Report from the Great Cold North

[ed_rex]

Thursday night saw me trying to do some belated catching-up on Battlestar Galactica when the reading light above my laptop went out.

I figured it was the bulb and didn't give any further thought until a couple of hours later, when said laptop itself suddenly shut down and, outside my window, all was dark.

Online then did I realize that the power had gone out.

Though not quite Arctic, the temperature on Thursday dipped to about negative-17 or less and didn't get much above minus-14 on Friday.

Anyway, yes, I was one of those who awoke on Friday morning to a frigid temperature indeed. No heat, no light. No internet.

Needless to say (since I'm typing this), I survived. In truth, I was pretty comfortable.

A few candles, the cat once more permitted into my room and a down duvet saw me through it with only minimal discomfort. Just in case anyone was worried.

Comments

[geonarcissa.livejournal.com]

It reached -29 here the other day. And I had to get groceries. >:(

"Here"?

[ed-rex.livejournal.com]

For someone reason I thought you lived here in Toronto. Me, I've been cycling, no matter how damned cold it's gotten!

Re: "Here"?

[geonarcissa.livejournal.com]

No, I'm in Ottawa. I keep threatening to move to Toronto, but it hasn't happened yet.

Re: "Here"?

[ed-rex.livejournal.com]

It's a good town (Toronto, that is), so it's with some sense of irony that I note there is some small chance I'll be moving to Ottawa within the next couple of weeks, if things don't pan out as I hope they do here.

Re: "Here"?

[geonarcissa.livejournal.com]

Haha, well, I won't be leaving just yet. If you do come to Ottawa, let me know and we can hang out.

Re: "Here"?

[ed-rex.livejournal.com]

If you'll forgive the tardiness of my reply, I'd be delighted to. My dad lives in the Glebe, so I'll make sure to say so next time I travel east. (And same thing, if you come to Hogtown.)

[babyeraserhead.livejournal.com]

I feel so lucky to have missed the power outage.
Let's hope it stays on!

Aye

[ed-rex.livejournal.com]

One thing about a winter power-outage, is you can put your frozen foods outside a window and not have to worry about spoilage.

[sooguy.livejournal.com]

I was wondering about people in Toronto in general after I heard about that outage. Didn't realize it was your part of town.

Be thankful you weren't a bit farther north. It was close to -40C here this week. It feels balmy today and it was only -21.

Minus Forty Might Have Been Difficult

[ed-rex.livejournal.com]

A few candles, a down duvet and a kitty cat left me pretty toasty, all things considered — but I don't know I'd have been able to say the same at your temperatures.

[paul-carlson.livejournal.com]

Sooooo cold.
It's lucky your indoor plumbing did not freeze, and burst the pipes.

At Mom's place in North Dakota it's down to about 40 below.

Then again, it was shirtsleeve weather here today.
(But we really do need some rainstorms!)

Pipes and shirtsleeves

[ed-rex.livejournal.com]

Toronto Hydro actually sent someone around to knock on doors and ask us all to keep a tap running to prevent just that. Naturally, being a Young Rebel, I told him I'd turn on the water when I damned well felt like.

Well, not really.

I know that song

[mijopo.livejournal.com]

No heat, no light. No internet.

... Not a single luxury, like Robinson Crusoe, as primitive as can be, as primitive as can be.

Re: I know that song

[ed-rex.livejournal.com]

Have you ever tried singing the original to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun" (Dylan's or the Animals' version). It fits so well it's scary.