Powerless..
So here's a timeline of the ice storm for us:
Saturday, December 21st
1700 drove through rain to go to Woburn reunion. Roads slippery but not bad.
2100 power out at the party house. Apparently there were bright blue and azure flashes outside before lights flickered out.
2130 leave the house. Neighborhood completely out of power. Traffic lights out. I remember to treat as four way stop, so long as I see them before I get there.
2200 get home and go to sleep. Decide to charge up portable battery.
Sunday, December 22nd
0530 wake up to natures call and noticed that power was out
0730 take shower. Water getting cold
0900 drive to airport. Lots of branches and wires down on the ground.
0930 flight delayed
1000 bridge frozen mike can't disembark
1030 parents call. My phone dies.
1100 go to uncle Betty's. See streets that are cordoned off due to fallen brances blocking road.
1115 arrive at restaurant. Place is packed, half of the businesses on yonge are out of power
1215 sit down to eat.
1230 parents call back. They have no power. Apparently it went out at four In The morning.
1245 borrow restaurant plug to charge cell phone.
1300 get out to car to pay for parking. Parking meter coved in ice, but managed to melt enough ice to put card in. Forgot car keys though, so had to go back into restaurant and out again.
1345 leave restaurant. Realize I forgot cell phone. Drive back.
1400 head back to condo.power still out but generator going
1430 drive towards black creek. Call ahead. They are closed. Head to aquarium instead
1530 walking to entrance of from cn tower entrance. aquarium. Hear a loud thud. Look up. See large (child sized) pieces of ice falling from the sky. Run for lives.
1630 parents call back. They want more info about tomorrow events.
1745 leave aquarium and drive back to the condo. Power not restored to half of the neighborhoods on the way up avenue and yonge. Pitch black if it weren't for headlights. This includes traffic lights.
1830 pick up Maggie from condo. Power still out. Drive out for dinner. Drive up yonge same as drive up from downtown. Half of the nighborhoods and businesses are out of power.
1845 halfway to restaurant, pass by a couple of gas stations. They are packed and overflowing with cars.
1900 park on street. Parking meter covered with ice. Impossible to use card. Try with coins for ten minutes. We take too long and it spits out out change. Thrice. Some guy comes by and asks if the parking authorities will even bother tonight. We give up.
1910 some guy drives up asking about gas stations. Pointed him to go south of Shepard. Warned him that stations were overflowing with cars.
1915 24 hour restaurant out of power. We go to Sapporo.
2030 finish dinner and look for dessert. Seems like 24 hr restaurant has people even though no lights. They're using tea lights.
2035 drive down yonge. Still half without power.
2045 can't get into parking lot from first gate. Ticket machine not working. Tried second one, which actually showed text on the machine, and was able to get in.
2050 restaurant has power, but ticket validation doesn't work. Need to give receipt to parking attendant.
2115 drive back to condo to pick up MJO's stuff. Street lights around condo now working. Looks like progress.
2145 drove MJO to hotel. At least they have power. Same neighborhoods without power earlier still without power on way downtown.
2200 dropped off Laz and filled up on gas.
2210 saw flashes of blue and azure in the sky. Looks like more lightning, but might have been transformers.
Monday, December 23rd
0845 MJNL leaves to go to gym to work out and shower. Takes my phone to charge. Since the home phone doesn't work (it's wireless) I am incommunicado.
0920 backup generator gives out. All power in condo is now out. All hallways, stairwells and garage are out now pitch black.
0945 take coldest partial shower in my life. At least my hair is cleanish.
1005 crack open fridge. Might as well start eating. Made cereal with milk.
1015 condo security came through floor to check up on vulnerable neighbors. Didn't knock on my door.
1245 went down to concierge and found out that the company that's maintaining the backup generator is having trouble getting to the condo. They recommend leaving the building until power is returned.
1330 MJNL and I pack up and leave the building. Underground parking garage is pitch black. Feels like a zombie apocalypse.
1345 drive to highway has many tree limbs on the streets and ground. Loose and sagging wires are frequently seen. Very little clean up done so far.
1400 arrive in Markham.
1500 got a call from parents. They have power now.
2030 condo back to full power.
2100 called condo and found out that power was restored.
2340 headed back to condo. Saw some areas of the city that were still out of power.
