boinsie wrote:With that Monday forecast, might be worth just planning to extend the Toledo stay ahead of time.
Funny you should say that…
So, ice storm update. We're still in Toledo. Due to a combination of factors — the overall extent of the damage, how the roads and power lines are laid out where we live, the second storm coming on Monday — the estimate for restoration of our power has been pushed back to Tuesday.
If anyone else is interested…
https://outagemap.dteenergy.com/Switch from "Location" to "Zip Code" (in the map legend) to get a better overall view, and keep in mind this is
days after the storm.
Worst ice storm in 50 years, they say. Comparable to 1978, at least with regards to damage and subsequent recovery efforts…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blizzard_of_1978Anyhow, that's six days and five nights in Toledo, at our own expense. Plus the expense of all of the spoiled food in our refrigerator and freezer, since insurance considers this an Act of God outside the residence, rather than a proximate cause inside the residence.
Or to quote my actual policy…
Power Interruption. We will pay for accidental direct physical loss caused directly or indirectly by a change of temperature that results from power interruption that takes place on the residence premises. The power interruption must be caused by a loss insured occurring on the residence premises. The power lines off the residence premises must remain energized. This coverage does not increase the limit applying to the damaged property.
We can afford it. It's just frustrating. And I figure there will be slim pickings at the grocery stores for the next week or two as everyone else in Southeast Michigan goes through the same thing.
What's more distressing is what's happening with the person I take care of. They depend on having a steady routine, and of course that routine has been severely disrupted by this. Three nights away from home have been bad enough already, two more nights will be awful.
I'm having to do a lot of "We're more than halfway there" and "The end is in sight" happy talk just to keep both of us sane.
One bright spot is that when I got stir crazy and went exploring, I found a pretty good gaming store and a FANTASTIC comic book store right in the same strip mall…
https://www.checkmategames.net/https://www.jcscomicsnmore.com/Both of them are the kind of store, in their respective markets, that I haven't seen since the mid '90s. The kind that only grows over several years of being in the same location with regular customers.
Most such stores these days are just CCG play spaces that make a token effort at dressing the front with a small selection of other products. What I call "the Diamond Distributors Starter Pack" (although Diamond went bust during the lockdowns).
Under different circumstances, I could spend a
lot of time at these stores. Especially the comic book store. It must be seen to be believed. I figure it's just hanging on by a thread, one old guy keeping the lights on. I talked to him for a few minutes, he's been doing it for 37 years and you can see he's reaching his limit.
Under different circumstances… <sigh>
).
