The power came back on around 4 am. The sudden bright blinking of my alarm clock woke me up. I turned on the heat and went to my desk to finish writing the post that was interrupted the night before. Sue awoke a little while later and called a few plumbers… who just laughed at her. I sent an email to my office to let them know there was no way I was coming in. Sue works for Skagit County and of they decided to open for business so she said she was going in. I figured I’d go with her and buy some plumbing supplies and have a go at fixing the pipe myself. (They also have showers at her office! Hot water.. ahhh.) All my BioDiesel work have increased my plumbing skills a bit. In reality I’m likely just knowledgeable to be dangerous. I figured we could always get a real plumber out here to fix up my bodge. We packed up the Jeep with a shovel, some warm clothes and heavy boots and struck out north for Mount Vernon. The roads up in the foothills were awful, but once we got down to sea level things were considerably better. The freeway from Arlington up and over the Stanwood hill was a bit dodgey (we saw a few cars off the road including one SUV completely inverted in the ditch with two State Troopers looking at it slack-jawed), but once down in the Skagit Valley things seemed OK.
Until we got a flat tire.
I was just rolling along and suddenly the right rear of the car sagged and I knew we had a flat. Unfortunately we were in a single-lane, snow-bound freeway and no shoulder. I rolled up to the next exit, and found a spot to change the tire. It was on old highway 99, still not on the shoulder, but at least there was very little traffic. The tire was flat as a pancake, from having been driven on for almost 2 miles. I got the jack out and raised the car up, removed the flat, but then could not raise the damn car far enough to get the spare on. WTF? I had to put the flat back on, and then jack it up from the trailing arm instead of the frame. This scared me quite a bit since the other wheels were on frozen pavement. I finally managed to get the suspension compressed and the vehicle raised enough to install the spare. Tossed the jack and flat into the trunk, and continued on to Sue’s office. I dropped her off, and ran some errands. First to the hardware store for plumbing parts, then on to the pet store for some dog food. I also picked up some bird seed and some nuts to feed the deer I’d seen wandering around the neighborhood. Then I went to Les Schwab to get the flat fixed. It was pandemonium. Everyone was there buying chains, snow tires, etc. They said the tire was toast but did not have a replacement. Grrr.
I went back to Sue’s office and took a hot shower. Sue finished up her work and we headed home. On the way we stopped at the Les Schwab in Arlington to see if they could fix our tire. They were also swamped and said they’d get to it in three hours, so we left it and went home.
Above: Snowy scenes around the Goolsbee home.
I set to work on the pipe, which involved a deep-snow trudge out to the barn to gather tools. Along the way I shot the above photos. Meanwhile Sue was out spreading feed around for critters. Back in the garage, I found that my beloved Dremel would not work. Sigh. I’ve owned it for about 10 years. I trudged back out to the barn to find something else to cut with, and by now it was dark. I noted this comical pile of snow on a light:
Unable to find an appropriate cutting tool I figured I’d run the Jeep CRD back into town and pick up a new Dremel at the hardware store. I was happy to find that they had one on sale half price. I also stopped by Les Schwab and check on the tire… no dice. As I turned onto my own street I noted a DOT snowplow clearing it (yeah!) but that it had left a wall of snow in front of our driveway. I grabbed my shovel and cleared enough to get in. Right as I completed that task the lights in the whole neighborhood went out. Damn. Sure enough power was out. 🙁
I hung out with Sue for a bit, as she was already reading her book by candlelight. Unfortunately she was downstairs, which is where the one “indoor” cat lives and I had to leave after about an hour. I’m allergic to cats.
Nothing really to do but go to bed.
All I gotta say is…
Wow.
“…I noted a DOT snowplow clearing it (yeah!) but that it had left a wall of snow in front of our driveway. I grabbed my shovel and cleared enough to get in.”
Customize, geographically, as needed…;)
Living in Colorado!
