tommy,

I think gmail is having a moment but that's all I've noticed.

Well, I'm able to connect to Houston now, so I'm good.

I couldn't log into the work network this morning (darn!), but could check email on my phone. I tried again, and it works. Mostly I only tried again because I'm at my storage maximum, so I can't send email out if I don't do something soon.

I'm finally home. I was irate at the email from big boss that came in this morning, which basically said he didn't have any issues driving in (and in fact it was easier because there was less traffic!), so we were going to be open. He'd re-evaluate if conditions worsened. I was leaving at noon regardless if we'd been cut loose or not. I've got a 55 mile commute and I'm not risking my life for these people. Reason finally prevailed and we were let go at 12.

I made a last minute run to Costco, double checked the deck furniture and grill, and now I'm on the couch just waiting. I've turned up the heat to 80 in case we lose power, and all necessary electronics are on chargers.

The barometric pressure is doing a number on me as well. Stay safe, east coasters.

Seriously, Maria. I still think about you in that blizzard. Glad you are home safe and dry.

I think I was on the phone with her for that drive. Or maybe it was a different one. I remember much creative critiquing of drivers on 70 or 795.

Dripdripdrip. I went up and resealed and it helped for a bit, but I think it is just at the saturation point now. I give up.

I really, really hope it doesn't snow, because my winter coat is as work, and I am at home.

I was able to get a couple of flashlights at Rite-Aid, even though they said they were out. They had some in the weird As Seen on TV Christmas section. Which is probably good, because there are already some power outages here. They are LED Flashlights, but they will work. This other poor lady who lives right on the lake could not find batteries anywhere, but luckily these little flashlights take AAA's so I was able to get some.

The one thing I don't know- what do you do about the pilot light on the furnace if the electricity goes out? Do I shut the gas off? The furnace is in my apartment and I do not want to get asphyxiated.

Someone more official than me can probably answer but I think you are fine. All pilots I've had (including on an old stove so it was lit all the time) have a mechanical shut off-if the flame goes out, a non-electrical thermostat detects this and closes the valve.

January 26, 2011. One of those days I'll never forget. Between phone calls, texts, and Facebook, I was kept plenty of company. Still really grateful for everyone that kept me company.

sara, it was a different one. The 14+ hour commute home involved 13 of those hours parked on the GW Parkway. The creative critiquing of drivers anywhere in the DC/Baltimore area is an almost daily occurrence, so it's less useful in figuring out specific events.

Ugh, I'm sorry you're still having trouble with the porch leak.

Sophia, most furnace pilot lights have an automatic shutoff if the electricity goes off. I certainly had to turn on the pilot on my old furnace enough times that I had the routine of holding down the switch with one hand while I awkwardly reached a match towards the light with the other.

(The pilot wouldn't stay lit unless the thermocouple reached a certain temperature, which is when you could let off the switch and the regular furnace running would take over.)

It really takes a long time for an itty-bitty pilot light to flood a room with enough gas to be dangerous.