Ready for Sandy…..

OK… here I am, sitting in my recliner, dog fed and curled up in my lap, corned beef and cabbage in the Crockpot and I think I am ready for the hurricane to come.

It was gray and cloudy this morning, a little sunshine briefly and then drizzle.  I guess the outer rain bands are making their presence felt.  I got the big blue flower pots off the front porch and stored away in the garage.  The wind chimes are also in the garage.  The stuff on the deck is stowed away so they will hopefully not blow all over the place.  But I have not been in a hurricane before, so it may be a really big learning curve for me.

I did some adjusting on the platform for the generator.  The bench that is being used was at one time screwed down to a parade float.  Today it is screwed down to the deck.  I have two cinder blocks on the seat as added weight.  I have a 2 by 4 screwed to the top of the bench.  It gives the big board cover a tilt out to the yard so that rain might run off.  This is the board that was cut out of the wall in my new store room when windows were installed, so it is a nice size.  This will also help move the fumes from the generator beyond the edge of the deck.  I placed this big board on the 2 by 4 and then scooted it into position and then screwed it into the deck railing AND the 2 by 4.  This will allow me to place the generator on the bench so when it is running it is covered from weather and the fumes will go out into the back yard.

I spoke to Marji several times today and she passed on a suggestion from Danny that I should try starting the generator.  So, I did.  I had it down on the ground so I had a good distance for the pull.  I opened up the gas by flipping a lever, turned the generator ON and pulled.  Nothing.  I pulled and pulled and pulled…. Nothing.  Then I remembered the choke, so I slid that switch.  I pulled and pulled and still nothing.  I am beginning to think that in spite of having the generator, close to 20 gallons of gas, enough 2-cycle oil to mix plenty of gas for the generator I would be in the dark.  Then I looked at the ON/OFF switch.  It is the funky kind that has a line and an O to indicate off and on.  The O was down so that was how it was set.  I got started thinking that maybe the O was for OFF, so I pushed the line down and pulled.  The recoil just about took my arm off.  One more pull and the generator was humming.  Amazing how well it worked when it is properly set.  So I am set there.  The generator is sitting inside the back door of my outside porch, safe from the weather.  Once the storm is waning, I will get it running and then wait for the electricity to come back on while I watch some TV and charge the fridge from time to time. 

Just finished a delightful meal.  I had gotten some home grown cabbage the other day, so picked up a corned beef brisket.  Put it in the Crockpot this morning and it cooked while I worked.  It was yummy.  Molly even liked it, too.

Just finished giving Molly her bath.  She suffers from Cushings Syndrome and one of the effects is frequent staph infections on her skin.  We have an anti-bacterial shampoo that I use to keep it at bay for as long as I can, and then we have to get an antibiotic from the vet, but they will soon stop working.  They come more frequently these days and since we have been fighting fleas, too, I think that the staph was there and I thought it was flea bites.  Anyway, I am bathing her every other day, at this point.  If we still have power tomorrow, I will give her another one because once the power is out, I am going to have to watch her scratch and nip at her legs.  Might have to get to the vet for more antibiotics and she just finished a course in September.

So, I am waiting for Sandy.  Could use the rain, but not 8 to 10+ inches all in one shot!!!