Winter Storm Gemini hit us hard here in mid-Michigan on Sunday. We were at the epiceneter for freezing rain. South of us got rain, north got 2-9 inches of snow. My dad woke me up at 6:15 a.m. to say he had no power and his generator would not start. So I got up, got dressed, fed the dog, salted the driveway, started the truck, and chipped the ice off of it. I got out of the sub-division and I was gone 10 minutes when my wife called me to tell methat we had lost power too, and so had my mother and father in-law.

So I ended up geting my dad's generator working (the battery on the self started had sulfated and needs to be replaced eventually) by using the pull starter. I had to also engage his on/off switch to the external 30-amp switch on the outside of the house. I woke up my brother and told him he needed to check on my dad periodically, get gas, and keep things topped off.

I called my wife to say I was headed home to start our generator. She wanted me to help my father-in-law instead since he had never owned or started a generator. I got there, helped him put it on his back porch. While we were disconnecting the main breakers in the basement, the large tree in the back yard split and two large limbs came down. It didn't come close to the house or generator. I got his generator going but he had to call his electrician because something was mislabeled to get the furnace working.

I got home around noon to start out generator. Everything came on line with no issues since I had just gone through this back in October. Right now 56,000 people in Genesee county alone are without power. Our local power company, Consumer's Energy, is estimating (guessing really) that power will be restored by 12/28/2013 at 11:30 pm for everyone. Which really says they don't have a clue when power will be restored for a given area. My local cable TV and internet provider is out too, so I having to work from my local Buick GMC dealer (the Avalanche is having an electrical problem and I have to work today). So if I don't have a wi-fi hot stop, I don't have any internet connection. So my access to the internet this week will be spheridac until power is restored.

So it is possible we could be having Christmas to the tune of the generator's hum if power does not come online sooner.

To you guys living in New England - take this storm seriously and prepare. If you have a chance of ice, get a geneator and gas now! That's what my father in-law did and he has power and heat. Others were not so lucky. There is no generators to be had right now either and the temperatures are dropping at night into the single digits. So winter is indeed here. So be prepared !!!

Nothing lost power here but the storm front gained temperature over lake Huron and it was just rain for us. Ms Notallthere and I are looking at building our next house and a stand by generator is going to be a must.

Damn, that sucks! Glad you guys have your generators working, can't imagine being in that cold without heat!

I wish we had days like this. Makes for a break in the norm. Its just been raining here.

that sucks.

Hey guys, I am using my dad's PC for a few minutes. His power was restored on Monday night as was my in-laws. I am still without power, Cable TV and internet services are still down too. I've started day #5 without power. Power company is still predicting it won't be restored until at least Saturday. Genesee County was the hardest hit county in the state, over 57,000 people without power when it started, and 32,000 are still without power, including me. Repairs crews from Washington DC, Georgia and North Carolina are now coming in to help with the repair.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I will get back on when I can.

anything over 0 degrees you'd melt.LOL Sure does make you appreciate DTE at times.

Are you a single line down? Does you neighbors have power? Have friend in Waterford with a treebranch that took out his line. They are talking tomorrow for him.

Our whole street / sub-division was out ~ 65-80 homes. Power was restored last night around 6:30 pm. So 5 1/2 days without power. Fortunately the generator did us well. According to the local news last night, still 22.000 people in Genesee County are without power. One house down the road from us has a down wire in front of it with caution tape in front of it. I doubt he was the cause of our power outage since his whole area never lost power either. I think a transformer or sub-station lost power to it and subsequently to us. Everything came back once power was was restored, cable TV and internet service too.

Now I just have to coil up all the extension cords around the house, top of the generator with gas and Sta-bil and put things away. I am glad this is over.

Good to hear you have power back Frosty. My flight's connection today was in Wisconsin and it was 6*F, that's really really really cold for a Floridian!

Thanks Ringo. I am grateful to have heat, running hot water, and some electrical power.

I'll bet it must have been seriously cold for you. What were you doing in Wisconsin?

I've skiied in -40 before. Now that is seriously cold. Done it twice in fact. Once north of Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, a place called Searchmont, and Crested Butte Colorado. In fact, when I went to Crested Butte, four of us rented a mini-van and drove 4 hours from Denver, drove over Monarch Pass to get the Gunnison and then to Crested Butte. We watched the temperature drop from 34 in Denver to -34 in Gunnison. I've never experience a 68 degree temperature swing like that before. At -34, you can literally have a cup of boiling hot water, throw it in the air and watch it flash freeze.

Was in Colorado visiting family and had a connection in Milwaukee. Almost didn't get out of there lol.

Okay, that's a bit a new one on me. Going SE from Colorado (Denver I assume) via North (Milwaukee) to Fort Myers (I am assuming that is the closest large to medium size airport to you). What airline?

If it makes you guys feel any better, a blizzard is looming onto Long Island...

If its any consolidation after a 5 1/2 days without power, I was stuck inside the house for several hours today, partially due to the snow and deep chill but because of this...I live just outside the 1 mile evacuation zone. Man this really sucks.

This is turning out to be a really strange winter around here.

.

http://www.abc12.com/story/24347559/overturned-tanker-spills-hazardous-material-in-davison-township

Next week could see cancellation of schools on Monday and Tuesday due to record cold mornings. If the temperature and wind chill combined drops below -5 degrees, it sets the stage to allow schools to close and not run buses because of the severe cold. Can't have the kids waiting at bus stops at these severe temperatures by state law.

Okay, that's a bit a new one on me. Going SE from Colorado (Denver I assume) via North (Milwaukee) to Fort Myers (I am assuming that is the closest large to medium size airport to you). What airline?

Yup, Denver to Milwaukee to Ft. Myers. Was on Southwest. I had a direct flight from Ft. Myers to Denver going out on Frontier but they charged for everything, think I paid $15 to use their seatbelt... Southwest was the cheapest going home, obviously with that crazy connection. So many delays that day, I'm just happy we were able to fly out of Milwaukee. That flight back though had the most annoying people ever on it. Seriously don't think any of them ever had flown or been in public. I felt really bad for the flight crew as it was an older plane and had some issues with heating and A/C, everyone was complaining. Then everyone and their mom brought on a "carry on" that was larger than them, obviously the person at the gate wasn't doing their job. Between weather and 50% of the plane having to check their carry-ons we were delayed over an hour . I was livid, not to mention the douche when we landed that thought it was OK to put on his backpack in a crowded isle then lean on me, I'm normally a calm person but that set me off!

I have changed transmissions in -40 weather.

Yup, Denver to Milwaukee to Ft. Myers. Was on Southwest. I had a direct flight from Ft. Myers to Denver going out on Frontier but they charged for everything, think I paid $15 to use their seatbelt... Southwest was the cheapest going home, obviously with that crazy connection. So many delays that day, I'm just happy we were able to fly out of Milwaukee. That flight back though had the most annoying people ever on it. Seriously don't think any of them ever had flown or been in public. I felt really bad for the flight crew as it was an older plane and had some issues with heating and A/C, everyone was complaining. Then everyone and their mom brought on a "carry on" that was larger than them, obviously the person at the gate wasn't doing their job. Between weather and 50% of the plane having to check their carry-ons we were delayed over an hour . I was livid, not to mention the douche when we landed that thought it was OK to put on his backpack in a crowded isle then lean on me, I'm normally a calm person but that set me off!

So what did you tell Mr Consideration?

I have changed transmissions in -40 weather.

How much longer did you think it took you to change it with it being that cold?