WHAT A WEEK!

[RobynG]

It really has been a bad week. It started with a freak storm which caused the friendly little stream at the bottom of our garden to flood. It was a raging torrent within minutes and within the hour it had undercut the gabions with such force that they ripped out of the bank making way for a wall of water to slam into our neighbours double story house. She was beside herself and called the fire brigade who assured her that as long as the storm subsided all would be well. Fortunately the storm did subside soon afterwards! We were very lucky. Not even a broken branch! Two houses at the top of our culdesac didn't fair so well as the river burst its banks and flowed straight through their properties causing quite a lot of consternation....but still nothing too drastic. Today the stream is gurgling prettily as if butter wouldn't melt in its mouth.

The next thing on the agenda are the daily power outages we are experiencing here in South Africa (and will continue to experience until 2014). Not only the inconvenience of being without electricity for several hours every day ( usually over meal times and peak TV viewing times), but we also have power surges that blow up appliances with regular monotony. This week my computer got it! Insurance won't pay because it's very difficult to prove that the power surges caused it. I was without my computer for a week which was very painful since I couldn't visit CCS. In the bigger scheme of things it really wasn't such a hardship but knowing that this is to become par for the course is a bit hard to stomache. So far we have been lucky. Friends of ours have had 8 hour electricity cuts every day for weeks on end and have lost TV's, a washing machine and computers during the power surges.

Ok, got that off my chest! My computer is back and life is looking a lot more cheerful.

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Oh what a watery mess ... I'm glad to hear your home was not damaged, but feel badly for your neighbors. I suppose that's a chance you have to take, living near water. I don't think I could deal very well with the power surges, though.

About five years ago I got my current computer, and after having it for a year, someone slid around the corner on ice (driving too fast and drinking as well, late at night) ...she hit the power pole in front of our house and it broke the ground wire to our house. The power company didn't notice that or repair it when they were out there, and when the electricity came back on, we lost several appliances. I panicked when I heard a strange noise in my computer room and it was the speakers crackling and there was smoke coming from my computer! Thankfully it was only the power supply and was repaired. The surge protector did not help with that, because at the time it happened, the electricity wasn't grounded due to no ground wire.
The insurance company of the driver who hit the pole wound up paying to replace our VCR, TV, garage door opener, my printer, my scanner, my cordless mouse, and repairing the computer. I'm just glad we were home and there was no fire ...

[Jules]

Hello Robyn. my name is Jules and I share your addiction to the internet. Specifically CCS and other art forums. :-)

I am sorry to hear of all your power outages and surges. I could not imagine the inconvience. Electricity is something so few understand and so many rely on!!
It must be a releif to have not been flooded out with that storm..
I have been dealing with a flood of a different nature- water seeping up from the floor- under tiles and rugs. UUgh. I think that is finally fixed.

So the weather is strange this year in South Africa too? My winter has been like no other. Monday starts out in negative numbers and snowing like crazy only to become 45 with rain and snow melt.followed by more freeze and snow. I am begining to think Mother Nature is menopausal -and having hot flashes the same way that I am.

Between you and me, I am glad you are addicted to the internet- otherwise we would never have met.
Hope this week is wonderful for you Robyn. :-)