vilakins | Trees, power outage, chocolate, and a severe lack of snow

Current Mood: hot and coughy

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Trees, power outage, chocolate, and a severe lack of snow

I am actually feeling slightly better today, though I'm still coughing horribly. This is very encouraging despite: 1) having the tree trimmers with their very loud chipper in yesterday and today--they're gone now, and did a nice job too; 2) Greg coming home sick with the same thing I've had; and 3) having a power cut for a couple of hours just after he got here. But yay, we have power back, and that's always a huge relief. Unfortunately, Greg's had about five calls from his work about recovering from the outage. He also has to go down to Christchurch tomorrow for his aunt's funeral, but I don't think he'll be well enough. Mind you, he won't get the chest infection I always seem to end up with.

I slept so badly last night, I think I'll sleep upright in a chair down here tonight. It might be cooler too; at least I hope so.

I wouldn't mind some of that snow, guys!

I should fill out the chocolate survey I'm being paid $50 to do. You have to taste two enormous blocks of chocolate over two weeks (not great timing) and then rate them. Why yes, I am desperate enough to take money (and chocolate, though I haven't felt much like it) where I can.

[Edit] I just heard the whole area is just running off one transformer instead of the usual three. Oh joy. They've already turned the hot water off (which is fine; there'll be plenty for showers tomorrow) but they're also asking people not to use ovens or run air-conditioning. Ooookay, the chicken will be in the toaster oven tonight. We really should get the barbecue gas refilled.

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*hugs* If bad things come in threes, then you should be due for some good things long about now.

I am OVERDUE for some good things! Well, I do have furry good things. :-)

Kitty power to the rescue! Rub their fur for static electricity to power the A/C?

But they hate it when I charge them up!

They've just brought a cicada in. Yesterday it was lizards.

They're trying to share their toys with you, how nice!

Not so nice for the 'toys' though! I like lizards and cicadas, but outside where they're happy, poor things. I do have a lizard-catching trick (cardboard tube, closed at one end, which they run up into the welcoming darkness) that works well.

If a lizard gets into the house, and the cats find it, it's usually beyond redemption by the time I see it. They haven't got any in a while- I think *most* of the easy access points have been sealed up.

Our cats bring them in from the garden.

I don't let the outside cats in, or the inside cats out.

Thank heaven my neighbor finally cleaned up his back yard, and the rat/mouse invasion slackened off. For a while there the back cats were depositing a rodent corpse right near the back door almost every day. ICK.

[shudder] Vic does that. It's well meant though; a gift for you. How sweet of them. :-P

I was very grateful that they killed them before the things got into the house! But it did make me very nervous about opening the door.

*hugs* I've been hearing about your heat woes on the news. I hope it cools down soon.

It's not as hot as Australia, I'm relieved to say, but the humidity is what gets to me. Actually that's not too bad today, only 36%!

We're still bone-dry -and not having the power problems - so I do think we're lucky.

Thunderstorms apparently predicted, though.

Yeah, it's often around 90% here.

Eep, lightning. I'm not fond of lightning.

I don't mind lightning as long as I'm not trying to sleep (my bedroom has BIG wondows)... or driving, in which case I flat-out panic.

Inside you car when lightning is around is one of the safest places to be. I worry about the reduced visibility in the driving rain.

I'd be happier about the Faraday effect if four kids from my high school hadn't been killed when their car was struck on the way to a concert. Their tank was probably almost empty and full of petrol vapour which blew up. OK, so they weren't electrocuted but burned, but still. After fireballs rolling over my grandfather before I was born and through houses nearby when I was at uni, I am scared of lightning. And I live on a hill. :-(

I've pulled off the road in heavy rain because I just couldn't see. I'd rather wait and be safe.

I've pulled off the road in heavy rain because I just couldn't see. I'd rather wait and be safe.

So have I.

kids from my high school hadn't been killed when their car was struck on the way to a concert

Nasty. There was a case in London a few years ago when someone died because the lightning took a path through the underwiring of their bra.

No, I'm going to be cheerful. Most of the snow has melted here. Though the neighbours took their children to play in the snow in our garden as we have more space. And their borrowed our sledge. (With prior permission)

Paid to rate chocolate? Now that's a dream job I've been looking for all my life.

Glad you are a tiny bit better, I'm sorry that Greg has come down with it too.

