o_0

That's the most impressive thing I've ever seen. It's been hot here, but not THAT hot.

At least the disco ball survived. Poor Pompomtom. Hang in there, buddy!

At least the disco ball survived so far. We're getting into Dali territory here.

Yikes!

...and about 5 minutes after I posted this, the power went out. That's the internet, the fridge(!!) and the A/C. grrrrrrr. Suppose it was our turn... I think the Eastern suburbs had cuts yesterday, which would've been worse, given we've slept the last two nights in the lounge with the A/C on all night.

(and for the concerned, the back yard does have a backup disco ball)

/whinge

so power is out now? Or did it come back? I lived in fear of "our turn" for power-out the summer before last, when it got up 46C and hovered around there for an extended period. We never did lose power, though, from which I concluded we were either on a really small grid, or someone super important lives in my neighborhood.

It's back now (*savours cold beer*), and I have finished fantasising about running an extension cord from the hospital across the road.

I was just about to plug the fridge into a spare car battery and inverter arrangement when it came back (though I don't know the inverter had survived sitting in the car for the last couple of days anyway... the little LED was flickering where it should be solid on).

NFI how long a car battery would power a fullsized fridge, but figured it was worth a crack...

...and as to fixing the roofy stuff, the SO has raised the point that it'll probably be quite pliable about noon tomorrow. Ugh.

Holy Crap.

Imagine, if you will, my front deck, with a round table and a few chairs. The chairs have 2 foot snow mounds sitting in them, looking pretty cute, and the table has a 2 foot snow hat. The trash bin that holds the kindling for the woodstove has a tall, conical snow hat. I don't want to get kindling, cause I can't bear to disturb it.

It was about 10F (-12C) this morning, and there was a lot of frost on the inside of the car windows. It's pretty, but it's been pretty darn cold for a while. Yet another weekend will be spent in front of the fire.

Sadly, I don't even have a primary disco ball, to say nothing of a spare. You clearly have your priorities. I hope your house doesn't melt completely.

Ordinarily I am not a fan at all of snow, but just now, that sounds quite pleasant.

Going to hit the beach today, if it's not too hot to drive down...

WOW, poor melty corrugated plastic stuff :(

On Thursday, RoRo and her friend Lal visited a friend in Malvern who has a pool. The tram tracks on the bend at the corner of Bourke & Malvern Roads BUCKLED in the heat. The trams were forced to stop on either side of the buckling - and the passengers had to disembark just after the train line, and walk up the hill and around the corner to catch another tram on the other side. Tram tracks buckling! That's just wrong. Also,tThe trains have been making a really weird noise as they travel along towards Toorak station ...a high pitched buzzy WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE that's audible for a minute or so as the trains approach from the city. It's very disconcerting.

The beach? EWWW. No shade, wind, lots of sand, lots of red people who need to wear more clothes cultivating their future cancers...YUK.

I was reading today's paper earlier - yesterday there were 750 trains cancelled, random power outages trapping people in lifts and causing traffic chaos with traffic lights going out, ...

I HATES THIS WEATHER, I HATES IT! It's cooled down somewhat today, but still too warm for my liking. Apparently, next weeks brings the humidity. YAY.

*cries*

The worst thing is when it lingers like this... most people can buckle down to a day or two of absurd heat, but when it drags on and on... dreadful! I'm glad it's a bit better today. You guys need a break.

It's been rainyrainyville here. Every day, the rain. It is getting a bit much, though I can't bring myself to hate it since we go months and months with nary a drop.

Oh, we miss the rain here very much!

We're suffering a long running drought and incompentent government. Reservoirs are very low, we're on severe water restrictions and we're waiting on the "solution" - a desalination plant which is suffering from budget blow outs and more incompetance...

I think at least 15 houses have been lost to bushfires in Gippsland. Hopefully no loss of life (aside from unfortunate wildlife).

The Water company bigwigs are on the radio chastising us all for using too much water - we've got an arbitrary limit of 155 litres per day per person. I think the average use has been over 200 litres during these really hot days. This weather makes me cranky enough, without these beaurocrats telling the population to quit it with the evaporative aircon and too many showers or whatever else we are allegedly "squandering" the water on. FIX OUR INFRASTRUCTURE YOU BASTARDS, THIS DROUGHT DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN YESTERDAY.

*waves arms in air, flounces around room*

I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of rugged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains...

This drought's been on and off since Dorothea McKellar was a wee tacker, goshling - they're working on the new technologies (for wate recycling and other infrastructure) but you live in a harsh environment. Australians are learning to better deal, but it takes time and community awareness for these things to become accepted and entrenched.

I was going to say, pompomtom, that living near the hospitals in Brisbane was always a good idea because the power never, ever went out - but that's obviously not the case where you are! Baby pools and super soakers saved my sanity when I didn't have AC, but holy shit my house never melted, either! That's pretty hardcore. I have to say I really, really don't miss not being able to sleep, even naked, on top of the covers with the fan on - but a night on a back deck with a cool breeze and cold tallies would be sheer heaven right now (she says as she shuts the window because it's 2C and windy).