No Water

Because of the heavy snow we lost our regular power (we have been on generator for 21 hours now) and, for a time, lost our landline phone and Internet. We also have no hot water. Having no hot water reminds me of the times I was in Russia. Because of poor construction and materials (Russians claim it is because they are so old, but there are older water systems throughout Europe and the world that don't have the same problem) every Russian town and city has to shut off their hot water supply for around a week. In cities they do it by districts so on public transportation you will see people carrying their toiletries going from a district with no hot water to a friend or family member in another district with hot water (and that friend or family member will do the same when their hot water is shut off.) That's just a small example of how hard life is for ordinary Russians even in the 2nd decade of the 21st Century.