I'm really trying not to be a whiner, like so many of the people I've had to listen to for the last 9 days, but the time comes when a person has waited long enough and it's high time we get power back on. Being that I work for the power company, I really can't call and complain, so I walk a few feet and sheepishly ask...is today the day?? Will our power EVER come on again? Please please please please please turn our power back on!
For those that don't know, we had a major fog/ice storm hit our area on Jan 20th, last Wednesday for those keeping track (and by that I mean me). Heavy ice accumulated on our power lines, causing the lines to sag with the extra weight and later causing poles to snap, literally like toothpicks. We only lost somewhere around 450 poles, which is actually lower than many surrounding co-ops who lost nearly 2000 poles. I have to say the South Dakota Rural Electric Association is an amazing group of people who truly rally around one another in desperate times. The lineman who rush to our aid in the most unbearable conditions are hero's to more than they'll ever know. As heavy winds picked up on Monday, it seemed our efforts kept taking a step in the wrong direction. Our guys were working 15 plus hours a day in extreme cold temperatures with little to show for their efforts. It is now Thursday and a small group of people remain without power, (me included). We remain hopeful that today will be our lucky day and our lights will shine bright, our washing machines will run wildly, dishwashers will once again hum in our kitchens and most importantly we won't hear the constant roar of the generator running outside. We will go to bed without re-fueling it and we will wake up without wondering if it's about out of gas again. I will no longer have blinking clocks in every room I enter and my massive pile of dirty clothes will be substantially smaller. I desperately look forward to the day that I don't hear someone ask me, "Are you still without power?" Followed by, "Oh my gosh." Or, " What's the update," "We STILL don't have power, do you?" "This is getting expensive," "We've been out since Saturday" (I don't feel a bit sorry for you, being that you had 3 extra days WITH power).
Again, there are a lot of honorable jobs in this world and I have mucho respect for the linemen who fall into that category.
For those that don't know, we had a major fog/ice storm hit our area on Jan 20th, last Wednesday for those keeping track (and by that I mean me). Heavy ice accumulated on our power lines, causing the lines to sag with the extra weight and later causing poles to snap, literally like toothpicks. We only lost somewhere around 450 poles, which is actually lower than many surrounding co-ops who lost nearly 2000 poles. I have to say the South Dakota Rural Electric Association is an amazing group of people who truly rally around one another in desperate times. The lineman who rush to our aid in the most unbearable conditions are hero's to more than they'll ever know. As heavy winds picked up on Monday, it seemed our efforts kept taking a step in the wrong direction. Our guys were working 15 plus hours a day in extreme cold temperatures with little to show for their efforts. It is now Thursday and a small group of people remain without power, (me included). We remain hopeful that today will be our lucky day and our lights will shine bright, our washing machines will run wildly, dishwashers will once again hum in our kitchens and most importantly we won't hear the constant roar of the generator running outside. We will go to bed without re-fueling it and we will wake up without wondering if it's about out of gas again. I will no longer have blinking clocks in every room I enter and my massive pile of dirty clothes will be substantially smaller. I desperately look forward to the day that I don't hear someone ask me, "Are you still without power?" Followed by, "Oh my gosh." Or, " What's the update," "We STILL don't have power, do you?" "This is getting expensive," "We've been out since Saturday" (I don't feel a bit sorry for you, being that you had 3 extra days WITH power).
Again, there are a lot of honorable jobs in this world and I have mucho respect for the linemen who fall into that category.
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