ACH NEIN! DAS SCHMUTZIGE WASSER!!!!!

Alright, once again, i apologize for not posting. Not being at work gave me less time to sit around and think about stuff to write about. However, I think today I've got some good stories.

First of all, I've been packing to head back to school. By packing, its more like I decide what to bring and what I don't need to bring and my mom magically fits it all into boxes. She's like the Michael Phelps of packing minus the pot. Regardless of her packing abilities, I still have like 7 boxes to bring, most of which is filled with cooking stuff. My Dad says that him and my mom didn't have that much crap in their first apartment, he's probably right. Every time I look at it all I'm like, "I need help."
I've also received like 12 e-mails already from school which is a little annoying. However, one was the list of first week activities going on and I learned that Bo Burnham is the comedian this year!!!! I was super excited until I realized I have about 2 friends left on campus. Hopefully I will find some more friends and someone to go with. All the other events also made me a little sad thinking of how many people have either dropped out, transferred, graduated or moved off campus. Then again, I won't be on campus next semester either . . .


Now for the highlight of today's Blog . . . dun dun dunnnn

THE GLOUCESTER WATER CRISIS OF 2009!

As some of you surely know, Gloucester has been under a boil order for about 12 days now. It's a long story but levels of coliform bacteria are much too high for the state's approval. For those of you who do not know: coliform bacteria are harmless bacteria that naturally show up in water. However, too much of it can be an indicator that e-coli could also be in the water. Therefore, when coliform bacteria levels are high, precautionary boiling needs to be mandated in case e-coli does show up and people get POed that they weren't warned. However, even after intense chlorination the levels of coliform bacteria are not going down. In fact, they have gone up recently. People in Gloucester are super POed because they are terrified to go near the water. There were problems with the way the city handled this issue but I won't go there for now. This blog is about how the wonderful people of Gloucester are responding.

I get these awesome Gloucester opinions from my daily perusal of the Gloucester Daily Times online.
A popular opinion seems to be that people are under the impression that stomach problems did not exist before the water problems. People are posting about how they got sick from the water . . . to which I typically can't stop myself from replying and reminding them that the water can't get them sick right now and that other things in the world can create stomach problems. My favorite variation of this is the claim that they had heartburn once the boil order began. For any of you who may have ever experienced e-coli, you can probably vouch that heart burn is wonderful in comparison. I promptly reminded these folks that it could also have been their dinner that caused their heartburn. I tried not to get involved in posting, but I just can't help it.

Perhaps my favorite and least favorite is a person who comments on every article having to do with the water problem and always mentions how the water made their dog sick and they had to put it down. Sounds like a victim . . . until you find out this dog was 13 years old with cancer OH and then you remember that dogs have way better immune systems when it comes to these types of bacteria. Of course the cancer that was killing this poor dog probably destroyed its immune system . . . still it's EXTREMELY unlikely that the water had anything to do with the death of this poor dog. I try and keep my mouth shut with this person because loosing your dog suck and I'm not a very sensitive person when it comes to these types of people. I didn't want to offend them and make them even more upset, but really. I lost it today and responded something along the lines of "I'm sorry about your dog, but the water didn't kill your dog. Dogs naturally have better systems to deal with these bacteria and they are meant to eat raw foods that can expose them to these bacteria anyway." Some one agreed with me and mentioned that their dog eats poop. That person is rawrsome.

Most people rant about how terrible the mayor is for this whole thing. They have a point, it wasn't really handled correctly but they make it seem like no one is trying to fix the problem. The water is currently chlorinated more than a pool and still the bacteria count is growing. They shut down the Babson reservoir to clean the entire thing. You can't say they aren't trying.
We still wash our dishes in it and no one here has gotten sick. Sassy drinks out of the sink and she hasn't gotten sick. I understand the importance of the boil order and think it is the right thing to do. E-coli can be quick to follow in these numbers of coliform bacteria. However, I'm not freaking out right now. There was an article today that said most other people aren't really freaking out right now either. Luckily, for our enjoyment, those who are freaking out are posting it on the GDT's website.
Oh Gloucester . . .


Today's recipe!

This is getting a little difficult because i keep forgetting which recipes I've posted . . .OH Schnitzel!

Schnitzel is one of my favvvvvorite foods!

Basic schnitzel is quite easy!

4 thinly sliced veal or pork cutlets
flour
2 eggs
breadcrumbs

Season the cutlets with garlic powder. Dredge the cutlets by putting them into the flour, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs. Place them into a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and cook about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

mmmmmmm


♥



* update! I received a ridiculous response to my post and I just need to share . . .


Me: we are required to boil the water as a precaution in case e-coli gets into the water, which it hasn't. I'm sorry to hear about your dog, but the water didn't kill your dog. Dogs naturally have much better immune systems than we do when it comes to such bacteria. Remember that dogs are naturally meant to eat raw foods that would expose them to these types and more serious bacteria.
I've been washing my dishes in the water since the boil order started and no one in my house has gotten sick. My cat drinks from the sink everyday and she is fine. My dog drinks out of the toilet sometimes, he's fine.

Rawrsome Person: I agree. I grew up w/a dog that loved to eat 'actual poop' from the yard, and she lived to the ripe old age of 14, which is 98 in human years 4 those counting. I loved that dog (I didnt' "love it" when she licked me tho...)

Annoying Person: that is ridiculous to say we are boiling water as a "precaution to e-coli". In every water-related news article, they have always stated that we are boiling water due to the "coliform contamination". There has never been any positive test for e-coli, so why then the boil water order ??? I'm sorry...that doesn't make any sense.

Me: the coliform contamination is an indicator that e-coli can also easily infect the water. The coliform itself can't cause that much of a problem. Therefore, we are boiling the water because there is high chance that e-coli can also infect the water right now.

Me getting more annoyed looks up total coliform: "Total coliform bacteria are commonly found in the environment (e.g., soil or vegetation) and are generally harmless. If only total coliform bacteria are detected in drinking water, the source is probably environmental. Fecal contamination is not likely. However, if environmental contamination can enter the system, there may also be a way for pathogens to enter the system. Therefore, it is important to find the source and resolve the problem."

-http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/programs/coliform.htm (my source)



*Another classic convo!

Person who boggles my mind: "the type of coliform bacteria we're dealing with won't get you sick like that."

Really? And what about people who have low immune systems, people who are HIV, people on chemo? Like Grimmy stated, the powers-that-be have known about this since Aug. 4, and let's remember that the public wasn't notified until Aug. 21. Knowing that, do you really think they're going to admit to illness stemming from this "problem"?

"If the water were to get you sick, it would likely be from e-coli which we don't have."

After all that's gone on in the last month, how can you be so positive about that?
I've lived in this city for 55 years....I wish I could be so optimistic.

Me: Because there are worse things that can happen.

Person who boggles my mind: Such as?

Me losing my mind: seriously!? What's worse than having to boil your water for a few weeks!?

How about a hurricane wiping out your entire city, you probably have pretty bad water and OH you probably don't have a house either!

Maybe a wildfire destroying your entire city, again, no house!

How about finding our your 20 year old daughter was killed in a car crash. I don't have kids, but I'd rather have e-coli. And NO, this can not be compared to losing your dog. I have lost dogs before and I know people that have lost children, it is NOT the same!

Those are just a few things that are worse than having to boil your water.