Oh great. We are now included in the winter storm watch for an ice storm!

[Siwsan]

20. It was a freaky thing

We had the generator outside on the screened in porch, right in the open doorway, figuring that would be good. There was a big problem with people stealing generators, during that outage, so they figured it would be close, but safe. And it was for a while. Then the wind picked up, shifted and blew all of the fumes directly back through an apparently poorly insulated area, into the house. I spent most of the time pretty much supine, beneath feather comforters, trying to keep warm but every time I stood up, I got light headed. I figured it was gas fumes from the generator. I'd been without sufficient sleep and hadn't really eaten for several days, at this point, and wasn't thinking clearly.

My brother came over to spell me, on Christmas Day, so I could go elsewhere and get a shower (hadn't changed my clothes in 4 days). When I came back, all of the windows were open and the generator was dragged even further out to a patio. He headed out to get a carbon monoxide detector. The fumes had built up to right about eye level, for me. Had I been sitting up, more, or had he not figured out what was going on,when he did, I'd likely be dead.

It was a very old generator, which might have been part of the problem. I have a new one installed in an exterior extension, at the opposite end of the house from where I'd spend any outages. And I have a Carbon Monoxide detector plugged in, at all times.