The world apparently has shut down.

[Bob Juch]

Just don't do this:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6 ... eedfetcher

[Snaxx]

The Oklahoma ice storm made the local ABC news in Philadelphia. I immediately tried the function to find your posts and found the SQLs in the way, or just trying to keep warm. Hope things thaw soon.

[silvercamaro]

The Great WD-40 Experiment is under way!

Only the driver's side door has been treated. I already was too late to open the passenger side door (at least, until my giant neighbor comes home and I can ask him nicely to give it a tug.)

Report on the Great WD-40 Experiment:

Alas, the driver's side door now is frozen shut -- maybe not as tightly as a bank vault, but as securely as the average locked front door with security latch engaged. I may repeat the experiment some day, perhaps spraying an even greater amount of WD-40 on the edges of the door and window, but the single data point provided in this study leads to the conclusion that the application of WD-40 is less than optimally successful in preventing the freezing of car doors when Mother Nature is bound and determined to do so. Mother Nature is a beyotch.

I left the car unlocked, in hopes that strong, determined car thieves might try to rummage through the vehicle overnight in search of loose change and empty Altoids tins.

Since I had my coat, hat and gloves on, I also tried to check my mail. The mail box is frozen shut tighter than a vault at Fort Knox.

[mrkelley23]

Sorry I didn't see this earlier, but one more thing to try might be the solution we use here -- slamming the door on a horse blanket so that it is trapped between the door frame and the car.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

I' very sorry the WD-40 didn't work and now im scared because a storm that has defeated the WHGoR and WD-40 is headed my way.

[ulysses5019]

Sorry I didn't see this earlier, but one more thing to try might be the solution we use here -- slamming the door on a horse blanket so that it is trapped between the door frame and the car.

I'm glad I live in LA and my doors don't freeze shut. I don't have a horse blanket.

[silvercamaro]

Sorry I didn't see this earlier, but one more thing to try might be the solution we use here -- slamming the door on a horse blanket so that it is trapped between the door frame and the car.

I'm glad I live in LA and my doors don't freeze shut. I don't have a horse blanket.

I don't even have a horse.* If I tried to take Annie's blanket, there would be hell to pay.











*Of course, I do have that beautiful horse in Idaho, the one I let live with Cindy and her family, because I know they will be kind to Sonic until I come to collect him. Yes, it's the same horse that Clem thinks belongs to him, but he's not here to argue about equine property rights now, is he?

[mrkelley23]

OK, funny types, it ain't the horsiness, it's the coarseness and the durability. (Not to mention the lack of value should it be ruined, so you'd best definitely keep your human paws off any canine blankets you might have.

[MarleysGh0st]

*Of course, I do have that beautiful horse in Idaho, the one I let live with Cindy and her family, because I know they will be kind to Sonic until I come to collect him. Yes, it's the same horse that Clem thinks belongs to him, but he's not here to argue about equine property rights now, is he?

How did Clem come to think of your horse in Idaho as his?

And what would he do with a horse, while he's down in North Miami getting a wicked sunburn because he's too stubborn to use sunscreen?

[hermillion]

Yep, the ice has made its way to Tulsa. School is cancelled for tomorrow, and everyone is being advised to stay off the roads as much as possible. Casa hermil has the necessary supplies on hand, and herjosie is delighted to have three whole days of Mom time.

On the upside, I will be able to enjoy PKS's episode from the comfort of my very own couch!

[kayrharris]

Wouldn't just any kind of cheap blanket do? Just askin'. I have a garage and no ice.


kay

[christie1111]

Just don't be using any quilts!

[silvercamaro]

How did Clem come to think of your horse in Idaho as his?

And what would he do with a horse, while he's down in North Miami getting a wicked sunburn because he's too stubborn to use sunscreen?

Clem idolizes me, wants to be like me in many ways, and wants to have everything I have. (I say that without fear of contradiction -- at least until July.) Anyway, since I have a horse in Idaho, he wanted one, too. Cindy was too kind to him and refused to tell him to shove off.

Like that.

[MarleysGh0st]

How did Clem come to think of your horse in Idaho as his?

And what would he do with a horse, while he's down in North Miami getting a wicked sunburn because he's too stubborn to use sunscreen?

Clem idolizes me, wants to be like me in many ways, and wants to have everything I have. (I say that without fear of contradiction -- at least until July.) Anyway, since I have a horse in Idaho, he wanted one, too. Cindy was too kind to him and refused to tell him to shove off.

Like that.

Oh.

And I guess that makes sense. Having been forced to live in a big city like NYC for so many years (where there's so much to do) and faced with three more years in a big city for law school (since Cornell wouldn't want him to come to Ithaca, where he'd be bored) he must spend many hours dreaming of life as a cowboy, yearning for the freedom of wide open spaces on those long cattle drives between Oklahoma and Idaho. And he'd need a horse for that!

[silvercamaro]

Oh.

And I guess that makes sense. Having been forced to live in a big city like NYC for so many years (where there's so much to do) and faced with three more years in a big city for law school (since Cornell wouldn't want him to come to Ithaca, where he'd be bored) he must spend many hours dreaming of life as a cowboy, yearning for the freedom of wide open spaces on those long cattle drives between Oklahoma and Idaho. And he'd need a horse for that!

We have him all figured out!

[MarleysGh0st]

So what's the latest on the ice storm?

You're online, so I guess you still have power...

[silvercamaro]

So what's the latest on the ice storm?

You're online, so I guess you still have power...

Life goes on, o-bla-di, o-bla-dah. I have power. I expect to keep both lights and heat. No huge branches fell into my yard or onto my car during the night.

