We Got It Backwards

does this look right???

Ok, let’s give you a better pic of the situation:  The picture is of one of the warmer days in January.  Notice the lack on sun.  The last time the sun came out, it was in the single digits.  Even in Pittsburgh we get the weather backwards!

Pittsburgh winter weather summary: SUN = COLD, CLOUDY = WARM

Actually we’re pretty sure this weather situation is actually controlled by those old weather guys that were traded in for the newer, sharp-looking, fancy weather people.  We investigating at this point, but we feel we’ll prove that those old weather guys are ticked and disgruntled about not getting enough TV time and they’re taking out on the residents of this city by employing some of the technologies that the military discovered in WWII from weather control experiments.

Yep, they told us all those tests were a farce, and didn’t work.  SWB’s theory is that the weather forecasters of yesteryear bought that weather control technology from the military to use for their own gain in job security – and just to mess with people.  Since Pittsburgh basically started broadcast TV, we’re just the testing zone.

…. and then again it could be the pharmaceutical companies using the weather to trigger a city-wide depression to up their drug sales getting the stock holders higher dividends.

If you have a good conspiracy theory as to why the weather generally sucks in this city, print this blog entry out and write it on the bottom of the page:

-SWB

 

I miss the snow

I Miss The Snow

I miss the snow, with it’s golden white glow.

I miss the snow, giving the back pains that make me realize that I am alive.

I miss the snow, the sounds of wheezing old men that have replaced the song of the birds that have flown.

I miss the snow, the creeks of the old house as it folds into itself below.

I miss the snow, the sleds racing down and the kid’s faces just before they hit the trees and scream, “OH NO!!!”

I miss the snow, the pristine softness of the white blanket fallen from the sky as I admire it after falling on the ice down low.

I miss the snow, the men all in white with the carrot snouts and black charcoal eyes …

Oh wait … crap … those are actually the guys from the insane asylum.  They must have read my post and found out I escaped again ….

gotta run ….. and run ….. and run …..

-SWB

PS – Enjoy the snowball fights until Sunday.

The “Pittsburgh Winter” is officially back

If you think we are a little late on this post … read on.

A “Pittsburgh Winter” is only official once the car damage starts.  I’m not talking about the damage from mindless idiots trying to drive 65 during one of the worst storms we’ve had in years … I’m talking about the other damage.

Think about it … come on, you can figure it out ….

That’s right … the potholes.

So far we’ve had to spend $270 on front tires for our 2008 Fit due to rapid fire hits from potholes.  Even if the belt in the tire was going bad, the potholes helped it bite the dust.  The 12 year old I own Civic just got the windshield taken out from a loose asphalt cannon ball hitting it.  That’s another $210.

Yup we now have an official, down home “Pittsburgh Winter”.  Yay!!!

The thing that makes it even worse than the ones I used to remember when I was young is that the 2010 storm was bad enough you can’t even chew out the road crews.  If you handed every Burgher a 5 gallon pail of cold fill asphalt, they’d never be able to keep up.  That just creates more stress when you can’t blame another human.

-SWB

PS – I guess I shouldn’t complain since I survived an ice hit from the bridges … but I’m a Pittsburgh, so I’m required to complain.  What about these out of town folks moving here?, can’t we force them to earn their Pittsburgh citizenship status by filling potholes during lunch???

It’s Back … The Orb

Beware, but try not to be too scared. The Orb is back.

Click Here to read one of our past posts on it.

Well, I guess it’s time to figure out if the world is ending before 2012 … or at least watch out for the falling icicle daggers coming off the building you are walking next too.

Since it’s getting so hot out because of The Orb, we’re probably going to head off the Sarris for ice cream (if that part of the store is open), then to the Science Center to investigate The Orb a bit more.  We’re a little scared and a little worried – not because we haven’t seen The Orb in a while, but simply because the weather guy was worried too.  Then again, maybe he was just starting into a heart attack from the last bit of snow shoveling he did.

Enjoy the days, it looks to be back to freezing drizzle for a bit tomorrow …

-SWB

PS – Remember don’t shoot the messenger, shoot the weatherman (or weather person if you need to be PC)

Them Leaking Homes

We haven’t done an “In The News” highlight lately.

Not because there hasn’t been any notable news, but more simply because we’ve been lazy about it.

SWB did spot an excellent article in the PG about the current winter condition of ice damming.  Not on the river, but in your gutters and on your roof.

Click Here to read it. The article gives the excellent advice of “do nothing”.  That’s right do nothing.

Having previously owned a home that was built on 1905 and now being in a home that was built quickly for returning veterans of  WWII (that’s around 1945/46 if you don’t know your history) I’ve learned a few things, and I’ve heard everything, including the following:

• Shovel the snow off and get the ice out of your gutters by going up on your roof (after you wake up in the hospital in a body cast from trying that one, your roof will most likely still be covered). If you have a lower roof -they do make roof rakes.
• Use hot water to melt that ice and snow (remember, hot water freezes faster than cold water and gets into cracks further, so if you already have leaks down the walls, boards and gutters pulling way from your house, etc prepare for that to get worse after the hot water freezes back up. Also remember, if there is a sign that you did that, there is a very good chance your insurance company will no longer cover the incident).
• Get roof warming and gutter warming tape / units / systems professionally installed.  Yep they make those, although can expensive to run.  Click Here for an example.  Although DYI is a requirement for homeowners, the commonsense of when to say “professional install” is also necessary for properly maintaining your home (and sometimes not burning it down).  In other words … realize when you don’t have the required skills to get something accomplished.

