Feb 15 Awesome

We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.

Isabel Allende

I made it out of my driveway, to town, to the village, got a new-gen, got groceries, got my mail, even got me a Beyond Meat burger fries and coffee.

And then got Gracie back in the garage with almost no trouble.

So what’s the big deal? My driveway is covered in a 3-inch deep sheet of glare ice. So slippery, it was impossible to walk on.

I had to back the van uphill and make a turn without touching a snowbank. It was all a miracle.

Yesterday I told you my Generator died. I looked online and found a cheap one. Home hardware.

I knew I would have to pre-order and wait till it arrived. I had two minutes to decide to order it or wait another week.

I found a YouTube video of another Canadian that bought one. I watched it with my deadline looming. He was happy, I was happy.

I called in the order, it was in stock. So today I went in to pick it up. A little scary. Covid numbers in the small town had jumped almost as high as the city.

There were plenty of maskless idiots running around the grocery store. This time after paying $1.45 a litre of gas. 50 dollars to fill two gas cans. I also bought hand sanitizer to use before I ate my fries on the way home.

I made the trip home, parked on a ten-foot strip of lawn exposed by the snowplow. The only place that was not covered in ice.

Unlocked the garage doors and ice-skated back to the van and drove her inside.

With no problems. Locked the doors behind me, and started to empty the van.

I grabbed my Beyond Meat burger and sat in the fireroom with the boy cats. It was all good till one of them peed on my leather jacket.

My fault, I should have known that would happen. I retired to my old living room to finish typing this.

Now I need to empty the grocery bags. Unpack the gen put oil and gas in it. Get it started, find some wood to burn in the fire for tonight. Then collapse. My back was already sore.

It got worse just thinking about what I needed to get done today. Going to town and shopping, getting gas, lifting gas cans and lifting the gen into the van was already hurting.

Getting home, getting the van in, moving the heavy garage doors and locking all that, then unloading added to my pain.

I got the groceries unpacked and put away, and made the realization that my generator may not get started today.

I found enough wood for a while and put that in the firebox. I had some OSB pieces that could be coerced later to fit in the woodstove. That and a litter box full of cat poop and wood pellets might get me through tonight.

If not, I had lined up a few boards that could be cut with my cordless saw right in the living room. Generator tomorrow.

I just checked my freight, I thought next week, since it was coming from Ontario. it made from there to Edmonton in 6 hours. What???? The truckers were all in Ottawa, They sent my freight by plane.

Gathered wood, OSB, some old boards. I cut them with a cordless skill saw using my gen box as a sawhorse.

Added some litter, my cat’s contribution to tonight’s heat.