Osoyoos

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Avoiding the Crowds

I went to Omak today to do a bit of shopping and to see a movie, but the main purpose of the trip was to have an oil change done on the car. Arranging for that in Penticton is as difficult today as it was two years ago; the places with the cheapest prices are always booked up weeks in advance.

Since today is the American Thanksgiving, I called ahead to make sure the Walmart would be open and that it would be possible have the oil change done. Yes and yes. So I headed off around 11 and pulled into Walmart at about noon. The folks at Tire & Lube got my information and then I was free to do some shopping.

The store was very quiet and the aisles were stacked with things marked “not for sale before Friday.” It’s going to be a zoo there tomorrow! I don’t care what sorts of deals can be had on Black Friday, the crowds aren’t worth it.

A dehumidifier was the only big ticket thing I was interested in, but they didn’t have any. So, I stocked up on some dry goods and assorted sundries, nothing really notable, and went to collect my car. It wasn’t done yet, so I had a chance to sit for a bit, amused that the only magazines in the waiting room were about handguns.

An oil change was just $30!!!!!!!!!!! I also got a full tank of gas today for $25. You can’t get an oil change done up here for under $60! And this wasn’t a basic oil change, either; they did all the checks and fluid top ups, and they sent me home with almost a full quart of oil!

It was two when I left Walmart and the movie started at four, so I hoped to enjoy a nice leisurely lunch. HA! The  ONLY restaurant in town that was open was Burger King! If I hadn’t had so much time to kill and it hadn’t been so cold I would have gotten lunch fixings at the Walmart grocery section and had a picnic in the car, but BK it was today. Yuck!

The movie I wanted to see was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I. I can’t believe we’re one movie away from the end. What a cinematic journey this series has been over the past ten years. The movie was worth the wait and the long drive home in the dark.

I made it back to the border in record time and breezed through at quarter past seven. I was ravenous by this time so I was grateful that Ella‘s was open. There I tucked into a ridiculously generous plate of chicken souvlaki for just $13.

Donna informed me tonight that Penticton’s selection of dehumidifiers is pathetic, so I’m going to try Sears catalogue, but I may end up having to go out again tomorrow.

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Propane Usage for Fall 2010

I ran out of propane this afternoon, pretty much on schedule. I used up my full tank in exactly 72 hours, which means I’ve been averaging 10lbs of propane per day, or $8.90. At this rate, propane would cost me $267 for a 30-day month. The forecast is worsening and we’re going to be below minus ten for the week. Until that magic number, I have no problem keeping a comfortable ambient temperature. Below that, my heating costs rise exponentially.

I’m seeing a lot of frustrated neighbours who have lost their water. I’m not suffering at all. I set up one of my flexible jugs on the counter, so it’s easy to heat a little water in the kettle for washing up. I’m especially grateful that the tap water here tastes good, so I can use that jug for drinking, too.

Last night, I added the sleeping bag to my bedding and slept well, even with the furnace cycling on and off. It tends to keep me up because I find myself waiting to see if it’ll turn off again. If it doesn’t, then it means I’m out of gas and need to go turn it off myself.

The RV park sells propane, but I haven’t checked the prices or availability. I like going to the Shell station at the north end of town. Prices are competitive, staff is always cheerful, and they are open late. Going there gives me a chance to get out for a bit.

On the way home this afternoon, I stopped at the McDonald’s for a coffee; they’re having their annual free coffee event. I won’t go there just to get a free coffee, but I stop in if I’m driving by. I love their coffee, it’s my second choice after Starbucks, so the free coffee event is a real treat.

I have a cold weather dressing tip for the gals: get a heavy, full, ankle-length skirt. This way, going out involves pulling on the skirt over your longjohns and/or flannel jammies for instant warmth and a touch of glamour that will have others exclaim “OMG, you’re wearing a skirt! Aren’t you frozen?!” to which you will smile coyly, knowing that you’re warmer in your skirt than they ever will be in their slacks. 😀

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Too Many Watts for my Amperage

Electrical management has been difficult the last few days. I have both heaters on medium, pulling about 750 watts or 6.25 amps each. That means that together they are using half my available amperage. I’ve discovered that if I add the furnace and one light, I’m okay, but if I add a second light, I blow a breaker. It took me a while to figure out what was going on, that is why do my heaters die but I still have lights? The answer is, of course, that the blown breaker cuts off 120 volt power to the outlets and the battery takes over my 12 volt appliances. Which further explains why the lights get dim; the furnace is drawing a lot of juice.

I’m pretty sure I have a 15 amp exterior plug available to me; I just haven’t found it yet. If that’s the case, I’ll snake a cord in through a window and hook the heaters up to it. It’s quite trying having to remember to shut off the heat to run the printer or the microwave!

Thankfully, I rarely run the lights when I’m home in the evening. I don’t need a light in the study for working at the computer, so I just leave the range light on in the kitchen so I don’t trip on anything. I only like it bright when I’m doing the washing up and preparing dinner. So, I’ll switch over to my L.E.D. puck lights for the time being.

In some ways, I find having to manage my power usage a pain, but in another way I’m grateful for it because it makes me aware of what I’m doing and how I’m spending my time.

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Going To Be a Long Week

The forecast for this week keeps changing and worsening, with the only stable thing being that we keep getting promised temps above freezing on Saturday. We’re going well below minus ten, which means that I no longer have indoor plumbing. I checked out the park facilities yesterday and was not impressed; for one thing they appear to include pay showers. Considering the amount of rent I pay here and that I’m paying for power and heating, paying for a shower too is out of the question! For now, I’ll just stick with the hauling water and heating it on the stove method of plumbing management.

When we get back up above freezing and everything is working, I have to decide what I’m willing to put up with this winter and for how long. If I knew for sure that I’m staying till the end of April, I’d get a heat tape for the water hose and materials to enclose and heat my holding tanks. But there is a chance I will be pulling out in January, which would make buying more warmth proofing materials pointless.

The upshot of this weather is that we finally have sun! And I have to admit to being rather partial a sunny, dry, just below freezing afternoon.

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Making Myself Comfortable

Brr. Day two of our cold siege. Since I am home 24/7 and needing to concentrate, it does not make sense for me to skimp on heat. I don’t heat like a maniac, having spent so many years in drafty, unheatable, places, but I do feel that wanting to be comfortable while wearing flannel pants, wool socks, and a wool sweater is not unreasonable. I’ll even add a tuque in the evenings without feeling put upon.

I headed out and had the 30lb propane tank filled, leaving me with a quarter of my on board tank as a back up. Propane costs have been creeping up over the course of the last two and a bit years. It’s now $27 to fill a 30lber in Osoyoos compared to $23 back in ’08 and $20 in ’09 in Surrey. It’s still better than $40 in Dawson!

Since I was out, I also got some groceries to tide me over since the roads are getting slick and people out here don’t know how to drive in winter. To be fair, they are better than Vancouverites, but that’s not saying much!

Having given up on finding on outside job this winter, I’ve been crunching numbers to see how much it would cost me to go south for a couple of months vs. hunkering down here and paying for heat. The current conditions are a pain, but do not justify fleeing. If we were to face a long stretch of minus ten or less in daytime temperatures, I’ll reconsider.