Learning curves via snommagedom style

Well, it's been four long days since we were hit with ice and just when I thought I might have a chance to venture back to work today, we got hit with 4 inches of snow! I know I am bit stir crazy now, I can only imagine how mom's across the metroplex must feel ( ya'll still have some sanity yes?) I know the dogs are definitely tired of laying around and would rather go on a walk, and maybe I will humor them today while the snow is still fluffy, but we will see. The hubby and I have been taking shifts sitting out with the dogs in the backyard while they try and get some energy out. Something we never thought of with a pool ( ok, this weather has had alot of things hit us that we never thought about!), is that when it ices, the ice goes clear up to the edge and then it becomes a game of making sure dogs don't decide to put on the brakes anywhere near the pool and do some polar swimming, because of course, that would mean WE get to do some polar swimming. Thankfully, we have dodged that bullet so far. I managed to retrieve some sand from the shed ( from when our house almost flooded with the hurricane rains last fall) and put down a healthy amount near the pool to help with traction. Shoveling came to mind, but with no sun to melt what I'd shoveled, well, then we are right back to needing sand...Now with fresh snow, for the moment we are okay, but gosh, Tasha is our candidate for ice dipping. She wants to peer into the pool from the very tippy edge and while we are vigilant about keeping her away, it only takes one missed step!
Then, there is the the pool pump...we are still in the land of clueless but learning quickly that when the temperature is below freezing for extended periods of time, if you have not winterized, you could be in trouble. Now to be fair, we are in Texas and there have not been this many cold days in a row in at least 15 years and most Texans don't winterize, but I am rethinking that for next season.
While I am very grateful that the main filter is still running, the backup was not so lucky. It's not only frozen over but has in turn lowered the water level in the pool enough that if it gets much father down, there could be a whole new set of problems. I think we are actually going to get out without too much damage, but we won't know for sure until everything thaws.




We found it very amusing that on one of the hubby's shifts with the dogs, that he left his gingerale out on the bar for about an hour... this is what we found we we remembered to retrieve it. DOH!! Makes me REALLY glad that our main power provider is Texas new Mexico and not Oncor ( who was notorious for several hours of outages at a time)...we did get hit with the rolling blackouts twice, but never for more than 15-30 minutes ...whew, because if a glass of gingerale froze that fast, imagine how fast the pool pump and maybe pipes might have frozen with temps already in the teens. Thank goodness for those kinds of missed opportunities.



The cable has pooped out in the living room, but thankfully, for whatever reason, we still have it in the bedroom so I can obsess over the weather from the comfy bed and we have lost the use of a toilet in the guest bathroom due to goodness know what issues ( we learned it's testy anyways, so maybe it went on strike with the cold weather), but boy howdy, we are grateful once again that the master toilet is working okay!
We've definitely had a few challenges, but so very minor compared to so many. I am so very grateful for a roof over my head, and HEAT, and running water and food in the kitchen and that we still have electricity!! I certainly don't know how the northerner's do this super cold business day in and day out for months at a time. Bring on the 105 degree days anytime over this.
Just think, this time last week I was working in the yard in short sleeves,sunshine and 70 degrees. I am ready for THAT kind of winter weather to come back and visit real soon!
In the meantime, I'll snuggle up with my honey, wear a few extra layers of clothes and wait patiently for that "turn on a dime" Texas weather to thaw us out.