Welcome to Camp Thomas

Welcome to Camp Thomas coming to you via generator power and some odd miracle that our internet came back on Thursday. For those of you who don't watch the news Oklahomans were directly hit with what was basically an ice bomb. The three big cities in the state where covered in up to 1.5" of clear ice last weekend and massive power outages occurred as trees some almost a century old split and came crashing down under the added weight of thousands of pounds of ice. Homes, cars, power lines, all were smashed under a solid day of falling trees and high voltage lines.

We have been without power going on day six in Tulsa. After the initial blast of the ice storm and resulting devastation I walked around my home shortly after midnight and surprisingly it was eerily still and quiet no dogs barking, no traffic noise, just the sound of crashing limbs ever so often accompanied by a light show and the sound of maniacal Tesla coils as the high voltage lines and transformers had their guts pulled out or smashed. A misty frozen still air added to the Tim Burton dream like landscape of a smashed, dark and crystal covered city with wild shaped snapped and mangled trees silhouetted in all directions. Our city landscape will be changed for the next 20 years as a result of the devastation and deforestation. On the up side fire wood is going to be dirt cheap when the cleanup is over and lots of generators are going to be found in garage sales next summer.

Of course I had to plan for all of this to happen right after a five day stay at a local hospital completing the last step in my recovery from diverticulitis and possible colon cancer. This last visit wraps up a twenty one day total stay in the hospital over the past three months with recovery time between each visit. I am pleased to say that no cancer was found and after leaving the hospital, 8" of my lower intestine lighter, I am on the path to a full recovery. I will make some alterations to my diet and my exercise regiment with more swimming and cardio instead of just strength training and working around the shop. It will be several weeks before I am cleared in lift over 10 lbs although due to the ice crisis and setting up Camp Thomas for what can possibly be another 48-72 hours of no power I have been lifting 5 gallon gas cans feeding the lifeline keeping our place warm and lit.

After six days of solid work by AEP and rural electrical companies I can report that fewer than 100,000 Tulsa homes are still without power. Over 6,000 workers came from several states to get the power restored and limbs cleared out just for the Tulsa area alone. Brad Henry, our governor will be asking President Bush for another federal disaster declaration for this latest massive hit to Oklahoma, if approved our state will have the honor of the most disaster declarations in a year for any state in US history. Unfortunately the electrical workers and tree trimmers will have to contend with a second wave of winter hitting now. We are having freezing rain and will have anywhere from 1-4" of snow by Sunday. I like many people am having cabin fever bad and despite my condition have been getting out as much as possible during the day. Although none will be conceived at my place, I know that a lot of babies are going to be born around September in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Bundle up and stay warm however you can readers.

Comments

[Incurable Insomniac]

Nettl's parents lost power in Jenks. Fortunately, we in Stillwater did not.

Take care of yourself!

[Thomas]

Well the power came back on saturday night so we where down for a solid week. Between layers of clothes, a generator with space heaters and a fire place for 8 hours a day without the generator we did fine. Coldest the house got was about 65 F.

One thing I realized, what a marvel we have the technology we have now and how it feels for a week to have so much of it stripped away. It gets you interacting with the community and family members more I think, things tend to get clarity. Things most certainly get worked out faster face to face.

~T