Although we're still under a boil water advisory (or as it's called in the 21st century, a buy water advisory), things are seeming normaller and normaller still everyday. The State Fair opened today, and local TV is actually covering that instead of Floodpacalypse or Spurrierpocalypse. It's a little disconcerting. Where's my wall-to-wall disaster coverage? I don't know what to DO with myself. Also the Cubs are headed for a pennant. A. Whitney Brown warned us about this. Kiss your ass goodbye.
I've been retro lately, playing Civilization IV Beyond the Sword again more or less constantly. I wish I could say it was because I was enjoying it so. More like, "Darn it, this should be fun!" Beyond the Sword is easier since I can play it without the CD in the computer. I may go ahead and stick the CD in and play original Civ IV, which was definitely more fun. Or, I dunno, grow up and go back to real life.
I'm fairly charged about the Fair, and it's just $1 to get in today. I usually go at lunch time weekdays since it's effectively free, but heck, $1 is close enough. I'll probably go after supper.
The governor is on TV saying how well everything is going and what a good job everybody has done. Boy howdy!
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Wait-- what?
To start with, things seem much better here. It's hard to tell, because Coach Spurrier resigned as head football coach so wall-to-wall flood coverage suddenly became wall-to-wall Spurrier coverage. Like I said about the football game, it's kind of hard to get all het up about a coach leaving under the circumstances. Two weeks ago, I'm sure it would have been an incredible shock. But of course I wish him all the best.
The wait-- what, though (by now I must have used that subject line 10 times) was for a moment at Bi-Lo when the lady two people ahead of me in line said to the checker, "Just to let you know, next time, say 'Hi, how are you doing?' before asking somebody for something," and stormed off. Mind you, she stormed off with her groceries and her receipt. She did storm off to the Customer Service desk, so it's possible that she complained there, too. I have literally no idea what that was all about. The truth is that I don't mind at all when they don't Hi me and perhaps prefer it. The consensus was that she was having a bad day. It was only later that I realized that I should have said, "Just wait: the next crazy person will say, "Don't say, 'Hi, how are you doing?'! Just ask me for the damned Bonus card!" Well it's probably true.
The wait-- what, though (by now I must have used that subject line 10 times) was for a moment at Bi-Lo when the lady two people ahead of me in line said to the checker, "Just to let you know, next time, say 'Hi, how are you doing?' before asking somebody for something," and stormed off. Mind you, she stormed off with her groceries and her receipt. She did storm off to the Customer Service desk, so it's possible that she complained there, too. I have literally no idea what that was all about. The truth is that I don't mind at all when they don't Hi me and perhaps prefer it. The consensus was that she was having a bad day. It was only later that I realized that I should have said, "Just wait: the next crazy person will say, "Don't say, 'Hi, how are you doing?'! Just ask me for the damned Bonus card!" Well it's probably true.
Monday, October 12, 2015
VERY happy for a minute there
I went to Timmerman Trail (aka 12,000 Year Historical Park Trail, aka Cayce Riverwalk phase 4) fully expecting to turn around and drive some place else. Instead, the traffic cones that had blocked off the parking lot were stacked neatly to one side. I was soooooo happy. I parked and went out for a long, long stroll. I met maybe a half dozen walkers and joggers, which was kind of odd since there was only one other car in the lot. However, there is a medical office building adjacent and SCANA (the power company)'s headquarters are nearby, so maybe they came from there.
I made it all the way around, almost, when I met a couple of maintenance men. They told me that the trail was closed, that it was in fact dangerous, and I had to turn around. This is insane, as they were telling me that the park was dangerous and I now had to walk farther than if they had just let me past. I now realize that they thought I was parked on the road behind me and if I had stood my ground and explained where my car was, they would have let me by. But hey, I like walking and I'd already seen how not dangerous the trail was. (It was a little muddy, with one tree fallen across the trail, but was about as dangerous as the center of town in the middle of the afternoon.)
Anyway, I had a terrific, if illegal, walk, and the fact that there are maintenance guys out there, however dedicated they might be to their smokes instead of their work, suggests that someday soon it'll be open again. Judging by them, someday in 2018, but still. By the time I came out, they had put up Closed signs and Caution tape, but they left the lot open. Common sense would have said just to put the cones out again to block the lot, but then that kind of sense has never in fact been common.
