Like I said, fools, idiots, or just plain lazy; pick one.

It is impractical to believe that so many people haven't heard of carbon monoxide poisoning in that area in this day and age. Either they choose to ignore the warnings, or they simply don't understand instructions most 2nd graders would get.

So how do we go about idiot-proofing the world???

I hope Randy is safe and well brewing something hot in his Kelly stove.

Update, Monday 12/18

Had to drive down to Bellevue to pick up the Jeep at the dealer today which caused me to cross most of the eastside.

In general, most places appear normal. But there appear to be pockets where things are still having problems.

For example, in Bellevue, pretty much everything was normal. Driving north towards Woodinville, I started to see an interleaving of traffic lights without power. Then, getting into Woodinville, it's all dark still.

-john

One of the things that a lot of people don't realize is the vicious circle that happens when indoor combustion occurs.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is created because of incomplete combustion, or better put, a lack of oxygen needed for complete combustion. Why does a lack of sufficient oxygen occur? Because the combustion sucks all of it up and turns it into Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Carbon Monoxide (CO).

The point of all this… You don't just need to open a window to exhaust the gases produced. You need to open a window to allow fresh air into the combustion process to prevent Carbon Monoxide (CO) buildup in the first place!

Science lesson complete…

Thanks Chris,

So far I have not had to brew on the Kelly as my gas range is fine....however I did have to break out the emergency manual coffee grinder <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

We are one of the 173,000 still without power served by Puget Sound Energy, but overall we are in great shape. Gas fireplaces, gas water heater, no damage to our home, and plenty of good neighbors...so all is well.

We had a neighborhood pot luck Saturday....all the contents of our freezers presented a fairly interesting meal....plenty of wine and good company made for an enjoyable evening.

My wife and I have volunteered to staff a local shelter tonight and each night through the end of the week for those less fortunate. My emergency comm group and their CERT's are staffing.

I cannot quite imagine what state this area would be in if we had a significant issues like an earthquake however.

Start requiring CO detectors everywhere, similar to how smoke detectors are required everywhere.

I guess brains are optional if you're somebody bringing a BBQ into the house.