Warnings @ MindSay

   Once your area of living has been alerted for a potential Ice Storm, the following actions should take place immediately if and when possible: Try to have these items on hand or at least a majority of them before the storm strikes. In most major ice storms, power failures occur. Ice storms differ in time lines, one storm may last for only a day or some to ten to fifteen days before your power is restored again, so be prepared for long-term survival. If your house runs on electricity … it is a good idea to have the items below on hand.

   If you have a gas stove … light the burners and keep the flames low. Open a nearby door or window just enough to allow escaping gas to exit. Do not stay near the stove. Check the stove regularly for burning. If your eyes begin to water …. Turn the burners off a few minutes to allow any fumes to go outside through the open cracked door or window before relighting your stove again for warmth.

• Purchase or have available … a generator with 5000 watts or more. Check your fuel level every seven hours. Always keep enough fuel on-hand for at least two refuels.
• ( All generators should be outside and away from your house / dwelling at a distance of twenty feet or more. Use a long extension cord from the generator to the house / dwelling .. then attach additional cords to the main generator extension cord as needed. Do not overload your generator. Check your generator every 40 hours of operation for oil.

Turn your generator off .. unplug all electrical cords .. check oil level .. fill as necessary .. wait ten minutes .. restart generator, attach cords.

Insure that the exhaust from the generator blows away from the entrance.

• Purchase or have available … extra long extension cords
• Purchase or have available … a heater that runs on propane … have extra tanks on hand.
• Purchase or have available … a Kerosene Lamp / w/ plenty of kerosene fuel
• A chain saw or saw tool. These tools are handy when clearing fallen limbs or debris.
• Tools for scraping off ice on walkways or driveway.
• Bags of rock salt for melting the ice areas.
• Water … bottled water by the cases.
• Blankets
• Purchase or have available .... flashlights / batteries
• Buy or have available …. "D"cell batteries for lamp lights
• Buy or have available … extra lamps powered by batteries
• Buy or have available …. a battery-powered T.V. for advisories
• Keep an ample supply of can goods and other food that will not spoil.
• Keep breakables, away from all windows.
• Keep everybody in the household away from all windows.
• Have a cell phone on hand and charger.
• Do not try to plug in a hair dryer to any cords.
• Check your generator fuel gauge every seven hours for fuel level.
• When fueling, turn generator off first. Fuel tank, (do not over fill). Allow five to ten minutes before restarting.
• Remember, during most ice storms, tree limbs break and fall from the heavy ice accumulations. If seated in the house, sit at the farthest point away from any windows or your tree area outside.
• If you lose power to your home, you may try staying with family or friends who still have power in their homes.
  
• Call your local power company and report all power shortages, when you lose power or know of someone else who has.

Ice Storms are dangerous .. and at times can produce lightning too. Stay warm and safe.

I think people should have a little sign that hangs over their heads to give an indication regarding their possible attitude.  You know like the signs they have on cabs and buses - "Off Duty", "No Stops" - we could have little signs that say things like - "Bad Underwear Day", "PMS", "No Coffee Yet", "Had Sex Last Night" - just a little something to give everyone around you an indicator regarding your attitude.  It would make day to day life so much easier.  You walk into work and you think today is the day you're going to ask your boss for a raise and you look up and her signs says "Lost 3 Lbs."  BINGO!  Or, your husband comes home from work and you're ready to lay into him because he forgot to take out the trash, fill up your gas tank and left junior in a dirty diaper that morning, but his sign reads - "Lost Account" - now you know those other things don't seem so important in the scheme of things.  How about if you have to tell your roommate that you have to raise the rent?  If her sign says - "Bad Underwear Day" - you figure now is a good a time as any because her day could get worse.  We need something, because there seems to be so many angry, frustated, aggravated and impatient people out there.  People don't take the time communicate with one another.  Customer service levels are at an all time low, divorce rates are still high, marriage rates are declining, more kids are being medicated now than ever before and overall people just don't want to be bothered.  Something has to give, the world has to take a collective sigh and maybe have a 10 minute time out.  So, in absence of using common sense and good communcation skills, we should all have signs over our heads.