AUG. 1
Moved to our new home in Denver. It is so beautiful
here. The city is so picturesque with the Rockies in the West! Can hardly wait to see it
covered with snow. I LOVE IT HERE
OCT. 14
Denver is the most beautiful place on earth. The leaves
are turning all different colors. I love the shades of red and
orange. Went for a ride through the hills and saw some deer. They
are so graceful. Certainly they are the most peaceful animals on
earth. This must be paradise. I LOVE IT HERE.
NOV. 11
Deer season will open soon. I cannot imagine anyone
wanting to kill such an elegant creature. The very symbol
of peace and tranquility. Hope it will snow soon. I LOVE IT
HERE.
DEC. 2
It snowed last night. Woke up to find everything blanketed
in a beautiful coat of white. It looked like a postcard. Went outside and cleaned
snow off the steps and shoveled the drive way. What fun! And a good way to stay in shape too, huh?
We had a snowball fight today (I won!!). When the snowplow came by
we had to shovel the driveway again. What a beautiful place.
Mother Nature in perfect harmony. I LOVE IT HERE.
DEC. 12
More snow last night. I love it. The snowplow did his trick
again, that rascal! A winter wonderland. I LOVE IT HERE.
DEC. 19
Snowed again last night. Couldn’t get out of the driveway to
get to work this time. I’m exhausted from shoveling and I’ve torn my rotator cuff.
Damn Snowplow!
DEC. 22
More of that GD white sh!t fell last night. I’ve got blisters on my
hands from shoveling and my back is sore ALL the time! I think the snowplow driver hides around
the corner and waits until I’m done shoveling. That a$$hole!!!
DEC. 25
“White Christmas,” my busted a$$!!! More snow. If I ever get
my hands on that summinabitch who drives that snowplow,
I swear I will castrate the dumb bastard. Don’t know why
they don’t use salt on all this freaking ice!
DEC. 28
More of the same sh!t last night . Been inside since Christmas
day except for when “Snowplow Harry” comes by. Can’t freakin’ go
anywhere. The car is buried in a mountain of that white crap.
The weatherman says expect another 10 inches of this garbage
tonight. Do you know how many shovels full of snow 10
inches is? Damn that plow driver!!!
JAN. 1
Happy freaking New Year My A$$!!. The weatherman was
wrong (AGAIN). We got 34 inches of snow this time. At this
rate it won’t melt until the 4th of July. The snowplow got
stuck down the road and th’ poop for brains had the cojones (they say ‘cojones in Colorado..how quaint!) to
come to the door and ask to borrow my shovel. I told him
I broke 6 shovels already, shoveling out the concrete-like sh!it he plowed
into my driveway. I broke the 7th one over his head.
JAN. 4
Finally got out of the house today. Went to the store to get
food and on the way back a deer ran out in front of the car
and I hit the damn thing. Did about $3,000.00 damage to the
car. Too damn bad the hunters didn’t kill them all last November.
MAY 3
Took the car to the garage in town today to get food and pencils.
Ran out of pencils to write in diary in Janaury!
Would you believe the body is rotting away from all the salt they keep dumping
all over the roads?? It really looks like a piece of sh!t.
MAY 10
Moved to Florida today. I can not imagine why anyone in
their right mind would want to live in the God forsaken State
of Colorado.
Your relation of the fact you’re allergic to cats reminds of one of the funniest ‘race car’ stories I know!
When you race in SCCA, you have to put personal information bits on the back of your helmet, in Dymo tape, such as blood type, DOB, name of nearest kin, drug allergies, and the like.
A friend of mine, who raced a 510 Datsun in the same class as my 1200 (and a near-lifelong friend) was/is very allergic to cats; on the back of his helmet was the following:
-Charly Dallas
-3/17/46
-B pos
-Cats.
When asked about this, Charly’d say, dryly, “In the case of an accident, do NOT administer *any* cats!”
Of course, Charly had a pet cat!
Some people laughed, most just looked at’im funny..
🙂