Lights Out on the Tundra

     Its been an interesting 24 hours here on the tundra.  Big winds, hail, heavy rain and a couple of scattered tornadoes visited our section of the USA.  Our power went out at 4:45 PM Tuesday. Eventually I called customer service, with a 2 pressed here and a 10 digit number clearly enunciated there I finally got to a recording that stated power should be restored by 11:00 PM.  A call at 11:30 PM pushed the recorded restoration time to 6:00 AM.

     Now I live out in the country with a well and a septic system.  I also have a sump in the basement needed to remove some of the 2.5" of rain that will be gradually filtering into the sump pit.  No power means no water, no sewer (because the waste has to be pumped to the drain field at the top of the 75' bank) and no sump.

    We made it through the night without flushing or watering but the kitties' water bowl was close to dry.  (Babe just sauntered to the lake and drank his fill).  So at 8:30 AM I called again and it was now 10:00 AM to restoration.  I called at 11:00 and the new time was 11:00 PM.  I called again at 4:00 PM and a actual person answered the phone.  Of course she was of no more help than the useless recorded message.  After explaining that there had been big winds and lots of trees down she said they hoped to have all power returned by 6:00 PM TOMORROW.

     I got home at about 5:00 PM and the power was restored.  The sump was sumping, the refrigerators were refrigerating and the waters were flowing.  Just more proof that Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Co. has no idea what or when it is doing.

Adventures in electricity for,

Mr. Flannery