Thursday December 15

[Colliemom]

Good Morning. Quiet and calm out there, temp is 33° With just a light Misty rain. Storm has moved on. We got some freezing rain and some snow, barely a quarter inch I figure. Pine branches are hanging low but far as I know, no power issues around here. Schools are closed though.

Martha, glad to hear that everything’s okay where you are, or was when you last posted. I saw on the weather channel last night where Louisiana declared a state of emergency and I wondered about you. So much devastation across multiple states this close to Christmas, so sad. It sad anytime, but this time of year makes it worse yet. Barbie, I’m glad that it sounds like you have your propane issue solved hopefully. But it seems to me like the company who fills those tanks and provides the tanks should be the ones that repair that, not you. They should come out and remove those tanks and put new ones in. Up here, if you have an issue with the tank itself, you call the company that installed it to take care of it. It’s good that you get that fixed, because that can be an issue with your house on the market.

As to Hallmark movies about the neighborhoods being forced to decorate, remember this is only Hollywood. Haul Out The Holly, is one of the more crazy strict ones, but it is funny in the way it’s presented. A fun spin on HOA restrictions. There are probably HOA’s out there that are fussy about that kind of thing, but they have to be far and few between. But I’m getting tired of the romance Christmas stuff. It’s not all about adults, we need some funny entertaining ones about children and Santa Claus and other things like that too. Or more plots. That’s why I enjoyed the Christmas in Evergreen series. With all of the Christmas movies that Hallmark has put out the last few years, you think they would put some of these other ones back in again instead of repeating the same ones over and over for this year.

Carol, loved the pictures of the children.

I made my decision last night about a computer and I ordered a new laptop through Best Buy. It’s on its way and it should be here sometime today. Then the fun comes. First we figure out how to turn it on and go from there I have a neighbor who said she would help me set it up if I have a problem. I need a Dummies guide to Windows 11 Actually I think I am going to order one because those books really are a big help. But the other thing is , I still have my old computer and my iPad and there are a lot of things online. I can actually look up something on one of them while I’m doing something on the new computer.

But for now I guess I had better get dressed and get a bit of work done on this woodcraft that I am redoing a bit. It’s almost done. Happy with the way it turned out now. So I will bid you all a nice day and those of you who are still on the path of these storms please stay safe.

[Shirlv]

Morning All, it’s 35° and pouring, will continue through the night. Temperature to stay above freezing I hope. Tree lights are on, will find the Christmas cd’s accumulated over the years and bake those cookies. Have a couple loads of laundry and a few Christmas cards to address. I trashed the remaining balcony plants and will start again in the spring. Dinner will be soup from the freezer and might bake savory biscuits while the oven is hot. Hope all are safe from the storm. Be safe

I was sent a text. I don’t have wrinkles I have wise cracks. That describes me.

[BarbaraRose]

Good morning Sue and all who follow!

Just woke up from a bad dream. I hate those!

Sue, I just have 2 small 30 pound propane tanks. We just take them up to the gas station down the street to fill them. We don't have a propane service here for those. So they are our responsibility.

Just called work to find out my schedule for next week. A guy answered that I don't know and sounds like a gal there who I also don't know. Such a mixed up mess with the shops and employees lately! I work tomorrow and Saturday, then 4 days off before working next Thursday and Friday. I should do something fun one of those days off. Maybe go hiking somewhere. The weather is perfect for that now.

Need to put my clean clothes away and wash dishes today. Also meeting my friend for lunch and then later the golf cart parade and chili! Will test out my oven again just to be sure there is no more propane smell. Fingers crossed! I should also get ahold of a pest control service for the spider issue.

So sad to hear about all the destruction from this storm! Such a mixed bag of stuff happening, from heavy snow, to ice and rain and tornadoes, etc. I feel very fortunate that it started out not bad on this side of the country other than the much needed snow in the mountains here.

Have a good and safe day!

[Cudedog]

Morning All, it’s 35° and pouring, will continue through the night. Temperature to stay above freezing I hope. Tree lights are on, will find the Christmas cd’s accumulated over the years and bake those cookies. Have a couple loads of laundry and a few Christmas cards to address. I trashed the remaining balcony plants and will start again in the spring. Dinner will be soup from the freezer and might bake savory biscuits while the oven is hot. Hope all are safe from the storm. Be safe

I was sent a text. I don’t have wrinkles I have wise cracks. That describes me.

LOL! I have never before heard about "wise cracks". Too funny! I will need to remember to use that!

Anne

[OregonLuvr]

Well since I wasnt sure which Thursday post to reply to LOL I just went with the earliest time as I know Beth will combine them.

Cool 41° this morning and cloudy but we are supposed to see some sun this week before the rain returns next week so that works for me. Spent yesterday cleaning out my laundry room. It had become kind of a catch all place. So no more, put stuff where it belonged and trashed the rest. Washed the shelving unit, the floor and rearranged the cupboards. Threw a load of laundry in and then changed the filter in my furnace. It looks great now.

