The Boston Diaries

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Survival, Day 2

The serious lack of power is really annoying, and not just because I can't get my daily net fix …

Okay, it's because I can't get my daily net fix.

But when the official word from FPL is November 11^th for 95% of customers in Palm Beach County, it's disheartening. Worse still, where we live, we don't have FPL, we have Lake Worth Power which probably just probably resells power from FPL. When I called (and their main number refered me to an 800 number, which when called, just transfered me back to their main number—sigh) they said anywhere from two to six weeks to have power restored. I don't have high hopes to have power back any time soon.

Hopefully the weather will remain nice and cool as it has been since Hurricane Wilma passed.

But we're doing fine so far. Wlofie was able to cobble up a make-shift stove with bricks and the inner rim of a wheel and the ~~stainless~~ carbon steel wok he has is incredibly versatile in what it can do (not only stir fry, but Wlofie was able to cook rice in the thing).

[Working the Wok on the makeshift stove]

Wlofie is also amazed at the number of people trying to buy charcoal, when all around us is a huge amount of free fuel for the taking. Sure, the wood is still green, but it's usuable (if a bit smokey).

He also had the forsight to buy several lanterns for use as light. They work quite well.

I also kept myself occupied last night by playing around with coroutines on paper. Yes, even without power I'm a power geek.

Update on Tuesday, November 1^st, 2005

Wlofie sent in the following corrections for this entry:

Carbon steel actually. Stainless would have burned the rice most likely. Stainless doesn't distribute the heat as well, nor handle the hear, nor in fact does seasoning because of the nonstick layer.

Heh, nor does stainless rust as much as non-cared for carbon still will LOL.

He also had the forsight to buy several lanterns for use as light. They work quite well.

Credit where credit is due ... I didn't buy, you did. I merely gave the recommendation.

I forgot I actually bought the lamps. Continuing:

BTW, I'm not amazed at coal buying ... just surprised people don't save the resources of wood as well (in addition to coal).

Shurgs.

Coal is a transported resource, the wood is just there ... and running coal until it's out and then wood ... well, by that time the wood is more than likely a little less ``sappy.''

Outta survival lecture and nitpicky mode.

Thanks and nice picture of my wok :-)

He also sent along these links:

Just passing through

During the first half of the storm:

Our biggest problem durring the first half of the storm were leaks around a few windows—one upstairs and one in the master bedroom. Other than that, nothing horrible happened to the house.

Durring the eye of the hurricane (yes yes, I know, we're not supposed to leave the house durring the eye):

[This was chopped and removed less than an hour after the hurricane]

[Palm trees normally survive hurricanes]

And here's the bamboo in our backyard durring the eye of the storm:

And after the second half of the storm:

There aren't any pictures durring the second half of the storm since I elected at that point to just sleep through the rest. As it happened, the second half had less rain but the wind kicked it up a notch and more damage happened during the second half than the first, with Boca Raton (where I work) getting ravaged: