Hope all HoosierDuers are faring okay thru the storm

[salin]

so far it is much 'less bad' than it sounded like it was going to be when it was 'just a forcast' but not yet a reality. Hope you all are warm, safe, and in good spirits.

[Buzz Clik]

1. Here in Lafayette...

It was as horrible at 7 am as predicted -- very windy with 4 inches on the ground and still snowing. It continues to snow hard and blow hard. Can't tell what the accumulation is so far.

By the way, Purdue University just shut down.

[salin]

4. very rare for the big Us in this state to shut down.

[thinkingwoman]

2. Freezing rain has started in Blgtn

with a vengeance. It's now coating all the rain and slush-slicked surfaces we woke up to. It's really quite lovely in an oh my gawd I hope we keep power sort of way.

Stay safe Hoosiers. Stay home.

[salin]

3. my mother in btn hasn't had power since early morning.

She's okay - so far.

In Indianapolis, We have about five inches of snow - but the top crust is all icecrystal. Got the car out of the garage - but had a heck of a time getting it back in (off an alley). Am trying to get the courage to go out and do a 'big dig'.

[thinkingwoman]

5. I don't know which is worse

snow on top of ice or ice on top of snow.

I really hate ice. And I feel for you Mom!

[salin]

6. probably snow on top of ice (since you can't see it)

I just shoveled the walk, the sidewalk, and part of a neighbor's sidewalk (city street - so sidewalks ought to connect). Tried to 'lower the snow' (shovel off the top) behind the dettached garage on the side alley - I got hung up earlier due to the height of the snow and the lowness of my car (its a Prius).

Just checked in with Mom - she is getting a little cool - but not complaining. I think I am a wee bit more nervous than she is about her circumstances.

Here's to your keeping the power on! :hi:

[thinkingwoman]

18. So far so good

Ours may be one of the few households near Blgtn with power. We've got the snow on top of the ice now and the wind is starting to pick up. We're bracing for a long night but our dogs absolutely love snow so they're quite happy. Silly dogs.

Hope your Mom's power comes back on soon!

[salin]

19. No power

she thinks she is okay through the night - but we are working on contigencies and plans for the am if she doesn't have power in the morning.

Another sibling (also more than an hour away) is also now aware of the situation and involved in the action planning.

Thankfully she still has oldfashioned phones in a few rooms - as her cell is running down on power. The old non-electronic phones that work even when the electricy is out.

Have to admit I am starting to get concerned, esp given that the temps are slated to drop along with increased winds (and wind chills) which should drop the in house temp. :-(

[thinkingwoman]

20. It's supposed to get really cold tomorrow

If she's still without power then, she'll need to leave the house.

You've probably already thought of this, but has your mother moved to just one or two rooms of the house and hung sheets/blankets over doors and windows to trap what warmth she has in those rooms? Hubby and I did that with young kids a decade ago through a long power outage and it really helped. Once we did that, and carefully burned candles and an oil lamp in that room, the temp actually went up a bit where we were--enough that the kids could sleep comfortably and hubby and I could take turns dozing.

[salin]

22. just spoke with her

she has a plan for the morning if the power isn't on. She contends that she is okay now - and has many blankets down for the night. She has called a friend for a ride (if needed) in the am - to get to a hotel. I don't think she could do the 'hanging of blankets sheets' (she is in her late seventies). Better to get her out of there if the heat doesn't come back on. A friend in the neighborhood has a thermostat that is not electronic - who says the inside temp is at 60 (and my Mom thinks this is a good approximation of hers). She should be okay tonight (there are tons of blankets in the house) - and is ready to 'move' i the am. She assures me she is okay - but my concern level has risen across the day (esp knowing that the cold temps are returning) - if we can get her safely to mid-morning tomorrow - it will certainly all be good.

[thinkingwoman]

25. Sounds like a good plan

And 60 is probably a good guess, which means it won't drop too far tonight.

Your Mom sounds like a tough lady!

