.

 

He's alive. lol

Good to hear you and yours are doing well

 

Welcome back bill. Glad to here everyone in ok. You have alot of catching up to do haha.

 

Thanks guys! I just got my power back on a couple hours ago! AHHHHH, air conditioning!!!!!! Wouldn't you know this would happen during some of the hottest weather we've had in years.LOL!! It's all good now though. I was going nuts sitting around here not being able to get on FTE. I don't think I've missed a day since I joined in January.....until this storm. Sure does make you appreciate the little things a lot more. My hat is off to all the contractors who came from so many other states and worked around the clock to get power restored. We just got ours back on but there are still many that don't have it yet! There are a lot of people who don't have water or power still. Tyler works for the county we live in in the mapping dept., but they've all been out door to door passing out cases of water to people and all the volunteer fire dept. have been giving out water and ice when available and food. I even put the old PSD to work pulling a water tank on my trailer to some guys I work with who still don't have power or water. I know what happened here doesn't come close to Catrina or some of the other disasters in recent years, but it's the worst thing we've ever experienced here, and I saw people come together and help one another like I haven't seen in years, and it was good to see. Thank you all for your concern and your thoughts.......it's good to be back!!!!!!

 

Yay! Power! AC!

On a truck note, I got my bellows the other day so I can build my set of "Bill's homemade bellowed uppipes". Bad note is I think the trans is going to have to come out and be built too. Makes the uppipe work easier, but my wallet is wondering how I'm gonna pay for it...

 

Yay is right Darin!LOL!! I never knew AC could feel so good! It's kinda funny, we complained about being so hot, and then complained about taking cold showers! LOL!!

I hate to hear that about your trans. That's a pretty good chunk a change. If you want, you can be my business partner in my new firewood business LOL!! We've got about 4 million trees laying around on the ground here! LOL!!.......firewood forever!!
I hope the pipes work out good for you. The trans being out will make it easier, but still don't make it any cheaper does it.

 

Glad to hear everyone is alright Bill. Like Alex said, it got pretty gnarly up here and about 500k were without power for quite a while, but I was lucky and had no damage and power! I did have a few friends complain about the workers and not getting the power back right away, so I had to set them straight. Those guy busted their a$$ in some serious heat to get the power back, does make you appreciate the little things though. I tell you what, I saw a lot of people without a clue of what to do when they lose a few creature comforts. This city and most of the country is soft.

 

Those guys are still busting their a$$es here! Like I said before, my hat is off to all of them. Most of those contractors coming in here from other states volunteer for this stuff, and I know they are getting paid good money for it ( which they should ), but they didn't have to do it. There were a few people around here bitchin about it taking so long to get power, but I took it upon myself to set them straight. The amount of damage to the power lines in certain areas was unreal. I had power lines laying in my back yard until yesterday, poles broken and lines down in the road. There are still places around here where we are driving over the lines. Saturday morning after the storm, there were 77 different roads in my area that were blocked by trees and impassable. I've got a little 16" Homelite chain saw that my Dad had when I was young. The first three days after the storm, that saw ran more than it had in the last 15 years combined! I ( and many other people ) went around cutting trees and clearing roads just so people could get around.
As far as people not knowing what to do, I saw a little of that too, but for myself and a lot of people in my area, we're pretty resourceful. Fortunately, I didn't lose water, so we didn't have to deal with that. We cooked on the grill, and my middle daughter and wife baked homemade bread, biscuits and blueberry muffins in my smoker. I kept my generator going 24/7, so we had the frig and freezers, lights, fans and I could even turn the breaker to my water heater on long enough to warm the water enough to take showers everyday. My house, shop and vehicles were all still in tact, and I had to drive a good way to get gas for the generator from a station that was pumping off a generator, but we had plenty of beef and deer meat in the freezer, and were getting veggies from the garden, so all in all, we made it ok. I do feel for the people that didn't have the means or the knowledge to have it so good during such bad times, but every one helped each other as much as we could.