Time To Prepare

12 July 2011

TIME TO PREPARE

The time to prepare for just about anything that might or could happen is generally best before the event occurs. It is advice I try to follow, but like a lot of people, I "get busy" and then I find myself slightly un-prepared.

Tonight's example should suffice. The power is out, while I type this. Gotta love laptops! Batteries! Oh, batteries. . . .

Maybe I should have gone ahead and put batteries in the new, non-electronic phone I bought yesterday-- the "old fashioned" phone, as my daughter refers to it, because it has a cord on it! The batteries serve only for date and caller ID stuff, not for actual service. The reason I bought that phone was for instances like this, when the power goes out, my cell doesn't get service or was charging, and I'd like to notify our power company. Having been through power outages, many these last... doggone, almost a decade! Anyway, having been through so many, and what with updated technology and everything, I know that the more reported locations of outages they receive the easier and faster it should help them find the problem.

Okay, so there's also that bit about having some outside contact with the world. Already without t.v. service of any kind and still without internet access at home and no newspapers, and pretty much getting only junk mail, well, the phone-- as infrequently as I use one-- becomes necessary for my sense of safety. I have to know I can call for help, if I need it. It's what allows me to go to bed, and figure the power will be on in the morning.

One way I hadn't thought to prepare—aside from us not having moved our generator out here yet-- is an 'as needed' light source in the bathroom for instances like this. I've had one of those stick 'n click LED lights in the kids' (main) bathroom, but not ours. Normally not a big deal, unless there's uh, monthly circumstances. Must have light!

The only positive effect so far is that I can see what this place will be like during winter power outages that I'm sure will come. Oi! Not looking forward to more of those, especially in a new place.

The negative effect was a dampening of Hubby's and my "night routine." The good thing for him is he gets to go to bed earlier.

Now for an "That's Interesting" sort of 'discovery' I made. We live near heavy duty power lines. You know, the three rows of metal towers, running lines? You gotta drive under the same lines twice to get to our place, which is mildly bothersome. It took me a while to figure out what the "crackling" noise was that I kept hearing. I thought my car was really be on the fritz, because I'd driven over too steep of rock (unseen) and maybe damaged something underneath. Nope, the "crackling" noise I only hear when we're near or under those lines, like on the way into town or home from... anywhere.

What I am wondering now is this: The neighbors on either side of us have horses-- note the plural of both "neighbors" and "horses," as it's plural at each! But I haven't smelled much of a problem here, hardly ever, unless the wind blows from either of those opposite directions. Thought that was pretty nice, that I can just enjoy the smell of my lovely lilacs and then roses. But tonight, with the power being out, I stepped out on the deck to see if there were any lights anywhere, and got whammied with "good ol' country air". . . of the fertilizer sort. Whoa. What? When did that...? Power outage. That's the only thing I can think of. Perhaps there's an exchange of ions or some such thing that keeps the air out here usually "nice" in spite of dung. Who knows. Maybe part of the whole feeling of "positive energy" of living here?

Guess we'll see how it is in the morning. Maybe all of my sneezing today (onslaught of allergens) cleared my sinus' so I could really get a whiff of what's "normal" around here; I doubt it. I think there is something to living a short distance from those power lines, and to my shock (no pun intended) it hasn't seemed negative yet.

Hmmm, lived under major power lines while in base housing in Italy, too. That was during the big hoopla scare and all.

Admittedly, being this "country" has been nice. I do enjoy the disconnect from a society that I understand less and less. But also, there are times that I miss the hum of activity and watching people scurry about as if they're doing something important. What's sad, my grass literally grows faster than someone trying to do something good!

Guess I'd better shut down the computer. Not sure how much battery life is left, and I am sleepy now.

Someday, I'll remember to do updates on this here blog again.

Remember, Be Prepared!

~~Cedeham