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Got back home last night at about 12:30 am. Quite an ordeal. None of our flights were canceled, but some in the wedding party DID have their flights canceled, which really caused some problems. The customs and passport stuff went great compared to trip going. We had a really good time at the resort. Now back to reality. The streets here are still treacherous. We are obviously not equipped for such extended cold.

Glad y'all made it home, Jaime.

It's still a mess here. I still can't even get out of my driveway. The ice is still packed, then we got freezing fog on top of it last night. The interstates are in much better condition, but those are miles away.
However, more people dying from sledding and frozen ponds around here than driving accidents. Two teen girls died from a sledding accident. One teen boy in ICU from a sledding accident. Three little boys drowned in a frozen pond and also an elderly man. Sledding on ice is sooo dangerous - much different than snow.

Right now it is 9 f and a minus 4 wind chill factor.

Quote from: mommydi on Wed Jan 28, 2026 - 10:02:29Glad y'all made it home, Jaime.

It's still a mess here. I still can't even get out of my driveway. The ice is still packed, then we got freezing fog on top of it last night. The interstates are in much better condition, but those are miles away.
However, more people dying from sledding and frozen ponds around here than driving accidents. Two teen girls died from a sledding accident. One teen boy in ICU from a sledding accident. Three little boys drowned in a frozen pond and also an elderly man. Sledding on ice is sooo dangerous - much different than snow.

Thanks, we are glad to be back. Connecting flight from Cancun went through Phoenix so flight problems  were not bad at all. Several in our group had connecting flights through DFW that were canceled!

Hated to hear about the drowning tragedy with the three little kids.

-9 at 7AM.

I heard a loud noise that sounded like someone was in the garage or hit the garage door.

In reality the longer I sat here it felt like a cold draft.

So I checked and the heat pump in the greatroom had stopped.. the remote control was reading as if it had been turned off, so the sound must have been from the heat pump outside and shut it down???

It is running now but I have another week or two of this....

Praying for your heat pump to continue working and the weather to get warmer there.

I always thought a heat pump wouldn't work too well in that low a temp. I assume there is auxilliary heat involved in the system, maybe electric heat coils. Do you have a fireplace in the house?

Heat pumps have a hard time heating when the outside temperature is too low.  In trying heat the house, it actually is cooling the outside.  At some point that is no longer possible with the fluid properties of the heat pump. 

I have never liked the concept of a heat pump because the compressor runs whether it's hot or cold outside. We have always had gas heat for the cold weather.

Quote from: Jaime on Sat Jan 31, 2026 - 07:04:49I have never liked the concept of a heat pump because the compressor runs whether it hot or cold outside. We have always had gas heat for the cold weather.

Gas is not available everywhere -- Particularly in neighborhoods built in the last few years under the pressure of the push for "zero carbon footprint".

I don't want a heat pump.  I like my 80% efficient natural gas furnace.  Easier to self maintain.  Also helps dry out the air. 

Quote from: Jaime on Sat Jan 31, 2026 - 06:39:51Praying for your heat pump to continue working and the weather to get warmer there.

I always thought a heat pump wouldn't work too well in that low a temp. I assume there is auxilliary heat involved in the system, maybe electric heat coils. Do you have a fireplace in the house?

The room is right next to the kitchen and the kitchen has the natural gas furnace vent that just does not make it to heat the great room.

In addition to the heat pump ( that both heats and cools) there is radiant heat in the floor under the ceramic tile.  There is a natural gas fireplace 45,000BTU that if the doors are open to the dining room it will heat living, dining, great and kitchen.So yes, there are alternatives if I dont have  the heat pump, but thank God it is doing alright today... The room was put on cement with just an airway under
not even a crawl space so duct work was not easy... though they had considered adding a 2nd furnace for that room that is 18' X 24'....

Quote from: Texas Conservative on Sat Jan 31, 2026 - 11:54:28I don't want a heat pump.  I like my 80% efficient natural gas furnace.  Easier to self maintain.  Also helps dry out the air. 

I'm with you, electricity is too expensive here to run heat pumps in the cold of winter. I have a Rheem 85% efficiency furnace, and it's quite easy to repair/maintain. 

It's 89 degrees right now in Lubbock Texas at 4:15 pm. Clear skies and 8 mph southwesterly breeze. Kinda feel guilty.

This morning there is scattered ice on the roads... central PA has 2 hour school delays because of it.