Having left over stir fry for lunch and thinking salmon patties for dinner, we shall see. Then I have to get into my office room and straighten that up, file some papers, shred some, and then try to remember where I put stuff, sheesh that is the hard part. Tomorrow's job hopefully. Barbie have fun today at your lunch date and then your chili you are looking forward to and the parade, Sounds like fun. Happy your propane is fixed that is nothing to mess with.

Off to fix my lunch and settle in to catch up on some tv

[IrishIroamed]

Love the wise cracks Shirl! You made my day!

[Othersharon]

Just a quick check in. Weather is doing what was predicted. It started about 4ish this morning as sleet and freezing rain, about noon it changed to snow and we’re in a lull right now before the next round. A few miles makes a big difference as to what it’s doing. I did call the vet’s office yesterday afternoon and scored a new appointment for Monday the 19th at 5:30. Wasn’t going to disagree to the time considering they’re doing me a big favor. Buddy loved the snow or whatever you want to call it. He ran around like crazy on the porch and open deck and slid when he wanted to stop. Pretty funny! Then later he discovered he could dig around in it to get to the bare wood. So I’d say his first snow was successful. I went outside about 11 last night to throw down ice melt on the sidewalks hoping it’ll help when I have to clear them. I was only out a few minutes but it was so quiet and strange. Only one car went by in the time I was out there. Even though the storm hadn’t started yet. A rash of accidents this morning as usual. I need to call Comcast about their talk of dropping CBS today. Contract dispute apparently. I really think I need to do away with the landline and cable since I don’t use either one much anymore. I would like to keep my internet since so much is tied to that address. I’ve never gotten into the streaming shows on the internet and don’t really understand it all but maybe it’s time I learn more about it. Sue, glad you didn’t get much of this storm and Martha, good you didn’t have any of the tornadoes. Been thinking about all the different weather this storm has brought to different areas that so many of us live in. Stay safe. Barbie, good that you seem to have figured out your propane situation. Okay, Buddy wants to go out again so need to bundle up and go play in the whatever is out there now! Stay safe all.

[OregonLuvr]

Sharon I cut the cable cord a year ago. I checked out Hulu Live and Youtube tv and opted for Youtube. I need my local channels so either would have worked. I learned how to use Youtube by watching Youtube videos. Experimented a bit and now I am pretty darn good at it. I put a Roku streaming stick on my tv and look at most stuff thru that. Plugs into an HDMI port. I like the Roku app for watching some old series, lots of movies and other good stuff. I missed first time around and it is free. The only thing that cost was the Roku streaming stick 4k+ is what I got. I like streaming very much now that I am used to it. The smart tv's become fairly obsolete in some respects quickly so that is why I opted for the Roku. I have 2 tv's that are Roku already and 2 that are not so only bought 2 streaming sticks.

[Bethers]

I should already be on the road with the group going to holiday lights and dinner in a neighboring town. I know I would enjoy the lights but for personal reasons decided not to go today if I could find someone who missed out on getting a ticket and wanted one. I contacted the manager late morning and two minutes later a gentleman was at my door trying to buy my ticket. I told him it was my gift to him and some day in the future he can pay it forward. He was ecstatic. So I'm a bum at home and he's very happy. Win/win!

Like Karen I use Roku. I bought a second Roku over the summer to use on my little TV I took into the back room in the motel office. I wish I'd thought of it sooner. It helped me keep my sanity. I do pay for a couple channels. When the Hulu very low rate as a special went up, I kept it as I watch channels through Hulu often. I got a good deal paying for Hulu for the year, so that helped new decide. And I pay for Peacock. But I could live without them. My biggest problem is remembering what shows are on which of my networks, free or not lol

Shirl your wise cracks comment cracked me up. I'm going to try to remember that and steal it. Lol

It was cold overnight. I actually turned my furnace on. I should have just grabbed another quilt. Then today I had the AC on. I'll probably fold another quilt at the bottom of the bed as temps will be cooler starting in a few days. But I'm not against running the furnace and ac to keep comfortable as needed.

[Cudedog]

I ditched cable going on 12 years now, and went to Roku. Have updated my Roku every few years as the device added more features.

I love my Roku, pretty much plug-and-play. Easy-peasy.

I don't subscribe to anything else, I could watch free stuff on Roku until my eyeballs fell out.

Looks like lots of Roku ladies on here, if anyone has questions do please ask.

Anne

[JudyJB]

Anne, the Engineering Catastrophes is a series on the Science Channel on Dish. It may be on your cable or satellite service, but I don't know. I will look for it online and let you know where you can find it. It did not have the word "Oroville" in the title but when they started talking about the tallest earthen dam, I watched and could tell it was Oroville.

[Cudedog]

Anne, the Engineering Catastrophes is a series on the Science Channel on Dish. It may be on your cable or satellite service, but I don't know. I will look for it online and let you know where you can find it. It did not have the word "Oroville" in the title but when they started talking about the tallest earthen dam, I watched and could tell it was Oroville.

