Ice Out Day 1 Observations and Activities

We lost power in the evening and the the next day:

I saw a man in skinny jeans trying to chip ice with a garden hoe. It didn’t go well.

I finished reading The Red Badge of Courage for the first time in 40 years and started reading a novel about US Grant. I was shocked how good the latter is. Crane was 24 years old when it came out and had never seen combat. He interviewed lots of Civil War veterans and helped bring their story of fear, courage and delusion to light.

My father and I wagered all day on things like whether the power would come on by this or that time or when this icicle would fall at this or that time. I made $15. (I lost it all and 20 more bucks the next day.)

I rigged up a radio with batteries and searched in vain for an AM or FM station broadcasting detailed news (not updates) about the ice storm and power outages. There wasn’t a single radio station in Portland with a single reporter doing any news reporting. There were, however, stations on the air with local announcers (not syndicated shows) who were discussing Jesus, the Blazers bench strength and how the Black Lives Matter movement no longer believes in the American Dream as enunciated by Martin Luther King in his 1963 speech. This last assertion was by the same (white) announcer who claimed Martin Luther King as a conservative (!) hero for his embrace of non violent protests to effect social change. I am not making this up. The fact is: the radio was utterly useless in the time of a public emergency and various stations would have seemed to have violated FCC regulations regarding their licensees and requirements to serve the public. I am no expert in this but it should be looked into by someone who is and write a story.

I fed squirrels.

I suffered through a morning without Perry Mason.

I shoveled ice and snow.

I drank a wee dram of scotch.

I made grilled cheese sandwiches.