I hope the power is resolved

It's a once-off, not exactly a job. I wasn't exactly in the mood for chocolate though, feeling like them. Frozen fruit juice is more the thing ATM.

So far it's still on, but who knows when all the offices start up again tomorrow with their aircon.

This post has said pretty much exactly what I was going to say, so I'll just say "hear, hear".

One transformer was off for routine maintenance, another failed (they don't know why) and the third couldn't handle the load. We're still just on that one, but I think the one being maintained will be back on today. It's not so bad being without power during the day--I can open all the doors and windows--but at night, it sucks. All I can do is go to bed, and that's not easy without a fan.

So far, so good though!

I wouldn't mind some of that snow, guys!

I've been looking enviously at the lovely snowy photos of London. The hot, humid weather we're having here is very tiring.

Hope you're over your cough soon and that the power stays ON!

I love snow! I used to live in Germany and it was wonderful: cold yes, but dry and crisp and energising.

I got the cough the day Obama was inaugurated,. It's been two weeks so I hope it goes soon, though I've had coughs for months sometimes. :-(

I hope the cough gets better, and that you can sleep properly tonight.

Talk about the wrong time to do a chocolate survey indeed when you're ill... :(

Yeah, not the best time, and it's also a bit melty in this heat.

I hope I sleep better tonight. I should go and take something now.

Hope you are feeling better soon ... nothing worse than not being able to sleep on top of feeling horrible ... no break from it. *hugs*

I know! Last night was just awful. I should take some valerian now in the hopes of a better night tonight.

Do Panadol help you sleep? I'll take them to help me sleep if I'm sick.

I've never noticed it. I find valerian works quite well, and the herbal lung elixir I have seems to help. I wasn't too bad last night.

*hugs* Hopefully you have turned the corner and are feeling better soon.

Thanks! I think I am getting better each day now. I can go for about half an hour without coughing. :-)

That is not the weather for chest troubles. I hope it clears and calms soon.

I'm going to try the magic circle knitting this afternoon, I'll post to let you know how it goes.

I'm still coughing and have a croaky voice, but I have more energy now which is a good sign.

I'm going to try it on Ninja mitts when I've done the Moebius I'm working on now. It has to be better than four needles going everywhere. One of the people on Ravelry who made them said she couldn't manage the needles but found the magic loop much easier.

Wow, it sounds like you're having an, uh, interesting time. :/ Well, I hope you continue to feel better, at least.

I have more energy than I did a couple of days ago, and I only woke up once last night which was good. :-)

Maybe I need a Vila with a weak chest icon. :-P

So sorry to hear you are still feeling under the weather. I honestly believe having something like bronchitis is far worse in the heat of summer than the could of winter. My mind doesn't work right...I first read your mood as hot coughy and thought well that would be an interesting lj handle wouldn't it?

Yum chocolate! Hopefully you will get will start feeling better so you can enjoy all that chocolatey goodness. :) *hugs*

that would be an interesting lj handle wouldn't it?

For a caffeine-drinking smoker! :-)

I have most of the chocolate left to eat when I feel more like it, which is usually in cooler weather. I prefer cold drinks and frozen juice at the moment.

I am glad you never lose your positive attitude - not even coughing and being uncomfortable and all.
We have quite opposite problems with similar results- power outage too but due to a hard snowing (the wires gone).It may be living on the opposite side of Earth :-):-) (um...cheap and silly but I couldn´t resist).
That chocolate testing sounds great!
Hopefully the temperature will return to normal. in the meantime, take care!

It's been hotter than usual for here, but also not as humid, and that's good. I slept OK last night; Greg got the 'inclined plane' my mother used to use down for me to sleep propped up against.

I've done the chocolate tasting. I'll leave the rest to eat when I feel better and it's cooler--they were huge 400g bars, so there's plenty there!

Ouch, no power in the snow? At least you can still heat your house with wood, but I'm glad to see that it must be back.

I'm glad you're getting better! Sorry to hear about all the illness going on.

It's so weird. I've never been sick like this in summer. Perhaps a wedding guest from overseas brought us a winter virus.

Greg's off work today too, but he's still flying to Christchurch tonight for the funeral, and I have to take him to the airport. Oy. I just hope he sucks lollies all the way to keep his ears clear.

Ouch :(

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Trees, power outage, chocolate, and a severe lack of snow

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