Thanks, Judy.

I don't have cable or satellite service, I haven't had either for the past 12 years or thereabouts. I stream all of my television watching via the internet using my Roku box.

I did see that this program is available on the Roku channel, but one needs to sign up for a trial of Discovery+ in order to watch it. Probably pass for now, it will probably show up sooner or later on YouTube. I'll watch it then.

LOL, the lead in ads state "When America's tallest dam threatens to burst, a nearby town finds itself an hour away from total annihilation. . ."

This isn't true (at least not about Oroville) the dam never threatened to "burst", no town was annihilated, there was a major evacuation, but no loss of life that I recall. I was under mandatory evacuation, and was out of my home for nearly a week.

The dam was in some small danger of having water over-topping the dam (a really bad thing to happen for any dam, but particularly to an earth-fill dam - it was never in danger of "bursting") because the concrete spillway that drained the dam (during a series of Bibical-size rainstorms that were ongoing at the time), had failed (the concrete slabs that comprised the spillway had begun to break up) so the "emergency spillway" was used. The emergency spillway was nothing more than an earthen hillside that then began to do some very serious eroding. Somehow this erosion was a surprise to the dam's managers.

The main worry at the time was that the hillside would erode back to a concrete "lip" at the top of the hill, causing the concrete lip to fail. Had it failed (it didn't) there would have been a massive uncontrolled release of water, causing untold flooding downstream.

As the Sheriff of Butte County, Kory L. Honea, stated at the time it wouldn't have been a question of whether or not people would die, but how many hundreds or thousands would die.

It was Sheriff Honea that ordered the evacuation of Oroville and all of the nearby towns downstream of the dam.

Had the emergency spillway let go, multiple towns (not just one) downstream of the dam would have found themselves
"less than an hour away from total annihilation".

About 250,000 people were given about an hour to get outta Dodge. It was pure chaos.

At the time, I had just returned home from visiting friends in the bay area, came in, turned on my tv, and the evacuation order was scrolling across, with the disclaimer "This is not a drill". I turned off my tv, got back in my car, and drove back to my friends house. I probably hadn't been home for five minutes.

People up and down my street were out in their driveways throwing stuff into their cars as fast as they could.

It was a very scary time.

Anne

[dpf]

My weather update....we got hit today with snow, 17* and 50 mph wind. There is not one highway in South Dakota that isn't closed/blocked/impassable or no travel advised. Every school in the state is called off tomorrow.

[Cudedog]

My weather update....we got hit today with snow, 17* and 50 mph wind. There is not one highway in South Dakota that isn't closed/blocked/impassable or no travel advised. Every school in the state is called off tomorrow.

This sounds terrible. Hope you can stay safe.

Anne

[BarbaraRose]

I met up with my friend for lunch today and had a great reunion and conversation. She is fascinated with RV lifestyle and wanted to know all about my plans. We were there talking for 2 1/2 hours.

I found some old gift cards the other day in my purse so today I checked to see how much they were worth. One is a Visa that has $20 on it, one is good for Cracker Barrel with $20 on it, and one is good for Panera with $20 on it. The lunch we had today I used my $25 gift card that was for that restaurant (not a chain so I needed to use it before I leave) and paid for most of both of our meals. The others will come in handy when I am on the road. We do have Panera here but not Cracker Barrel. Since I can boondock at CB, that will be a good place to use the card and park overnight. All of them are good for another 7 years.

At 4pm I went down the street to sit with some neighbors to watch the parade. It was the best one I have seen here. It helped that they did it while it was still fairly light out so you could actually see the decorations, outfits, and who was in the carts, instead of just lights. A couple of them threw candy and I got a piece of taffy which I ate (and shouldn't have). From there I walked over to the club house for the chili feed. That is when I started getting a bad stomach ache. Not sure what that was from, maybe the BLT I had at lunch (sometimes bacon doesn't sit well with me), but the taffy didn't help on top of that. The chili looked good but I didn't have any for awhile until I started feeling a little better. It was good but could only eat a few bites. When someone offered me some of the dessert goodies, I adamantly turned them down (which is so NOT like me!). I didn't even want to take any home with me. Then I left early. It was a very festive and fun party but I just didn't feel good enough to stay and enjoy it. Went home and took a nap for a few hours. Just got up and am feeling a little better but am going back to bed soon. I have a long day at work tomorrow.

Pat, stay hunkered down! Hopefully, the weather will warm up in a few days there and melt some of it so things will get back to normal. Snow days can be fun if you don't have to go anywhere.

Sharon, sounds like Buddy is a snow dog! When I had my first two ferrets, I took them outside in the snow. Lucy loved it and ran all over tunneling under it and occasionally popping her head up to look around. Greta hated it and ran up my leg and under my coat!

Lyn has a new pup now too! Can't wait to see puppy photos from both of you and hear all the cute stories!

Good night!