Monday, May 28, 2007

Power

It's funny when something happens that make you realise how much more dependent we are in todays hi-tech world. I was with my wife last night when BLINK, the power went off. Darkness. Almost total darkness. The funny thing was, my mother in-law had had a powercut the day before and had our matches and candles. I was cursing because I love my Maglite torches but they get used by the family and the batteries were dead. After half an hour or so we were in a better position and had got things together a bit more but the power went off 10pm yesterday and wasn't restored until 5pm today, 19 hours without heating, lighting, hot water, hot food and hot drinks. I did make a few interesting observations:
  • I missed the internet more than the TV
  • I don't feel good if I don't feel clean
  • Torchlight bounced off the ceiling gives a better light for moving about in than torchbeam
  • It's nice to play a game together than do stuff separately
  • We all got a bit stir crazy without our comforts at home
The one thing to come out of this was an educational lesson for our kids on the importance of having an emergency box with candles, matches and other stuff you need for when there is no power. Thankfully, this is a fairly uncommon event in our lives.

4 comments:

Mrs. Hairy Woman said...

About 4 yrs ago there was a huge power outage across the eastern seaboard and up right to our neck of the woods.. I was suppose to work nights that night and the phones were out and there was no way of cooking anything.. I had taken the kids to get some pizza and then see my friend at her tanning salon and then all the power went out.. she had clients in their tanning beds and they come out asking what the hey? And we discovered later it was all over.. By the time I was suppose to go to work the street was in complete darkness and all the neighbourhood kids were out goofing off and playing hide and seek.. It was somthing to do with a power plant in the States I believe.. we went with out power for about 23 hours I think.. I came home the next day from night shift and we still didn't have power.. and Hubby was drinking beers out back with our neighbour at 9 am.. it was a funny to see.. we couldn't make coffee and the coffee shop was closed until further notice.. Fun times...

laura b. said...

Three years ago or so we lost power for three full days. It was actually quite torturous after a certain point. When the power came back on at about 5:00 one morning it was such a relief!

Tara said...

Unless I'm camping, I hate to do stuff without electricity. The last time I was without power, I tried exercising...in the dark...while trying to read by the dim light of a candle. I quickly lost interest in both reading and exercising.

FW said...

Babybull40: It must have felt as if the power was never going to be back on.

L.B.: I can believe that it was torturous, 3 days is some kind of record for a powercut!

Tara: I don't know how people lived with only candles. They're pants for reading by.