I got a generator at a garage sale - from a previous neighbor, so I know it's been well cared for. Paid $250, it was $500 new, one today would be $800, and the same model is going for $400 on Craig's List.
Certainly I wanted one for a LONG time as part of our preps. But we also have a home-based business, software development and tools and electronics consulting, which grinds to a halt whenever we lose power. We haven't been losing power as often now as we used to, but it will only take 3 billable hours to pay off the generator, 4 if I include gas storage containers and gas.
I'm sure we looked plenty odd, walking/wheeling it home.
It will power the fridge and the lab/office Fridge, like the stove, toaster oven, regular oven, and microwave oven, takes so much power when running that only one of those five items can run at any one time on the 'kitchen' outlets on the generator. I suppose the space heater in the lab can run with most of the electronics - but probably not when trying to print anything out.
So, that's the good news.
In bad news, the budget crunch in my state and county means that they are reducing staffing at the fire department - our local station is going to have pretty random times of being unstaffed, or MAYBE staffed only be volunteers. Clearly that means longer response times, and almost certainly homeowners insurance rates going up.
Other news - just that I'm planning on drying apples this week, and maybe hard squash.
Frondly, Fern
Oh! I also dug compost, coffee grounds, and egg shells into the garden bed I had the tomatoes in, and started putting in lettuce and spinach. During the week I hope to erect a cold frame over that bed. I put the cabbage in a different bed. Need to start more of everything for the winter garden, too. Busy, busy, busy.
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