The longest thread ever

[-jk]

We are being warned that rolling blackouts may be necessary.

No fun with winter weather! Hang in there.

(Of course, it beats the ones caused by nature that take a week to fix.)

-jk

[-jk]

Virginia still restringing from the ice storm: https://poweroutage.us/area/state/virginia

[bundabergdevil]

A few years ago I was told to go to my (then) company's development program. They flew a bunch of people in from all around the world for several days to do trust falls and practice firing someone (hint: don't catch them during a trust fall). Long story short, in his intro speech, the leadership instructor said "fartnership" instead of "partnership" and I had to leave the room for a good 20 minutes because I started laughing so hard.

[ClemmonsDevil]

A few years ago I was told to go to my (then) company's development program. They flew a bunch of people in from all around the world for several days to do trust falls and practice firing someone (hint: don't catch them during a trust fall). Long story short, in his intro speech, the leadership instructor said "fartnership" instead of "partnership" and I had to leave the room for a good 20 minutes because I started laughing so hard.

Fantastic! I was working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit recently and a Dr Nichols was paged overhead as "Dr Nipples". I was standing with her when this happened. We were both useless for the next 10 minutes.

[DukieInKansas]

It was -1 when I drove home tonight

[YmoBeThere]

No fun with winter weather! Hang in there.

(Of course, it beats the ones caused by nature that take a week to fix.)

-jk

First rolling outage of the night...

[YmoBeThere]

First rolling outage of the night...

I think we are in our third one right now. I completely understand and support the environmental benefits of renewables but at the moment solar isn’t an option and the reports are that 1/2 or more of the wind capacity is down due to turbines being frozen.

[bundabergdevil]

I think we are in our third one right now. I completely understand and support the environmental benefits of renewables but at the moment solar isn’t an option and the reports are that 1/2 or more of the wind capacity is down due to turbines being frozen.

Isn't ERCOT citing limited natural gas supplies, too, because the wellheads are also freezing? Sounds like the temperatures are well outside the norm, sending demand skyrocketing, and mucking up the delivery systems accordingly. Pile up those blankets!


Edit: Whoa, this is some GameStop level action movement.

[I]Wholesale electricity prices for delivery on Monday surpassed the grid’s price cap of $9,000 per megawatt-hour in the early hours of Monday, multiples above average prices of $25/MWh on the Texas grid.

Dan Woodfin, Ercot’s senior director of system operations, said on Sunday that electricity demand was likely to exceed the record of 74,820MW set during the sweltering summer of 2019. He urged Texans to turn down thermostats, close window shades and unplug appliances to save energy.


Also, and you probably know this about Texas' electricity system, but:


The cold spell will be a test of Texas’s freewheeling electricity model. Generators are paid only for the energy that they sell, not for keeping capacity in reserve for times of stress. Electricity retailers compete fiercely for customer business, unlike utility monopolies that operate in some other states.

[bundabergdevil]

Fantastic! I was working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit recently and a Dr Nichols was paged overhead as "Dr Nipples". I was standing with her when this happened. We were both useless for the next 10 minutes.

Good to be able to laugh at such things. Not sure what I'd do with myself half the time if I couldn't laugh at slips and absurdities. "Paging Dr. Nipples", may be tried out as a new come hither line in the bundaberg household. We'll see how it goes.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Good to be able to laugh at such things. Not sure what I'd do with myself half the time if I couldn't laugh at slips and absurdities. "Paging Dr. Nipples", may be tried out as a new come hither line in the bundaberg household. We'll see how it goes.

I know that we give each other a hard time on here but please tell your wife to share information about the funeral arrangements with us, because at least a few of us would like to attend virtually.

[OldPhiKap]

I think we are in our third one right now. I completely understand and support the environmental benefits of renewables but at the moment solar isn’t an option and the reports are that 1/2 or more of the wind capacity is down due to turbines being frozen.

Ice storms have knocked about 1/2 of Texas’ wind power generation (for whatever that adds to the equation). Also seeing record demand for energy:

https://twitter.com/reutersscience/s...998665732?s=21

[YmoBeThere]

And here I was looking forward to a calmer 2021.

[ClemmonsDevil]

And here I was looking forward to a calmer 2021.

Do you have gas logs or a fireplace or some other means of heat?

[budwom]

filet mignons last night at about ten degrees...I'm vying for a spot in the upcoming Cold Weather Grilling Olympics to be held soon in Yakutsk, fingers crossed!

(you never know what they'll be grilling, they use a back hoe to drag stuff out of the permafrost...could be a saber toothed tiger, could be a wooly mammoth, you just never know.)

[YmoBeThere]

Do you have gas logs or a fireplace or some other means of heat?

Yeah, heat has been fine. The power outages are only 20 minutes or so. But I was going to do pot roast in the slow cooker so will have to change my dinner plans. I could do it in the oven but it is electric. So, I’m going with stove prepped food today.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Yeah, heat has been fine. The power outages are only 20 minutes or so. But I was going to do pot roast in the slow cooker so will have to change my dinner plans. I could do it in the oven but it is electric. So, I’m going with stove prepped food today.

Good luck! I get my 2nd covid shot today. Assuming I won't feel much like cooking. Plus I am covering our Hotline so talking to doctors and respiratory therapists all day, which makes me lose track of whatever I am cooking.

[bundabergdevil]

I know that we give each other a hard time on here but please tell your wife to share information about the funeral arrangements with us, because at least a few of us would like to attend virtually.

I mean, she knew what she was getting herself into.

[ClemmonsDevil]

I mean, she knew what she was getting herself into.

This is true for my wife as well and horrifying for my wife as well.

[Bostondevil]

Speaking from the point of view of a wife, yes, we know what we are getting into. Once the kids reach a certain age and they are largely independent, it becomes a lot easier to just ignore you. We still love you. We might even still show it, but what you do has increasingly less effect on what we do.

[YmoBeThere]

Good thing I downloaded a new book yesterday.