Monday, November 30, 2015

Now It's Freezing Rain

Freezing rain has added in to the misery here.

The furnace part hasn't arrived yet, I'm told, when I called.

Yesterday, I took Linksee, the big wild boy from my garage, to Dallas.  She said she would get him fixed today.  She took in his kittens, whom I trapped a couple blocks from here in a parking lot, three of whom look way too much like him to not be related.

I already had six appointments today with Heartland for some Lebanon cats. I'd not been able to get a response on whether I could bring a 7th, so I'd looked for another way to get the big yard stray fixed.  That's why I took him to Dallas yesterday. I took her two bags of dry food for helping me out.  Only fair.

 The Happy Cat club covered four of the six fixes to be done today at Heartland.   But....will any of these cats actually get fixed today?  Why do I wonder?  Because of the weather, that's why.

This morning, before driving the six cats to Heartland, I saw a rainbow in the west.  In the east, a colored sunrise.  Red at night, sailors' delight.  Red in the morning, sailors take warning.


I knew it would not be a good day when I saw the sunrise, colored as it was.

Shortly thereafter, rain began to fall.  With temperatures well below freezing, that means the rain freezes when it hits the ground.  Or....the road.

I made it to Heartland with the cats without incident.  But on the way back, I began to see all kinds of cars off the road, some going the wrong direction, some pointed down slopes, people standing beside them, on their phones.

I knew.  Freezing rain.  You can't see it, you don't really know if its there.  Often its only in certain places, like on bridges or high curves or overpasses.

I slowed way down and made it off the highway.  But going north, back into Albany, a deputy was behind me.  He then passed me in the other lane, but we both slowed further coming to a red light.  I'd seen nobody slide in this area, but when I put on the brakes for the stop light, my car slid, and kept sliding, and the brakes, being anti lock, would engage only for a split second then release.  So I slipped and slid through the red light.

I knew the deputy would stop me and he did.  He just checked my license and let me go, no ticket.  Whew!  That's all I need, a ticket to pay for, with it freezing and no heat in the house, space heaters running, which is going to cost seriously in the electric bill, not even knowing how I will pay for the furnace repair since I can't get ahold of my brother and if I can't get ahold of him when the part does come and is installed, I'll have to come up with the cash and it will be over $500.

It's a huge repair, darn it.  I feel guilty over its cost and I'm thinking we can return that mattress, get a refund, to help pay for the furnace repair.  I'd rather be warm than sleep on a new mattress.  The mattress can be returned for up to 100 days.  I'm going to suggest that to him, to help ease the burden.

I hope that Dallas woman didn't make the trip to get cats fixed, if there is freezing rain up there.  Too dangerous. I don't know if the Heartland vet will make it to work or not and if not those six won't get fixed either.  Hopefully she did get to work.  It won't last long, the freezing rain, lets hope.

But, just like the blower motor failure in the furnace, these things happen.

8 comments:

  1. Good luck. I hope you find a solution, and one that doesn't involve you giving up your nice new bed.

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    Replies
    1. My brother is covering it, says not to worry, however the part was not ordered til late yesterday, despite what the man said Friday and now it won't be til Wednesday that it gets fixed.

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  2. Anonymous11:56 AM

    Very treacherous when driving. Thankfully you had a sympathetic copper. Twice our air con has failed in the winter and it takes two electric fan heaters to warm this place, so I can't imagine what it like for you. It was an ouch moment when the electric bill arrived.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, thank goodness. The electric bill when it arrives for this period will probably make me faint. Or sob.

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  3. A rainbow and freezing rain in the same day. That's not a common occurrence. Freezing rain is very dangerous and I'm glad you made it home safely.

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    Replies
    1. It is one of nature's most dangerous events.

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  4. That's nasty. I've been in those conditions more times than I like to count and feel grateful for no longer being forced to leave the house daily. So glad you didn't get a ticket! That would have been an injustice, for sure, so I'm thankful he was a reasonable police officer. Now if we can just get your furnace fixed while you get to keep the new mattress.

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    Replies
    1. It is nice to not have to leave the house when conditions are that way. Reasonable officers are blessings and he was one! Hopefully Wednesday on the furnace repair now.

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