Tuesday, December 24th
0010 arrived back at condo.
Saturday, December 21st
1700 drove through rain to go to Woburn reunion. Roads slippery but not bad.
2100 power out at the party house. Apparently there were bright blue and azure flashes outside before lights flickered out.
2130 leave the house. Neighborhood completely out of power. Traffic lights out. I remember to treat as four way stop, so long as I see them before I get there.
2200 get home and go to sleep. Decide to charge up portable battery.
Sunday, December 22nd
0530 wake up to natures call and noticed that power was out
0730 take shower. Water getting cold
0900 drive to airport. Lots of branches and wires down on the ground.
0930 flight delayed
1000 bridge frozen mike can't disembark
1030 parents call. My phone dies.
1100 go to uncle Betty's. See streets that are cordoned off due to fallen brances blocking road.
1115 arrive at restaurant. Place is packed, half of the businesses on yonge are out of power
1215 sit down to eat.
1230 parents call back. They have no power. Apparently it went out at four In The morning.
1245 borrow restaurant plug to charge cell phone.
1300 get out to car to pay for parking. Parking meter coved in ice, but managed to melt enough ice to put card in. Forgot car keys though, so had to go back into restaurant and out again.
1345 leave restaurant. Realize I forgot cell phone. Drive back.
1400 head back to condo.power still out but generator going
1430 drive towards black creek. Call ahead. They are closed. Head to aquarium instead
1530 walking to entrance of from cn tower entrance. aquarium. Hear a loud thud. Look up. See large (child sized) pieces of ice falling from the sky. Run for lives.
1630 parents call back. They want more info about tomorrow events.
1745 leave aquarium and drive back to the condo. Power not restored to half of the neighborhoods on the way up avenue and yonge. Pitch black if it weren't for headlights. This includes traffic lights.
1830 pick up Maggie from condo. Power still out. Drive out for dinner. Drive up yonge same as drive up from downtown. Half of the nighborhoods and businesses are out of power.
1845 halfway to restaurant, pass by a couple of gas stations. They are packed and overflowing with cars.
1900 park on street. Parking meter covered with ice. Impossible to use card. Try with coins for ten minutes. We take too long and it spits out out change. Thrice. Some guy comes by and asks if the parking authorities will even bother tonight. We give up.
1910 some guy drives up asking about gas stations. Pointed him to go south of Shepard. Warned him that stations were overflowing with cars.
1915 24 hour restaurant out of power. We go to Sapporo.
2030 finish dinner and look for dessert. Seems like 24 hr restaurant has people even though no lights. They're using tea lights.
2035 drive down yonge. Still half without power.
2045 can't get into parking lot from first gate. Ticket machine not working. Tried second one, which actually showed text on the machine, and was able to get in.
2050 restaurant has power, but ticket validation doesn't work. Need to give receipt to parking attendant.
2115 drive back to condo to pick up MJO's stuff. Street lights around condo now working. Looks like progress.
2145 drove MJO to hotel. At least they have power. Same neighborhoods without power earlier still without power on way downtown.
2200 dropped off Laz and filled up on gas.
2210 saw flashes of blue and azure in the sky. Looks like more lightning, but might have been transformers.
Monday, December 23rd
0845 MJNL leaves to go to gym to work out and shower. Takes my phone to charge. Since the home phone doesn't work (it's wireless) I am incommunicado.
0920 backup generator gives out. All power in condo is now out. All hallways, stairwells and garage are out now pitch black.
0945 take coldest partial shower in my life. At least my hair is cleanish.
1005 crack open fridge. Might as well start eating. Made cereal with milk.
1015 condo security came through floor to check up on vulnerable neighbors. Didn't knock on my door.
1245 went down to concierge and found out that the company that's maintaining the backup generator is having trouble getting to the condo. They recommend leaving the building until power is returned.
1330 MJNL and I pack up and leave the building. Underground parking garage is pitch black. Feels like a zombie apocalypse.
1345 drive to highway has many tree limbs on the streets and ground. Loose and sagging wires are frequently seen. Very little clean up done so far.
1400 arrive in Markham.
1500 got a call from parents. They have power now.
2030 condo back to full power.
2100 called condo and found out that power was restored.
2340 headed back to condo. Saw some areas of the city that were still out of power.
Tuesday, December 24th
0010 arrived back at condo.
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