As previously mentioned a few times, I live in Ann Arbor, and so was right in the worst band of Wednesday’s epic ice storm. Which wasn’t a storm so much as ten hours of steady, freezing rain that coated everything in a quarter inch (minimum) of ice. It was extremely pretty, and it absolutely catastrophic to the power infrastructure. Trees broke under the weight, often taking power lines, roofs, and cars with them. Power lines themselves gave out, even with the insulation they get this far north. It looked like a lightning storm, as things variously melted and exploded. Over 500,000 people lost power Wednesday night, and 460,000 are still without. Including me.

Fortunately, I’ve been on this ride before, in the ice storm of 97 (pretty sure it was 97). We were down for three days, that time, and made it through by virtue of burning every candle we owned. So I stocked up, when I moved back to Michigan. I have also learned that, as a bus rider, I’d better always have a power bank and assorted cords on my person in case of delays or having to call a Lyft at the end of the day, so I also have three 10,000 mAh banks, and incidentally a K-TOR pedal generator tucked away in the closet.

Pursuant to this, I report the following:

12 pillar candles and 16 tea-lights will keep 950 square feet between 60 and 70 degrees, even when the temps hit 18 last night. (And also light the space decently; recommend 4 tea-lights per bathroom.)

Bolsius emergency candles are worth the money; we’re on hour 34 of candles rated for 43 hours, and I judge there’s still 12 hours in them. (I ordered another set of those asap.)

A decently insulated hot water heater will keep water heated for 10-20 hours, averaging “quite tepid” at 15 hours in a 65-degree apartment (so take those showers early).

Often, gas is still flowing, since those switches are usually manual, so a gas stovetop may be light-able by hand. (It’s soup and fry-up time, here.)

A tablet being used constantly for work/music/email/frustrated blogging lasts about 12 hours on a single full charge.

A 10,000 mAh power bank will charge a phone once to full, and a tablet once to 75%.

It takes about three hours, total, of pedaling on the K-TOR to re-charge a 10,000 mAh power bank. (Ow, my knees.)

It takes about four hours plugged in to a car that’s idling. (Yay for having a full gas tank.)

And everything feels much less dreadful when the sun comes out, plus it helps warm things up. Still not looking forward to cleaning out my fridge, but if it really does take three days again, this time, I should make it.

For all the users of Braunfel Labs Sulfur Butter cream 'n ointment, who are, like myself, devastated that they seem to be discontinuing the product and that no other like it exists, be comforted! It's dead easy to make yourself; takes about an hour, all told. Welcome to the product of my experimentation.

Ingredients
2oz shea butter (or 4oz for old recipe)
2oz vegetable glycerine (or none, for old recipe)
1 Tbs jojoba oil
1 Tbs hemp oil
1 Tbs avocado oil
.4oz sulfur powder (soil grade)

Materials
kitchen scale
small sauce pan
small metal or pyrex bowl
hot pad
whisk or egg beater
spatula
a spoon or two
4oz dark glass jar

Directions

Measure out your shea butter by weight.

Fill the sauce pan a quarter full with water and place the pyrex or metal bowl on top of it so you have a 'double boiler' arrangement.

Put the shea butter in the bowl and set the whole thing on the stove. Heat on medium until water simmers and the shea butter melts.

Measure out your glycerine by weight and add it (or, if you want to make the old-style recipe, don't and just use 4oz shea butter). Add the oils and stir a couple times.

Remove bowl from saucepan, place on hot pad. Weigh out and add the sulfur powder, and whisk or beat in until fully dissolved. This will take several minutes. Note: if you really want the full effect of the original product, do not use MSM. Use soil-grade, yellow sulfur powder. Yes it's more caustic, that's why the ultra moisturizing ingredients and also why you don't leave it on more than 24 hours. Bonus: soil grade powder is way easier to dissolve.

Place bowl in the fridge or freezer and chill until it starts to solidify (about 20 minutes in the fridge). Remove and whisk or beat until it fully solidifies and turns opaque. This will take several minutes. If it just isn't solidifying into a thick cream, chill it for a little longer and try again.

Spoon into the glass jar, scraping bowl with spatula to make sure you get it all, because hemp oil is not cheap.

Behold, you now have your very own Sulfur Butter cream and ointment. Enjoy!

When cleaning up, be sure you run the hot water for a little bit to make sure everything gets rinsed down without clogging your sink, and don't forget to wash the underside of your egg beater. It will have gotten a bit moisturized.