Thanksgiving Post

[ysabetwordsmith]

We have guests for Thanksgiving, so I expect to be away from my computer for much of the day.  I am thankful for time to spend with my family.  We're going to cook the feast together, which is one of my favorite activities.  <3

We still have no furnace; the repair service is just indifferent to our survival needs.  But we have a woodstove, which keeps at least part of the house inhabitable.  I am thankful for fault tolerance.

I've also gotten a bunch of donations and pledges this evening for the half-price poetry sale in Shiv's thread..  I'll catch up with the posting when I have time, probably Thursday night or Friday.  I am thankful for my wonderful audience, your inspiration, your support, and your feedback!

Birds have been clustering around the feeders again.  I'm thankful for a big yard and lively wildlife to watch.

I'm following the protests at Standing Rock.  Remember, tribes are sovereign nations, at least on paper.  In practice, the genocide continues.  So if you're looking at cute Thanksgiving decorations made by white people, realize that right now people are using dogs, water canons, tear gas, and other weapons on Lakota and their allies.  I'm thankful for the warriors putting their lives on the line to protect their land and our water.  Mitakuye oyasin.

Other folks are posting their thanks on blogs and other services.  I'm thankful to see people taking a moment to appreciate what they have.

What are you thankful for?

Comments

[gingicat]

That sucks regarding the furnace. Are there any other choices of repair people?

No ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Apparently not. Nobody else seems to service this model of equipment. So we just freeze, until or unless the lazy fuckers ever feel like getting around to fixing it. We have sources of backup heating, but they are not adequate -- in particular, they won't prevent the pipes from freezing underneath the house as the weather gets colder. Which is another thing people like to wait weeks or months before fixing.

[siberian_skys]

I'm thankful for getting to spend some time with my mother today.

I'm thankful for having a job to go to.

And I'm thankful for that article you linked to. I'm going to share it. It's a travesty that what's going on in North Dakota isn't getting the same wall to wall coverage that other things are getting.

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I'm thankful for getting to spend some time with my mother today.

I'm thankful for having a job to go to. <<

Yay! I'm happy for you too.

>> And I'm thankful for that article you linked to. I'm going to share it. It's a travesty that what's going on in North Dakota isn't getting the same wall to wall coverage that other things are getting. <<

*sigh* That's because it would embarrass the rich people if other folks knew about it. But this is how they'd treat everyone if they could get away with it. When people are poor, isolated, of color, or otherwise disadvantaged then it's easy to abuse them. The discrepancy is similar to what it always has been for tribal people. The invaders come in, commit violence, and take whatever they want. Then they portray people as savages for not wanting to be robbed and murdered.

[redsixwing]

I'm thankful for you and your writing.

I'm thankful for immediate family, two- and four-footed, who are a bolster and a buttress against extended family.

I'm thankful my woodstove works, too; took two months to get it fixed (and it still needs another visit but we have a workaround so we're okay.) I hear you on the obnoxiousness of repair people, although ours are rather more swamped than lazy.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I'm thankful for you and your writing. <<

Aww, shucks.

>> I'm thankful my woodstove works, too; <<

Yay!

>> took two months to get it fixed (and it still needs another visit but we have a workaround so we're okay.) <<

We've actually had better luck with chimney sweeps. Last year they lifted the thing -- by hand! -- so we could shove a fireproof mat underneath it, something that wasn't available when the thing was installed decades ago.

>> I hear you on the obnoxiousness of repair people, although ours are rather more swamped than lazy. <<

I can forgive swamped, if people prioritize responsibly. That is, households with infants or elders first, or people with a vulnerable condition. I should be a priority for air conditioning, but not much for heat. What we're worried about now is the pipes freezing.

What I will not forgive is people who won't answer the phone, won't return calls, lie about when they'll be out, don't stay in touch, forget to order parts, sell us equipment that nobody else services, do shoddy work, and otherwise behave in unprofessional ways.

Re: Thoughts

[redsixwing]

>>and otherwise behave in unprofessional ways.<<

GRAH.
And when they're the only gig in town... *facepalm*

>>What we're worried about now is the pipes freezing.<<

Hm. You probably know all the good things already, but I live in a seriously cold place and can contribute some tips if you need 'em.

>>Last year they lifted the thing -- by hand! -- so we could shove a fireproof mat underneath it, something that wasn't available when the thing was installed decades ago.<<

Holy cow!

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Variously we use heat tapes, dripping faucets, and the furnace in the basement. But when the furnace is out, the other two do not suffice when it gets really cold.

Re: Thoughts

[redsixwing]

Okay, that's the majority of what we use, too. That and pipe insulation - the foam kind feels gross, but it works a treat. I think it comes in 8-10' lengths, slit down one side so it's easy to apply. In an emergency, I've used blankets and even towels, wrapped over vulnerable parts and duct taped in place. Some heater tapes can be a hazard if they're covered, so it's worth double-checking what your brand will tolerate.

We were also lucky enough to be able to reroute our water supply pipe to come inside the basement, instead of going through the wall and under the deck where it froze almost daily. That solved the problem long-term, but if yours is freezing /inside/ the basement... do you have a space heater that's safe to run long-term? Electricity and water drips aren't inexpensive, but they sure beat burst pipes.

(Context: we used to have a crappy wellhouse, built in the fine Early American Cardboard style. Our winters drop to -20F. We ran a light bulb and two space heaters in there and /still/ got frozen pipes. Fortunately, they were solid copper and a bit overbuilt, so they never split, but we did have a bunch of days where there just wasn't any water, because it was too damn cold. Moving the house pipe fixed the freezing spot in the house, but only changing the well so none of the vulnerable bits were higher than 4' underground fixed the other half of the problem.)

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

We've used pipe insulation too, but it's not as effective. It doesn't make things warm, only keeps heat from leaking out.

We can't even afford to run electric heaters in the house. The electric bill is already ruinously expensive.

Re: Thoughts

[redsixwing]

Crud. =/ I'm sorry, that's all the techniques I've personally used.

gratitudes, mostly

[callibr8]

Wow, that totally *sucks* about the furnace being out. YIKES!

I am thankful for far-flung friends whose words of encouragement and inspiration enrich my life so much.

I am thankful for family-of-choice, with whom I will be sharing food, friendship, and music, later today.

I am thankful for my partner, who has enriched my life in myriad ways.

I am thankful for our dwelling, humble but in good repair.

I am thankful for hard truths, which provide opportunities for growth.

Re: gratitudes, mostly

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Wow, that totally *sucks* about the furnace being out. YIKES! <<

Doug says they aren't even answering the phone. So now we're down to searching around other towns to see if anyone else is willing to drive out here.

>>I am thankful for far-flung friends whose words of encouragement and inspiration enrich my life so much.<<

Yay!

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

I am thankful for being alive.
For having loved and having been loved.
For friends old and new.
For my "second families".
For my comparative good health.
For having a safe place to live and enough to eat every day.

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

That's good to hear.

[filkferengi]

You mean, aside from lovely, creative folks eager to share their insights and inspirations?

;)

This year, I was also grateful for bursitis, since that led me to the doctor, where I, within the space of two weeks, found out about high blood pressure, diabetes, a lethargic thyroid, elevated liver enzymes, had an eye exam, got first-time bifocals [with eyeball pretzels ongoing], and had a pap smear, mammoground, & ultrasound. 'Cause I'm all efficient like that, & Uncle Murphy & I share a very special love. My world is all kinds of upside-down and freaky-deaky, but at least things are responding well to meds.