This Thanksgiving season has been interesting. A couple of days before that holiday my power suddenly went out about ten minutes into the Colbert TV program I was watching that night. Having had my lights suddenly go out before, as I have previously described HERE, catching me "unarmed" in the bathroom, I had added to my regular strategically placed full-size flashlights by purchasing several small flashlights to place about my home in even more locations. I was well prepared this time.
A phone call to my electric company revealed I was the first to phone in and the woman to whom I spoke said she didn't know what had happened either. I wasn't the only one wondering, if even the company representative didn't know. Another call later I learned this was a planned outage and they didn't know how long the power would be off. I went to bed.
The next day the power didn't come on again until around 10 a.m. Meanwhile, there had been public service news reports that Santa Ana winds, sometimes as strong as 100 mph whipping downslope through mountain passes, were expected as we approached the holiday -- that our electric company might need to cut the power in some areas for safety reasons, but I hadn't thought we would be affected.
Harve Presnell sings "They Call the Wind Mariah" (remastered). from the movie 'Paint Your Wagon" (original Broadway musical)
Generally, we've not received Santa Ana's hot dry strong winds, except I recall once years ago finding a few roof shingles in our yard the next morning, but I wasn't concerned this year. The areas that are really at-risk experience trees falling with most concerning of all, electrical lines can come down causing dangerous fires threatening homes and lives, even destructive-of-whole-communities' wildfires as has happened in recent years.
A power company other than my own near San Diego had a tree fall on their power line resulting in a town-destroying-fire called the Camp Fire, traumatizing over 70,000 people. They lost their California homes and businesses not to mention some lives lost with that devastation that came to their town ironically named Paradise. Too many residents are still 3 years later awaiting expected recompense so they can more fully resume their lives as described in this action news now report.
I was told our power outage occurred so maintenance could be performed that would serve to prevent our experiencing damage. The wind did come to other areas subsequent days with violent gusts to 80 mph subjecting a hundred thousand or more people to either deliberate power cuts or those unpredictable outages.
Unfortunately, on Thanksgiving over 60,000 residents in some areas suddenly had their power shut down as a preventative measure against possible wildfires, so their turkey, ham, pies, or other food didn't get cooked this holiday and they unexpectedly had to seek dinner elsewhere. Some families where these winds are most prevalent did resort to using outdoor grills, others may have had personal generators to power their ovens, as well as refrigerators, even coffeemakers, so they were better able to cope.
Indeed, I have much for which to be thankful since we had no winds where I live and had power Thanksgiving!
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We humans have been quite concerned about vaccinations, the flu and Covid, but now our pets have unexpectedly had a new threat to their health. Seems a potentially deadly dog flu has descended on our Los Angeles area. Some businesses catering to dogs are requiring they must be vaccinated.
Hm-m-m! Will some dogs organize and protest? Violently resist ..... attack others? I wonder if there will be owners picketing with their pooches to protest this being a possible violation of their dogs' freedom rights?
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University of Michigan has upset Ohio State University football team to win the Big Ten championship. This classic rivalry outcome proved once again to be unpredictable and an exciting game to view. My family has individual allegiances to each of these teams. Consequently, I said our family has a winner no matter which team prevailed!
I"m happy for Michigan fans to have this win to celebrate given to what Covid has subjected residents. I just hope the packed "Big House" as the Michigan stadium is called, hasn't been a virus spreader location.
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Recently I answered my phone to hear a deep rough-sounding male voice authoritatively ask, "Do you want to sell your house?" I responded, "Absolutely not!" He abruptly hung up. There surely weren't any niceties or words wasted in that call, not even so much as an apologetic "Sorry, thank you." for intruding uninvited into my life and wasting my time -- just right to his point.
I hope I don't hear from him again as I read a current news story that the housing situation is such, homeowners around the country are being repeatedly bombarded by some aggressive individuals to sell their house. They especially focus on older people with some succumbing to their repetitive persistently prevalent pressure techniques with an offer that may not even be reasonably favorable to the home owner.
I've also received regular letters in recent years from several different individuals soliciting to buy my house, calls from a few people who have identified themselves as real estate agents, but this new breed I read about sound like they're borderline harassing or worse. Homeowners are being besieged by these unsolicited offers as described in this NPR link.
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Well, this has turned into a mixture of the significant to rather incidental insignificant items, except to those directly affected by them or those who might be in the future, that can pepper our lives as we navigate the much more important to us activities of life.
I wonder what sort of incidental matters you could probably live without that squander your time and intrude into your daily living? Reading this blog, you say? That's life!
