Greetings from Ice-encased Lexington...

Sorry I didn't blog over the weekend. Saturday I was a friend's until it occurred to me that I should go home due to freezing rain. At that point I was already sliding all over the grass and sidewalks and my umbrella was encased in ice. By 7am Sunday my power, like thousands of others in the area, went out. Lexington is encased in about a half to .75 inch of ice, with mature trees breaking limbs right and left, small trees just snapping, power lines down everywhere, and at one point there were over 100 intersections that were dark in the city.

It could have been worse, I suppose. My mom and grandmother are fine because they didn't get much ice where they live. We didn't get the snow that clobbered the northeast on top of the ice. If that had happened I don't think the city could have dug out for at least a couple of weeks. As it is, many people are not expected to get power until at least the weekend. Our mayor is imploring employers to not require people to come in unless absolutely necessary--they're trying to keep people off the streets so the crews can clear away trees. The people to the southeast of us aren't dealing with ice, they're being flooded--and of course as this mess melts we will too; the ground's already saturated.

I lost my power (including heat, stove, and hot water) for almost exactly 24 hours, but I was able to hunker down under the covers with the animals and we muddled through. My apartment's fairly well insulated. I think it only got down to about 50 degrees inside--you couldn't see your breath. Sunday was pretty much a bust, where it was too cloudy outside to see much or get any real cleaning done that didn't require electricity. I didn't have a radio with batteries, but I did have a phone and checked on people/got news that way. I did manage to get through the Council of Elrond in The Fellowship of the Ring. The power flickered on three times for a few seconds throughout the day, to which I said in my best Invader Zim voice "Why do they taunt me so??!!" But when it did come on I just waited to see if it would stay on. I had almost precognitively taken off Monday anyway (no, we didn't get it as a holiday, but I had decided I wanted to do some spring cleaning and get some rest). So I cleaned for a few hours then took a warm shower (blessed warm water!!!) and settled down with my CPAP machine (it blows air into my nose so I don't stop breathing when I sleep). I got more rest in a couple of hours than I had the entire day Sunday.

Most of my friends are okay--cable was out at one house, while another became a place for showers/shelter (see Zabet's blog). I could have gone over there (and they offered to come get me) but I didn't really want to leave my pets with the trees looming out the back, and I couldn't take them with me. My friend Dwana and her husband didn't fare as well. They'd been in Berea when the storm hit in a hotel for Valentine's weekend, with a hot tub, etc. Berea just got rain. They really didn't know what they'd be returning to. Their house had no phone, electricity, or gas, and a tree was threatening to come down on the house. They took their cats with them to his sister's, but then the electricity went out there. Then the next day her husband Eric's workplace, a nursing home, had to be partially evacuated and then they moved some residents into the hallways with space heaters. Dwana helped there and then came to work. The hospital was no longer on emergency power but she couldn't even get them to let her take a shower here. Sheesh! They stayed at her sister-in-law's again but the fireplace wasn't working right (it may be blocked by ice), so they got a lot of smoke in the house before they finally let it go out. It went down to 34 in the house and she woke up this morning pretty cold and coughing. Her stepfather came and got the cats and she went over to another friend's. I'd kind of hoped they'd either gotten power restored or had gone to a shelter last night. According to the gas company they still can't go to their house. But at least they're somewhere with heat and hot water now, and she's been able to get a little bit of rest today.

One of my coworkers stayed at the hospital last night. Several others are in motels or staying with others or just roughing it. Our administrator e-mailed the directors yesterday to make sure no one felt compelled to come in. They've also made it possible for those with kids out of school to come in for today at least, with the kids being shown movies in the auditorium. We have very few patients today, as many have cancelled and our census was low for inpatient anyway. Anyway, I feel blessed to have my heat, etc. back on. And this morning for the first time the sound of sirens was replaced with the sound of chainsaws. In fact, a crew was taking care of the tree that was threatening my apartment as I left for work today.

I didn't have too much trouble getting here; I walked and tried to stay far away from power lines and potential falling limbs. The woods near my house are gut-wrenching. They look like a giant just trampled them. The little creek is just about to the top of its banks. The maple that lights up like fire in the fall outside the library window is now broken in half. The same can be said for a once-beautiful birch out back. Not a single tree seems totally untouched.

Meanwhile we have people who really are trying to put evolution into action. One guy went out, got a gas generator, and set it up in the living room of his third floor apartment. So, while he was fortunate enough to have emergency crews break in just before he expired from carbon monoxide fumes, the entire building had to be evacuated (how to become really unpopular with your neighbours!!) And there have been several dozens of people who have gone to the hospital due to hibachis or grills being used indoors, etc. I've heard of one guy that went and got a lot of generators and then went out to the stricken areas to sell them at a hefty profit. But a lot of good is happening, too. One guy took a generator over to a neighbour who is terminally ill and on various medical devices. People have helped each other dig out from under trees, etc.

Just about everyone at work is out of power, living in a motel, etc. So, I'm glad to have my heat and hot water, etc. Hopefully everything will get better soon.