Oh, here's a link to the power outage info...the number of people without power in Monroe county has dropped considerably in the past hour. I'll be hoping your Mom is one of the lucky ones overnight.

http://www.cinergypsi.com/inres/outage_information/power_outages.asp

[salin]

26. Thanks for the link. I will go back to that in the morning.

She is a tough lady - tonight to comfort me (how ironic - she is the one in need and wants to comfort her concerned daugher) pulled the "nordic roots" theme. Norwegian stoicism. Thanks for the conversation and concern. I sincerely appreciate it. I'll let you know in the a.m. how things turned out. I think she will be okay (as long as she moves out of the house in the am if the electricity is still out) - but will have that daughter 'on alert' thing going on until I know she is okay.

[IndianaGreen]

7. It isn't over by a long shot!

We are getting a lot of that fine freezing stuff, right on top of all the snow we got earlier. I had to dig myself out of the house and I got to take my dog to the park. The streets are nearly deserted.

As long as the electricity does not go out, I'll be find. I got enough food and water to last until the weekend.

[salin]

11. Power is on my mind

my mother hasn't had any since 8 am. She is fine for now - but we are working on contingencies if her power doesn't come on sometime tonight.

I did digging out early - only to have it all disappear - the icy-snow and winds erased the dents i made.

Good to read that you are stocked up and ready to go for a few days. Stay safe.

[tulip]

8. Wind is howling up here

The wind is whistling like crazy. We're warm and well fed here. The pets aren't happy though. Our poor little doggie is not liking this one bit.

[hippiechick]

10. Mine either!

Poor Ray Charles LaBeagle hasn't done his "serious" business since yesterday and he refuses to go on the back patio (it's not his "turf") ... :(

HippieDog Hank is just bored and would love nothing more than to pull a sled around the neighborhood. He's an Aussie Cattle Dog who thinks he should be in the Iditarod.

:hi:

[salin]

12. an idea...

wonder if one could harness a shovel to an iditarod-aspiring dog :think:

Hope you are warm, safe and well. :hi:

[hippiechick]

14. hah ... as wound up as he is ...

... he could probably pull my car out of the snowbank it's currently parked in !!

I nodded off for a bit while reading this afternoon, and when I woke up, there were 5 stuffed animals/dog toys scattered around me on the floor. :rofl:

Hope someone's able to pick your mom up, or at least look in on her and make sure she's warm and safe ?!

[salin]

15. I have been speaking with her every other hour

she is okay for now (and probably the night - many extra blankets). We are working on plans for the morning - she is calling some folks now (thank goodness she has 'old phones' that aren't electronic so she can talk more than what the cellphone battery will allow) - to arrange for a ride to take the dog to get boarded for the day tomorrow and get her to somewhere warm (several ideas on that front) - and to leave a "light" on in the back so the one set of neighbors who have electricity (one neighborhood over) can see - and can check periodically to see when the lights go on and let Mom know. It is heart warming to know that there are a number of folks who are looking in on her (including an 85+ year old friend of hers who called early in the day and learned of the 'poweroutage' and has called every couple of hours to check-in on her. So consider me concerned - and on alert - but not yet on "high alert". Still send warm thoughts...

Per the dog story - so cute when they try so hard to get your attention - and if it doesn't work (cuz you are asleep or something) do the same thing again and again - cuz sooner or later you are going to notice ... :D

[hippiechick]

16. Good that you/she has such a support network and a plan ...

O8)

[salin]

21. yes... but I still worry...

will feel much better in the morning - knowing she has power or that she is somewhere with heat.

[tulip]

35. Let us know how she is doing

I hate to think of someone in the cold with all this snow.b Good luck to you and your mom.

[salin]

36. thankfully she got power back

and is doing fine. But we put together a number of contingency plans had her power not been back up in the morning (she wanted to stay the night - and in the middle of the wee early am hours the power came back on.)

thanks for your concern - this forum is great!

[tulip]

34. i have a mini

The snow is taller then my little dog......well the cats are bigger too. We shoveled an area for her out back but she doesn't like going out one bit.

[hippiechick]

9. Less bad ? Are you in B-ton?

Cause it's NASTY up here on da Nort' side!