I made it all the way around, almost, when I met a couple of maintenance men. They told me that the trail was closed, that it was in fact dangerous, and I had to turn around. This is insane, as they were telling me that the park was dangerous and I now had to walk farther than if they had just let me past. I now realize that they thought I was parked on the road behind me and if I had stood my ground and explained where my car was, they would have let me by. But hey, I like walking and I'd already seen how not dangerous the trail was. (It was a little muddy, with one tree fallen across the trail, but was about as dangerous as the center of town in the middle of the afternoon.)
Anyway, I had a terrific, if illegal, walk, and the fact that there are maintenance guys out there, however dedicated they might be to their smokes instead of their work, suggests that someday soon it'll be open again. Judging by them, someday in 2018, but still. By the time I came out, they had put up Closed signs and Caution tape, but they left the lot open. Common sense would have said just to put the cones out again to block the lot, but then that kind of sense has never in fact been common.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Normaller all the time in Columbia
Although the boil advisory hasn't been lifted in Columbia at large, it has been lifted for large parts of the service area, including last night the area where our go-to Sunday lunch buffet Indian restaurant is located. So this Sunday was a LOT more normal than last Sunday, hitting the same old buffet and the same old Goodwills. I even found some fairly happening corduroys at another thrift we often visit. I could have bought a couple of reasonably awesome jackets for a total of $1.50 but showed restraint given how many damn jackets I already have but never wear.
Yesterday's rain, as expected, was somewhere between nerve wracking and alarming, but doesn't seem to have worsened the situation any, or at least not locally. Downstream, I think it would be hard to tell, i.e., it couldn't get much worse. EXTREMELY locally, my tap water again smells like a chlorinated pool, which has never been my favorite thing, but at least a) it's normal and b) it suggests that the system is working again, even if the boil advisory is still up and running.
In cute adorable news, I was walking down Olympia Avenue when somebody's black and white puppy (some kind of terrier) ran out to the median where I was waiting to cross to yap at me. The owner came out to rope him in and motorists were nice about stopping to let us get across. I think the pup was paying more attention to me telling him not to cross the road than he did to the owner, but I probably would think that.
Yesterday's rain, as expected, was somewhere between nerve wracking and alarming, but doesn't seem to have worsened the situation any, or at least not locally. Downstream, I think it would be hard to tell, i.e., it couldn't get much worse. EXTREMELY locally, my tap water again smells like a chlorinated pool, which has never been my favorite thing, but at least a) it's normal and b) it suggests that the system is working again, even if the boil advisory is still up and running.
In cute adorable news, I was walking down Olympia Avenue when somebody's black and white puppy (some kind of terrier) ran out to the median where I was waiting to cross to yap at me. The owner came out to rope him in and motorists were nice about stopping to let us get across. I think the pup was paying more attention to me telling him not to cross the road than he did to the owner, but I probably would think that.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
We appear to have survived
I primarily mean today's rain, but in general we seem to have survived the whole nightmare. It is still raining, and yes, I really did go to the front door, look out and say, "Stop raining!" Don't judge us until you've been through it. The city is increasingly optimistic that the water system will be operating better very soon. I bought cheap toothbrushes so I could finally brush my teeth and throw them away (the brushes, not the teeth) if necessary, which was good for morale. I also bought bottled water. I'd rather avoid Nestle, but it's an emergency, man.
We had a couple of years where the skies were threatening most days if not everyday but it almost never rained. Today, after the first burst (an inch of rain in 15 minutes by all reports), it has continued threatening but with very little rain. I'm hoping we have a throwback day to those days when threat of rain did not necessarily equal rain. Still worried mostly about downstream effects.
It sure is a lot more relaxing to listen to football under these conditions. The person who lived and died with a football team's fate seems to be off on vacation, as you can well imagine. Also, I've already declared a moral victory. Hey, we're not down by 50 yet! LSU by all reports have been extraordinarily graceful hosts. Now if only they would loan us some players...
We had a couple of years where the skies were threatening most days if not everyday but it almost never rained. Today, after the first burst (an inch of rain in 15 minutes by all reports), it has continued threatening but with very little rain. I'm hoping we have a throwback day to those days when threat of rain did not necessarily equal rain. Still worried mostly about downstream effects.