We will be above freezing after 8 AM, with light rain and heavy rain mid afternoon

Warming later in the week to somewhere in the 60s and 70s and 20 degrees colder at night.

Of course to be expected is will be rainy on and off all day Thursday and that is when they move my furniture out of here and to my new apartment?
 
Does anyone know if movers have plastic to cover things? Perhaps I should get a sleeping bag just in case my matress gets soaked? YUCK.

Storms are brewing in north Texas.

Spring is officially over in Lubbock, it's 99 for a high, sunny and calm wind. Kinda like an early August.

The sky was orangey/yellow and dark on Wednesday, despite the weather network reporting clear and sunny. Two days later, it appears more overcast but the air quality from the wildfires is very bad. Temps are also back down to modest 80's after peaking near 100 earlier in the week. 

Past 2 days I have had walking issues outside. Legs heavy and stiff....Not breathing problems but walking from the smoke coming down our way from up your way. Once inside back into AC seems to be fine.

Today our alert has been elevated to hazardous.

As far as I know, the Canadian smoke isn't making it to Texas, but since we have 80% humidity and hot-as-you-know-what temps, I'm not staying outdoors long enough to notice.
Hope everyone stays safe and protects their lungs through this smoke storm.

Quote from: mommydi on Sat Jul 18, 2026 - 08:13:10As far as I know, the Canadian smoke isn't making it to Texas, but since we have 80% humidity and hot-as-you-know-what temps, I'm not staying outdoors long enough to notice.
Hope everyone stays safe and protects their lungs through this smoke storm.

We have been given a break for a day or two. We have a severe thunderstorm watch right now and that seems to have reduced the smoke and haze, our temps have been super hot until today and even with that todays humidity is 76% Couple the smoke with the 90mdegrees and very high humidity this week again and it is incredibly stiffling.

Local municipal pools are closed, but they did not cancel or delay an annual event in town... They are just saying to wear masks and if you dont have one you can get an n95 one free for asking.  All of this to save the annual changing of the name Pittsburgh to Picklesburgh for 3 days every year to have their pickle celebration where everyone can indulge in delicacies of Pickle ice cream, Pickle cookie and even Pickle beer.

No... I have never gone.

Rella, if I were up there, I'd take you to that Pickle festival. I've never heard of that one.
It's supposed to get to 108 this week down here in the good old state of Texas. I can go ahead and kiss my patio plants goodbye. It's time to stop fighting it and give in - just use desert type plants and pea gravel for mulch.

Quote from: mommydi on Mon Jul 20, 2026 - 11:19:47Rella, if I were up there, I'd take you to that Pickle festival. I've never heard of that one.
It's supposed to get to 108 this week down here in the good old state of Texas. I can go ahead and kiss my patio plants goodbye. It's time to stop fighting it and give in - just use desert type plants and pea gravel for mulch.

Yep, that is way too hot for me. We have been in the 90s with the feel as temp in the hundreds. This week we caught a break but we still have that smoke....

Interesting thing is my car has a fine layer of oddly rough stuff on it.... and I just had thought wet from rain then dust... but this AM I noticed my white soap dish in the bathroom looks like it has not been cleaned or dusted in a very long time and it has that same rough feeling coating on it also.

People furnace filters need changed but being I am in this complex I cannot get to mine to see.

Now our AM temp this morning was 56f going to the high 80s... but that is from the storms over the weekend and the one coming tomorrow.

Quote from: Rella on Mon Jul 20, 2026 - 11:50:25People furnace filters need changed but being I am in this complex I cannot get to mine to see.

Is there someone in maintenance you can call to see about the filter, or is that up to each resident?

Quote from: mommydi on Mon Jul 20, 2026 - 12:09:39Is there someone in maintenance you can call to see about the filter, or is that up to each resident?

Yes there is maintenance and they change the filters twice a year. I cannot even get to my furnace because the door it is behind is locked.

What I will do will be to wait until I see them and then ask. My guess is they wont do anything until we are sure the smoke business is over and so far no one has said it is

My oldest grandson works outdoors in various places around the US. I sent him a message this morning saying it's supposed to get to 107 here in Texas this week, and I saw that where he's working (in North Dakota) that it will be much cooler up there. He told me it smells like "cat pee" outside.
I just looked it up, and the cat urine smell is from the smoke's VOCs breaking down as they reach ground level. Interesting.