Texas popsicle

[180Marty]

Here in northwest Iowa we were told to prepare for 45 minute power blackouts when it was getting down to minus 27 degrees but fortunately it didn't happen. Natural gas and electricity made it to my house. I installed a big corn kernel burning furnace in about 2005 to use instead of natural gas. It served it's purpose, in a couple years corn price skyrocketed and gas went down. I was kicking myself a few days ago that I didn't have a Honda generator and didn't test run the corn burner back when it was warm to make sure it still worked. I'm a fan of wind and there is a very big farm here. I found out that the reason they work here even when it is minus 25 is they have heaters that Texas didn't feel was necessary. I know a guy that works on them and he said they are not negative energy even when it is cold like some around here that hate them say. They do have more faults sub zero but then Fukishima had a very big fault too.

[stewartb]

Wife face timed this evening as she got back to TX. 75* and lovely on the back porch. Texas winter. Still cold and slick
here in AK!

[Steve Pierce]

Yep, 72 yesterday and gonna be 80 today. Like last week never happened until you go to the plumbing department at any home center.

[behindpropellers]

Yep, 72 yesterday and gonna be 80 today. Like last week never happened until you go to the plumbing department at any home center.

Nice. Interesting how the masses had plenty of time to post problems on facebook but not a minute to look up what to do to keep pipes from freezing.

[hotrod180]

Yep, 72 yesterday and gonna be 80 today. Like last week never happened until you go to the plumbing department at any home center.

Glad to hear that!
I hope the aftermath is as painless as possible for everyone.
I usually make donations to help people in need when stuff like this happens,
usually to the Red Cross.
To those of you in TX, which outfit seems to be doing the most to help those who need it?

[txpacer]

And there's still ice on the stock tanks. It must've been pretty thick.

Yep, 72 yesterday and gonna be 80 today. Like last week never happened until you go to the plumbing department at any home center.

[stewartb]

Nice. Interesting how the masses had plenty of time to post problems on facebook but not a minute to look up what to do to keep pipes from freezing.

I know several folks who were affected by the weather last week and some lost mist of what they owned. None has asked for anything. Your comment is not a statement about anyone that was impacted by the weather but it speaks volumes about you.

[JimParker256]

Glad to hear that!
I hope the aftermath is as painless as possible for everyone.
I usually make donations to help people in need when stuff like this happens,
usually to the Red Cross.
To those of you in TX, which outfit seems to be doing the most to help those who need it?

My church is the disaster relief center for our part of the county. A few years ago, when a F4/5 tornado tore through the area, I was part of the team going out and determining what people needed, and reporting back to "disaster-relief central"...

In the past, I've been a huge supporter of the Red Cross organization. But what I found during our situation here changed that dramatically. The Red Cross set up a special room where they did their "relief work", and we had to screen every single person who went into that room. All the damages were verified by either myself or a couple of other people filling the same role (lots of damage). Not one single person or family received ANY assistance from the Red Cross. No temporary housing. No food assistance. No clothing assistance. Nothing. Every single person/family (all pre-screened, remember) was told they didn't meet the "threshold" for Red Cross assistance.

Most memorable to me was a family of six (with two kids under 4) who were renting a small two-bedroom "guest house" on someone's property. When the tornado hit their home, they were rendered instantly homeless. The entire roof was torn off, and two of the four exterior walls were totally demolished. During the storm, they huddled in a bathroom whose walls miraculously stayed intact enough that they received only minor cuts and bruises. But their clothing, furniture, appliances - every single thing of any value – was scattered and destroyed. Some of their personal effects were later found more than 20 miles away... The father worked (hourly) at a printing company whose building collapsed (trapping and killing the owner), so he was out of a job. The mother worked part time cleaning other people's houses, but of course that was also disrupted.

The Red Cross people told them that their situation didn't warrant any Red Cross assistance. No food. No water. No clothing. No shelter. Nothing. And this was between Christmas and New Year's, when the temps were still very low. Needless to say, our church felt otherwise, and we provided food and shelter for two days until one of our members found a job for the father, and a rental they could afford.

This entire incident left me seriously disillusioned with the Red Cross. Their blood centers do a great job, and continue to receive my support (in the form of donating blood), but I will no longer give even a single dime to the parent organization.

Instead, I've sought out groups that actually DO SOMETHING for the people impacted by these disasters. I've learned that one of the best organizations in terms of delivering services to storm-affected areas is the "Texas Baptist Men" organization. They travel all over the US, bringing portable kitchens to feed hundreds of people, repair crews to make emergency repairs, chainsaw crews to clear downed trees, and a hundred other things. All of this is at no cost to the recipients, and all without ANY paid management overhead. (By contrast, the American Red Cross organization paid their CEO almost $648,000 in 2018, according to their own website, and defended that salary as "appropriate" for a charity of its size.)

So, if you want your money to make a real difference, give to the Texas Baptist Men or other similar organizations that actually do good work, instead of to the PR machine that is the American Red Cross.

[HalfTonChamp]

I have gone in the day after a big tornado and helped people sift through what was their home the day before. People in need like that are just happy to be here and very appreciative. People like to help other people in need. Period.
As for the icicle. it came to all us other mid-south states too. After a low Saturday morning of 10 in east Arkansas, we're at almost 70 today. Opened up the house to let fresh air in and have so far seen 3 mosquitoes. We're back baby!!

[Steve Pierce]

Lots of good people stepped up. Local BBQ shack gave away his smoker wood to people to stay warm. A flying buddy in the Navy reserves spent all day cutting up some oak trees he had cut down a few years ago on his families land and giving it to squadron mates and enlisted men to keep their families warm. Home Depot and Lowe's were cutting up lumber and giving it away for people to burn. Local churches helped out as did our county by opening up the arena for people to take hot showers and a warm place to stay. Still lots of good people out there.

Had to go to my eye surgeon in Ft. Worth today. No CPVC fittings to be had anywhere. Anybody have a few CPVC 3/4" couplings I will gladly pay for them, shipping and your time to have hot water back in my hangar. Had enough PVC stuff to get the cold water working. Will switch to Pex when there isn't such a demand.

[SJ]

Anybody have a few CPVC 3/4" couplings I will gladly pay for them, shipping and your time to have hot water back in my hangar. Had enough PVC stuff to get the cold water working. Will switch to Pex when there isn't such a demand.

I can pick some up at Lowes this morning and send them your way, or I have some in KC when I get back there this weekend.

sj

[Chip D]

Steve,
what sizes do you need. I can ship them out today. I can't ship glue but fittings are no problem.

[hotrod180]

..... I've sought out groups that actually DO SOMETHING for the people impacted by these disasters. I've learned that one of the best organizations in terms of delivering services to storm-affected areas is the "Texas Baptist Men" organization. They travel all over the US, bringing portable kitchens to feed hundreds of people, repair crews to make emergency repairs, chainsaw crews to clear downed trees, and a hundred other things. All of this is at no cost to the recipients, and all without ANY paid management overhead. (By contrast, the American Red Cross organization paid their CEO almost $648,000 in 2018, according to their own website, and defended that salary as "appropriate" for a charity of its size.)

So, if you want your money to make a real difference, give to the Texas Baptist Men or other similar organizations that actually do good work, instead of to the PR machine that is the American Red Cross.

Thanks for the inside information, Jim.
It's very disillusioning to hear that about the Red Cross.
I guess I'll have to do something different in the future.
For now, I just sent TBM some money.
Helping out people who really need it (through no fault of their own) is the least I can do when life has treated me so well.
I'd like to put out a "supercub.org challenge" for others to do the same.

[Carey Gray]

Good idea Eric, done.