Here in Maine and there have been a couple of big storms this year that have just crushed us. One dumped 26 inches and was the biggest snowfall on record in Maine since 1978.

The worst part isn’t the storms themselves. It's the people (including me) that all descend in droves to the Wal-Marts and grocery stores during the days leading up to the storm. So, it tends to get a little wild and crazy out and about before the storm.

We all get a little crazy during the pre-storm push to get  organized and have things ready “just in case”. 

Just in case the power goes out. 

Just in case we get snowed in.

Prior to the storm it had been unusually warm on again, off again. I was loving the weather. 

So  i thought we were all set because we still had extra food and items we needed “in case”.

We've got a heat pump inverter that usually takes care of the heat in the house as well as hot water so that the oil just runs the heat only when and if needed- which saves on oil. Great stuff. 

Well, due to the warm weather, oil was the furthest thing from my mind.

I got up the day of the storm, and, lo and behold!- not a drop of hot water to be had!

I thought the heat pump inverter/water heating system was on the fritz. 

Nope. It was in perfect condition.

But the system was set so that the oil still was heating our water-not the other part of the system!!

Remember that warm weather I mentioned? Well, when it was cold, apparently the house was being heated via the furnace/oil because it wasn’t cold enough to kick the heat pump inverter system into use. If I had been PAYING ATTENTION, i would have seen this…

I looked and yours truly (dumbass!) had not checked the oil tank level. 

So since the oil was being used to heat water I had no oil to heat the house and no hot water. 

By this point it was the weekend, and after 5 pm...

So getting any oil delivered around here in Maine pre storm was not happening.

I did not take the easy way out. I could have just went to the gym or wherever and showered and rode out the storm. 

But I learned never to take chances like that. 

I went to the gas station that sold heating oil, got two 5 gallon jugs and filled the tank with them then bled the furnace line. 

It was cold, messy, and inconvenient, I ruined a jacket and made a pair of my shoes smell even more interesting than usual. I am not exactly a sharp shooter with a 5 gallon jug of heating oil and the pour spout, but i did it. 

I did it so I wouldn’t have to be at the mercy of the storm or be caught flat footed if it lasted longer than predicted

The storm turned out to be a little rough but doable as far as we kept power and did not get snowed in too bad. But i had no way of knowing in advance that this would be the case.

Moral of the story is this… In life- both offline and online-No matter what comes your way and puts a snag in your plans- especially your plans for safety, warmth, and living well- just find a way to persevere and go over it, around it, or through it. Do what needs to be done to continue to move forward.