Conseco closed (I think for the first time) at 6 AM this morning!

OT ~ I'm just glad it waited until after I finished my interview downtown, got
back home and safely tucked in before it started :)


:hi: :hug:

[salin]

13. Fountain Square

some snow - but since late morning mostly ice-snow (little snow/ice pellets are the top inch or so of our stuff). My Mom is powerless in B-ton. Has been since 8 am :-(

I got out early in the day - and back home; but got stuck in ice in the alley (finally got out - note: Priuses in snow do better in reverse, than in low gear) around Noon. Get the feeling that tomorrow is going to be a real 'blast'.

:loveya: :hi:

[Voltaire]

17. I made it to work and back

with a little digging out of an alley each way, I think tomorrow I will give it a pass. I think its going to be worse.

[salin]

23. My little alley was okay at 6 am - and 'got me stuck' by noon. I

did some early evening shoveling (now can't tell I did anything at all) - I think I will give it a pass tomorrow as well - make sure to take your own advice. :-)

[Voltaire]

27. I'm just south of Garfield Park

Often drive through Fountain Square on my way home from work. Didn't try yesterday though, I suspected that Shelby St. may not have been plowed out.

[salin]

28. How is it this morning?

am hoping that Shelby has been cleared - but getting to Shelby - that is going to be hard.

The wind has done its damage = per snow kept blowing back over everything that has been shoveled.

[hippiechick]

24. Bart doesn't have you on the mandatory plow route ?

... I thought you were important enough in the food chain that you'd be 2nd or 3rd to be plowed out!

:rofl:

Sittin' tight up here in the northern 'burbs, too.
Your 4-legged son is driving me nuts, though ... :hi:

[salin]

29. My Mother's power came back on at 3 am.

was out since 8 am yesterday. What a relief.

[thinkingwoman]

31. Yea!!!!!

:woohoo:

That's good news.

[salin]

32. Thanks!

I appreciated the advice.

Now I have to try to dig out of the ice snow - so I can get the car through the alley.

Hope you are still safe and warm.

[hippiechick]

33. Good to hear!

:hug:

[salin]

37. it was a big *whew*

but it did make me worry about how many older folks in southern Indiana who didn't get their power back on were stuck in that situation - without support and plans to relocate to somewhere warm. :-(

[PVnRT]

30. Everything closed in Vermillion County

Except for the fucking army base. Dammit. At least I was able to make it in and don't have to take vacation time today.

[AwakeAtLast]

38. I'm in Madison County

There is A LOT of snow here - maybe 12-14"! However, it is the drifts that are amazing. MiniWMU and I have been playing in it (3rd snow day Thursday, we're gonna be going to school on Saturdays!) and some are above my face (don't worry, I'm not that tall, Ha ha). The only complaint I have about this snow, aside from making it horrible to drive, is that it does not pack! No snowman and happy snow family :( Heck, with this much snow we could have made forts! Alas, no such luck.

Ok, now for the confession. MiniWMU's birthday was Tuesday, and she wanted to go out for dinner to celebrate. DaddyWMU decides that because he is from Eastern PA he can get us anywhere - never mind that we have a Camry, not a 4x4. Well, we got there and back, but it was definitely interesting! We get to do the whole b-day party this weekend after everyone digs out.

My parents live in southern IL and only got rain and a few inches of snow :shrug:

Hope everyone is still doing OK! :hi:

[Bzzzz]

39. My asshole employer...

had every supervisor call and tell each employee that we were opening at 11:00(family owned, republican bank)and to get there if we could. When I told my supervisor that I had 4ft. drifts in my drive and no way I could make it, he repeated "we are opening at 11:00, get there if you can". Fucking assholes. If they wanted me there, they could have come and picked me up. Needless to say, next day I was given the cold shoulder all day and those who lived in town 2-3 blocks away from our branch who didn't show up...no problem. I'm a commercial loan officer...like anyone was going to come in for a loan on a day where the LAW issued a snow emergency and we were not to be on the roads. OH...the almighty dollar!!!