I told her all day yesterday to put in for vacation. I told her all night last evening to not go in. I stayed up late making sure the fires burned nice and warm and then when I rolled out of bed at 7:30 expecting to see her at her computer I wake up to a cold furnace and the sound of sleet hitting the windows.
Hmmmmmmmm.
"Well it wasn't snowing when I left" was the reply I got when I finally got her on the phone.
"Can you come get me?" was the tearful next question.
As you nice readers know I had already planned on that eventuality. I knew this was going to happen. The wife indulges my prepping. She happily goes along with my reloading, sustainable projects, bees, sheep, barns and land. She told me my farm truck was an old PoS and scoffs at my suggestion of a small tiller for the 9N as being too much money. She dreams and schemes for hours about the McMansion we are going to build in the Hay Field, and we will build it I promised her we would. Yet, Mrs. PP really isn't a prepper and deep down she thinks my theories of doom and collapse are silly just as she thought my predictions of bad weather this morning were silly over worrying.
You should see her poo poo my suggestion of a concrete house and safe room or metal roof.
On the way home, after I made her praise the PoS four wheel drive loudly until I was satisfied, we hit the worst driving conditions I have ever had the misfortune to be out in. Total white out conditions. The windshield was freezing up so bad I had to find a place to pull off and clean the wipers every two miles or so and I couldn't tell the road from the ditch unless there happened to be mailboxes up. Visibility was at best 20 to 30 feet tops even with a newly cleaned windshield. It took over an hour to drive 20 miles and half a tank of gas.
As I type this I am finally getting the house once again back into the 70's now that the furnace is going full blast again. The dogs have been taken out and I had to clear a path for the little one to even manage to go. The stray barn dog has managed to finaggle (It's a word I swear) his way into the house as he is mildly afraid of the thunder and looked so sad standing out there at the door covered in snow I couldn't throw him back out. As I mentioned the thunder is pounding and my internet is going out intermittently as well.
I am now taking suggestions on suitable spousal punishment. She was complaining that her feet were frost bitten (she exaggerates a bit) by the time we got home and I threatened to make her stay in the barn :)
On second thought the drive home was enough that maybe she learned one small lesson but when the SHTF she maybe the death of me yet. She never listens.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
I remember Missouri storms like what you describe. They're no fun at all, and stress-inducing.
ReplyDeleteMy wife thinks I'm a little pessimistic but happily rides in my SUV when we get those periodic 2+ feet snowfalls which come up to her headlights.
Perhaps your wife should accompany the dogs on their outings.
RP - I been taking the dogs out when I go to check the stove now. They really wanted to run and play but I nixed that. The storm seems to be settling down now. The flakes were coming down as big as cup saucers this morning so thick it over loaded the wiper blades. All we are getting is intermittent sleet now.
DeleteI would hope that the ride home would have been enough for her to realize how silly (and potentially dangerous) it was for her to go to work. I say this as my DH is at work, but he works for the road department so it's something that "has" to be done. But he took our PoS truck in today so I'm not "too" worried about him, just worried about all the other morons that think that they MUST drive in this crap.
ReplyDeleteHunker down & keep warm.
And forgive your wife :)
Carolyn - she is sufficiently apologetic right now. Of course it will all be forgotten for the next time.
DeleteI did not envy the road crews today.
You should see her poo poo my suggestion of a concrete house and safe room or metal roof.
ReplyDeleteThe Insulated Concrete Form walls don't look any different from normal stick built construction, but they don't burn and will stop a rifle bullet, maybe there is room to have form follow function.
I wouldn't advocate spousal punishment but I'd say you've earned a couple fewer trips out to put wood in the furnace tonight as an attaboy.
Actually Ody I think I may have her talked into just what you suggest. That and metal tiled roof and we will be set.
DeleteI try and keep her away from the wood stove when it is important it puts out the heat. She doesn;t seem to have the fire bug knack :)
Yes, it's all true. (Except the McMansion part. I just have better taste than we can probably afford) He takes very good care of us and I should have listened to his advice. Next time I will, I promise!
ReplyDeleteMrs. PP
Hi honey. Snuck on here while Iw asn;t looking did ya?
DeleteMr. PP,
ReplyDeleteI think Mrs. PP loves you, and didn't really think it would be so bad outside with the weather. Lord knows these weather forecasters don't really give you a true understanding how bad the weather will be. No punishment needed, I believe the drive back home was enough punishment. Having to deal with zero visability and the thought of running off the road is scary enough. Hunker down, stay warm, and safe.
We're dealing with snow down here in Oklahoma and low temperatures. Talk about a show last night with the thunder hail/snow!!
Sandy - Yep we got your storm from last night this morning. The thunder was something else don't get i too much in Winter around here.
DeleteIt's tapering off now. I think we got about 10 inches or so maybe.
I usually find a small hand or foot massage to be nice a compensation. Collecting is another matter though...
ReplyDeleteK - LOL Mrs. PP freaks out if she even has to look at feet. In fact when she bothers my son too much he chases her away by taking off his socks and threatening to put his feet on her.
DeleteWell PP atleast now you have witnesses and her promise in writing..
ReplyDeleteStay warm..I remember thunder snow from living in CT. and those near white out conditions...
JUGM - You bet ya LOL. Thanks for the wishes and same to you :)
DeleteI-told-you-so-moments are worth their weight in gold! Gold I say! LOL
ReplyDeleteI would add working shutters to the list. They don't need to be bullet proof to prevent a lot of bad weather repairs.
Russ - Yes they are. But we know the women folk like to remember those moments differently as time goes by as well. After a few years they somehow become reverse moments.
DeleteI am glad you and Mrs PP got home safely. The coldest I have ever been was when I flew to Wyoming to a job Papa Bear was on and to ride back home with him. I know how easy it could be for someone to die in those conditions you described. We are getting ready for 5 days of rain with flash floods.
ReplyDeleteMB - I remember when I lived in S. Dakota the temps would be like some unbelievable negative number and yet feel much warmer than 30 degrees feels here. The snow was coming down in flakes bigger than cup saucers and so fast the wiper blades couldn't clear em off.
DeleteI hope you ride those flood waters out.
Don't float away on us!!!
I can't believe the Mrs. Would scoff at the idea of a safe room. Don't they have tornados in your area? Our safe room was the first thing on my Sweet Things list when we built our dream home at our homestead.
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