It sure is a lot more relaxing to listen to football under these conditions. The person who lived and died with a football team's fate seems to be off on vacation, as you can well imagine. Also, I've already declared a moral victory. Hey, we're not down by 50 yet! LSU by all reports have been extraordinarily graceful hosts. Now if only they would loan us some players...
Friday, October 9, 2015
Totally not worried about additional rain
Nope, not the least bit worried about the possibility of rain today. No phobia at all. Not scared the least bit. Not even the tiniest bit concerned about it. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! PLEASE DON'T RAIN ANYMORE!!! WAAAAAAAAAH!!!
No really, I am assured that if it rains, it will be comparatively little and comparatively brief. Of course I'm concerned about the impacts downstream, but one day's normal rain can hardly make things much worse. Weather forecast maps showing that the entire state will get rain (again) are just sort of symbolically worrying. Hopefully that won't be the case anyway.
In local news, there have been no further setbacks in repairs at Columbia Canal and the suggestion is that work should be finished (ok, preliminary work will be finished within 48 hours). Also, they're trying to get water main breaks fixed so that the boil water advisory can be lifted. I note that officially speaking there's supposed to be a difference between a boil water advisory (voluntary) and a boil water order (mandatory). The way they're talking sure sounds like this is mandatory. I don't know why they don't just call it an order.
In our Dumb John news of the day, I was starting to worry that I might have a fever. Looked at the themostat/thermometer; it's hot! Well that's a relief!
No really, I am assured that if it rains, it will be comparatively little and comparatively brief. Of course I'm concerned about the impacts downstream, but one day's normal rain can hardly make things much worse. Weather forecast maps showing that the entire state will get rain (again) are just sort of symbolically worrying. Hopefully that won't be the case anyway.
In local news, there have been no further setbacks in repairs at Columbia Canal and the suggestion is that work should be finished (ok, preliminary work will be finished within 48 hours). Also, they're trying to get water main breaks fixed so that the boil water advisory can be lifted. I note that officially speaking there's supposed to be a difference between a boil water advisory (voluntary) and a boil water order (mandatory). The way they're talking sure sounds like this is mandatory. I don't know why they don't just call it an order.
In our Dumb John news of the day, I was starting to worry that I might have a fever. Looked at the themostat/thermometer; it's hot! Well that's a relief!
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Apocalypse maybe never
The repairs to Columbia Canal never happened, since another breach opened. National Guard is working diligently to fix everything and somehow water keeps flowing from the taps. The mayor has announced that rumors of an imminent shutdown are false and that they are confident that the system can keep going. That said, I'll probably cross the river to do my laundry Saturday, not out of any fear of water quality but to avoid overuse of water.
In the rest of the state, things are not good and not going to improve soon. Two-thirds of South Carolina is coastal plain. Columbia is strictly speaking part of the Coastal Plain, but sandhills cross the state right here, so we are significantly higher than south and east and, more to the point, less flat. (We were the beach, they were the continental shelf.) South and east of here, especially the nearer to the coast you get, is really flat and characterized by wide, slow rivers. These are about to get much, much wider and much, much slower.
Thus, if you want to help, give money to the American Red Cross marked South Carolina Flood Relief. Don't worry about Columbia; by and large, we'll be fine. (Red Cross doesn't rebuild roads and bridges anyway.) But the South Carolina lowcountry is about to see the worst week or two anyone has seen lately. Or so the governor says. I'm hoping like crazy that she's wrong. But all that water has to go somewhere, and they already had much more than their share.
In the rest of the state, things are not good and not going to improve soon. Two-thirds of South Carolina is coastal plain. Columbia is strictly speaking part of the Coastal Plain, but sandhills cross the state right here, so we are significantly higher than south and east and, more to the point, less flat. (We were the beach, they were the continental shelf.) South and east of here, especially the nearer to the coast you get, is really flat and characterized by wide, slow rivers. These are about to get much, much wider and much, much slower.
Thus, if you want to help, give money to the American Red Cross marked South Carolina Flood Relief. Don't worry about Columbia; by and large, we'll be fine. (Red Cross doesn't rebuild roads and bridges anyway.) But the South Carolina lowcountry is about to see the worst week or two anyone has seen lately. Or so the governor says. I'm hoping like crazy that she's wrong. But all that water has to go somewhere, and they already had much more than their share.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)