Now it's snowing, with the weather guys projecting 3 to 6 inches today. It's very beautiful. It makes me snarl. My only objection to the snow is that it will insulate the thick ice and delay thawing of the streets and certain car doors.

On the other hand, I don't have to go anywhere today. I've made arrangements for somebody else to take care of the only thing I absolutely, positively worried about doing on Saturday. If rehearsal on Sunday remains scheduled for 25 miles away, either I will find a way to get there or I won't go. I can't do what I can't do.

Approaching serenity, without yet having reached the final destination.

[BigDrawMan]

[quote="silvercamaro"]Our ice storm arrived as scheduled. Virtually every school has shut down and every meeting canceled. I've already made the first of many quick jogs to my car to pry open the doors, in what's probably a vain hope to keep the doors from freezing shut more tightly than a bank vault. So far, no branches are in danger of falling in my neighborhood, but electrical outages already have begun in the western part of the state.

Since the precipitation may continue for another 24-36 hours, it may get bad -- enough so that the OKC TV stations are including progress reports on shipments of generators to various retail stores as news stories. The most interesting thing I've seen so far in television coverage is film of a vehicle crossing an overpass in Midwest City. The driver appeared to be going slowly, but his car suddenly made a 360-degree spin, and he immediately continued moving forward.

The White Hot Glare of Righteous Indignation machine appears to have stopped working completely. Maybe it needs a generator.



uh, I declared winter over last weekish

it is sunshine and bunny wabbits here

[silvercamaro]

uh, I declared winter over last weekish

it is sunshine and bunny wabbits here

You are a lucky man that I am approaching serenity.

[FannyHeartsNene]

How did Clem come to think of your horse in Idaho as his?

And what would he do with a horse, while he's down in North Miami getting a wicked sunburn because he's too stubborn to use sunscreen?

Clem idolizes me, wants to be like me in many ways, and wants to have everything I have. (I say that without fear of contradiction -- at least until July.) Anyway, since I have a horse in Idaho, he wanted one, too. Cindy was too kind to him and refused to tell him to shove off.

Like that.

Oh.

And I guess that makes sense. Having been forced to live in a big city like NYC for so many years (where there's so much to do) and faced with three more years in a big city for law school (since Cornell wouldn't want him to come to Ithaca, where he'd be bored) he must spend many hours dreaming of life as a cowboy, yearning for the freedom of wide open spaces on those long cattle drives between Oklahoma and Idaho. And he'd need a horse for that!

Plus he thinks he looks awesome in gauchos.....

[MarleysGh0st]

uh, I declared winter over last weekish

Some geese arrived at our pond a couple days ago, apparently debating whether it was time to claim the prime nest-building site.

Today, with a temperature of 8° (-8° wind chill) and light lake effect snow, they've gone off somewhere to procrastinate a bit longer.

[SportsFan68]

No ice storms here, but we do have something almost as good. OK, bad.

We got about an inch of snow on top of last night's ice. On heavily traveled streets, it's pretty much melted off down to the pavement. On side streets -- look out. It's like a skating rink for cars.

Good luck to everyone traveling today.

[Bob Juch]

No ice storms here, but we do have something almost as good. OK, bad.

We got about an inch of snow on top of last night's ice.

They're afraid that might happen here.

[silvercamaro]

The Great WD-40 Experiment is under way!

Only the driver's side door has been treated. I already was too late to open the passenger side door (at least, until my giant neighbor comes home and I can ask him nicely to give it a tug.)

Report on the Great WD-40 Experiment:

Alas, the driver's side door now is frozen shut -- maybe not as tightly as a bank vault, but as securely as the average locked front door with security latch engaged. I may repeat the experiment some day, perhaps spraying an even greater amount of WD-40 on the edges of the door and window, but the single data point provided in this study leads to the conclusion that the application of WD-40 is less than optimally successful in preventing the freezing of car doors when Mother Nature is bound and determined to do so. Mother Nature is a beyotch.

I left the car unlocked, in hopes that strong, determined car thieves might try to rummage through the vehicle overnight in search of loose change and empty Altoids tins.

Since I had my coat, hat and gloves on, I also tried to check my mail. The mail box is frozen shut tighter than a vault at Fort Knox.

Updated Report on The Great WD-40 Experiment: I think the application of WD-40 has done some good, after all. After sweeping off most of the snow and chipping away at ice with the handle of the broom, the driver's side door opens!!!!! (Unleash the confetti!)

I still can't drive anywhere, mind you. The windshield and hood of the car are coated in a solid sheet of ice that seems to vary from about 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick. On the windshield, the ice covers all but the very highest protrusion of the windshield wipers. The precipitation, in all its various incarnations, has ended. The sky remains cloudy, but at times I can see a disk in the sky. It's not large and it's not bright, but it's a gray hue that's lighter than the clouds, so I think there's a sun up there. The temperature is 25, according to the National Weather Service, but I can see signs that minimal melting has begun. I'll let the dim disk do it's feeble work for another hour or two, then go back out, start the car, let the defrosters run for a while, and find out how chip resistant the windshield ice remains.

I've worked hard enough in the ice and snow to reach both serenity and sweat. It's funny how those two conditions so often accompany each other.

[kayrharris]

I dunno if that spray de-icer stuff works, but I think you should stock up on it for the next ice storm.
I am glad the drivers door is open, that's a start anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002I1 ... N4B6B8SZRJ

Missy and I tried to buy some last year on our drive to Kentucky in the snow and ice but everyone was sold
out of it!

kay