Enjoy the article.

-SWB

I Got My Double-D’s!!!

First … Get your mind out of the gutter! (or whatever rat infested ditch you just put it in)

Second … I got my Dunkin’ Donuts!!!

I am now experiencing lots of warm fuzzies 🙂

The worst part of the Pittsburgh Winter Storm of 2010 is now over.

A continued crisis has been averted.

No Dunkin’s = Lot’s of stress and is considered a “drop everything you are doing and find a fix” issue at SWB.

-SWB

PS – My beautiful, forgiving, and quite tolerant wife will be greatly pleased with this announcement.

BTW, Dunkin’ needs to deliver at least during snow storms.

Gotta love family and snow days

<— this should be a familiar sight for everyone by this time – even for the people down south ({{snicker}} … us northerners aren’t the only ones that got shafted this time … HA!!)

Anyways … the real reason for my post today is to present my theory on why we have snow days, leaving us to  babysit the younginz in our family until they have school again.

Here are the ‘normal’ legitimate reasons:

• There is now power at the school.
• The snow is so high and temperature so low it isn’t safe for the kids to wait for the bus (even though I had to walk to school is worse crap … which highlight my theory that the schools are producing wimps these days).
• The teachers can’t make it to the school.
• We can’t find the buses in the parking lot.
• There is no heat in the school.

The REAL reasons:

• Us, the teachers, really hate your bratty kids … you need to spend a few days with your little spawns of Satan to get a reality check. Enjoy your time freezing with them in your electricity free house while enjoying their endless whining.  We’ll be here staying in the school with generator power.
• The electric company hates you … the electricity isn’t off due to downed wires – teachers paid them enough bribes to turn it off. The perfect combination of insanity instilled in your teachers after spending years with your children and the natural hatred of electric companies towards their customers allows this to happen … the bribes weren’t even necessary, but heck, it buys a few more gifts for the kids at Christmas next year.
• God has a sense of humor … we’re just not getting it yet. The idea of being cooped up with all or a portion of your own family for days at end with no where to go is just behind the comprehension of most folks and usually considered an inhumane form of torture.

For those keeping up, click here for an update on the storm part 2 from KDKA.

-SWB

PS – feel free to comment on your own reasons and theories for snow days.

Pittsburgh Roads Bad update (storm of 2010)

Quickie Update Here (a few points about the current situation in the city, etc):

* 5th Avenue, Forbes, etc apparently are still ice covered and traffic is bad (as reported by my wife).  If you don’t have to travel or are not considered essential personnel, please do not drive into the city – you’ll just make things worse.

* The emergency personnel (fire, etc) have been called into active duty – so if there are any seniors out there that you know of that cannot get prescriptions, etc … call the city, some of those personnel have been pulled into duty to help with issues like that.

* You will start seeing National Guard around soon in the city.  They have the capability to move about in 5 feet of snow, allowing them to move around EMT’s, etc where other vehicles can’t.

*If you are a contractor that has snow removal equipment, tree removal equipment, front loaders, etc. call the city ASAP at 412-473-2550.

* We’re looking at 8″ to 10″ additional … so help where you can (in other words, get out of the way of the emergency road workers).

* Supplies are getting low in stores and gas stations … so please be courteous and leave some for other persons / families.  Don’t hog supplies.

—- Minor Stuff —-

* Power issues: Allegheny Power … about 62,000 still out, Duquesne Light … Duquesne Light about 3,800. Please comment back a correction if I am wrong.

* 311 line is being upgraded tomorrow to allow for 8 more lines to handle the call load for the current cleanup and the next storm coming in.

—-Links—-

Updates from KDKA (Ravenstahl’s news conference info)

Updates from the City here (as of this writing it is set to the emergency page)

The Pittsburgh Channel for video updates

Tribune Review article/update on storm

Post-Gazette update on upcoming storm

-SWB

PS – If you unnecessarily drive into Pittsburgh during this crisis, with the city under emergency status, this is one time you can consider yourself a complete idiot for making things worse.

Pittsburgh Roads still bad (storm of 2010)

Quickie post here:

The roads around Pittsburgh are still REALLY bad, I know this because it took my wife from 7am to 11am to get from the Sewickley area to CMU in Oakland.  This drive normally takes 40 minutes max, but since Forbes was a complete sheet of ice it took 4 hours. Getting to the city was fine, but once you are off the exits trying to get in to the city, it is bad and most likely grid locked in some areas.

Here is the issue: There is some much snow, they just have no where to go with it, so at some level plowing is useless.

Click Here for a link to WPXI and some good updates on conditions, services back available, etc.

-SWB

Streets Not Salted In Pittsburgh

Quoted from a Pittsburgh Post Gazette article(Please read the whole article):

“I drove around this morning,” said City Councilman Bruce Kraus. “The main roads, like 18th Street, Carson Street and Sidney Street, were not too bad. The secondary streets looked like they had not been touched. . . . We’ve got problems.”

SWB’s Answer:

I’ve hung out in the SouthSide for quite a few years and lived there right off of Carson for three years ….. Bruce … got news for ya … this is the way it’s ALWAYS been.  I’m just figuring you got a new pair of specs and can see the ice now.