An Icy Walk In My Neighborhood Dodging Falling Branches & Sliding Cars

With the outer world coated with ice I was not among those who thought it a good idea to roll the wheels of my mechanized transport anywhere today.

I opted to take an icy walking tour of my neighborhood and found myself surprised to find people risking driving on the ice, with that risk being too risky for several that my eyes witnessed.

As you can see my pool is looking particularly cool today, with its new white and turquoise color scheme.

I quickly realized walking on the ice of this Ice Storm was not as difficult as other ice storms I've walked on. And so I decided to try to walk and slide to Albertsons.

I quickly came upon the scene below, on the hill below Albertsons, with cars spinning their tires, with various levels of success, trying to get up the hill on Boca Raton Boulevard.

I learned later the white car on the right slid to that location hours previous and was abandoned by its driver. Not a good place to leave ones car. I saw several incidents of near misses as cars and trucks careened up and down the hill. The car on the far left was also stuck, but the driver was still behind the wheel. The blue car was trying to push it to no avail. Eventually a truck with two big burly guys showed up who were able to push the car enough to get it moving on its own.

As you can see, Albertsons is open, with a few people successfully managing to slide their way to the parking lot. I only saw two Albertsons checkout people checking people out. Both were dressed as if they were out in the cold, complete with stocking caps.

Leaving Albertsons I soon came upon Miss Puerto Rico. None of her co-workers were able to make it in today. Miss Puerto Rico asked if I wanted to tour her property with her, looking for ice damage. That sounded possibly entertaining, so I walked along, for awhile.

The only problem found whilst I was part of the Miss Puerto Rico inspection team was a big branch which had broken off and on to two vehicles. Neither vehicle appeared to have suffered any damage.

After I abandoned Miss Puerto Rico's inspection team I tried to open the door of my own personal mechanized transportation device, to no avail. The driver's side lock was covered with ice, with more ice sealing the door shut solid.

I was able to get the key in the passenger's side door and unlock it. But that door was also sealed shut with ice.

I then got myself a pitcher full of hot water which was able to do enough melting that I got the passenger door open and then was able to open the driver's side door by pushing from the inside.

I wanted to get my vehicle motion ready in case of an emergency need to drive somewhere. Apparently we are not scheduled to get any addition ice coverage. What we get to deal with now is continuing below freezing temperatures which will prevent much of the ice cover from melting.

I am sort of already over winter and winter has not even yet made its official arrival...

The Great White Friday North Texas Ice Storm Has Arrived With A Vengeance

On the left you are looking at the early morning view of my usual swimming venue on this first Friday of the last month of 2013.

On a normal day at this point in time I would be up close and personal with that cool pool.

But today that cool pool is way too cool.

As in the predicted Ice Storm has stormed in with a White Vengeance.

Icicles formed over night on various surfaces. Frozen water pellets pummel relentlessly, making a tinkling noise as they make earth contact.

The outer world at my location, according to my computer based temperature monitoring device, is currently frozen to 26 degrees.

I have not lost power.

Yet.

But, apparently, over 100,000 in North Texas are currently in shiver mode without electricity.

It just occurred to me I should make a big pot of coffee for backup purposes, kept in the refrigerator, for emergency iced coffee medication if the power goes out for an extended time.

I really don't want to suffer caffeine withdrawal in addition to Ice Storm misery.

The Ice Storm Has Arrived On Schedule At My Location In Texas

The Ice Storm no longer cometh.

The Ice Storm hath arrived.

Soon after the sun left for the day, rain began slowly dripping.

A short while after the departure of the sun, and the arrival of the drippage, the temperature dropped below freezing.

The temperature continues to drop.

I called my mom today to let her know I may be heading into primitive caveman status for the unforeseeable future, due to predictions of wide Ice Storm caused power outages and so I may be incommunicado due to the fact that all my communicado devices require electricity.

Except for my carrier pigeons.

My mom does not like to get messages via carrier pigeons due to her irrational flea phobia.

I just returned from stepping outside. The ice is already coating the outer world like clear slippery frosting on a very cold cake.

I have a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling.

However, I do take comfort in the fact that my bad feelings are rarely validated by reality....

Rush Limbaugh Weighs In On The Texas Super Bowl Week Ice Storm, Rolling Blackouts & Getting Power From Mexico

I listen to Rush Limbaugh for a few minutes every once in awhile while I do yoga. Getting aggravated listening to someone be aggravating is entertaining at times. And might be salubrious for ones blood pressure.

Somehow I often manage to be listening to Rush Limbaugh during one of his episodes when he says something that catches flak. And due to having heard what he actually said I find myself on Limbaugh's side, as I hear how badly out of whack the flak is from what he actually said.

Anyway, I just heard Rush do a little rant about our current frozen situation in Texas. According to Limbaugh, Mexico is helping Texas out of its power problem by sending electricity to Texas.

I did not know the Texas grid is connected to Mexico.

Rush also mentioned the havoc the Ice Storm and freezing temperatures have wreaked on Super Bowl week, mentioning, in particular, the pathetic ESPN scene in downtown Fort Worth where broadcasters broadcast to an empty Sundance Square parking lot while enveloped in the vapor caused by their hot air meeting the frozen air.

Limbaugh also said that nothing like getting power from Mexico ever happened back when J.R. Ewing was running Dallas.

Typing this is not as amusing as it was hearing it.

I've still got him on and he's now taking a phone call from someone in Dallas who is telling Rush how bad the ice situation is here, with freezing pipes breaking, closing down power plants. The caller is now telling Rush that Texas drivers don't know how to drive on ice.

Rush is now defending the Texas drivers, saying no one can drive on solid ice.

Next caller is complaining about the Rolling Blackouts being due to no new power plants having been built in Texas in years.

Rush is continuing to speak well of Texas, most prosperous state in the Union, having to get power from Mexico. And how this must be embarrassing to a lot of Texans.

I'm a transplant. I'm not finding it all that embarrassing to get some electricity from Mexico.

Okay, I've reached my Rush Limbaugh limit for the day.