Going Lo-Co

Powerless still

Posted on August 31, 2011

Four days post Hurricane Irene, and we are STILL without power.  Worse, the estimated date for us to get power back is LAST in our town, aka Wednesday 9/7.

Ugh.

Though we don’t have damage to our home, so really, I can’t complain.  Much.

On the plus side, my parents were visiting so we played cards every night using the lanterns I bought in that crazy pre-Irene binge shopping spree. I know you laughed at me, but check out how my insanity totally came in handy:

• To write this post, I am accessing the web using my amazing Verizon iPhone Personal Hotspot (best $20/month spend ever).  And that hotspot is being powered by 1 of the 3-count’em-3 Apple iPhone battery chargers I nabbed on Amazon before the storm (my son’s currently using the 2nd, and the 3rd I already drained today).
• We are using all 3 of the very fabulous Rayovac Sportsman LED camp lanterns – very bright and totally indispensable. We would be in the dark – seriously – without them. So loving this purchase. Not as much as iPhone battery chargers, but close.
• My sister in next town over forgot to buy D batteries and called me after going store-to-store searching. I gave her some of mine without too much of an I-told-you-so. Well, OK, some ‘I-told-you-so.  Mostly in the form of, ‘Don’t-you-dare-ever-make-fun-of-my-planning-again.’  She already got her power back, so I guess she gets the last laugh.

Of course the shopping didn’t stop.  Two things still needed.  First, today I bought a ‘camp shower’ that you fill with warm water from the stove.  Assuming I can make it work, tomorrow am I will experience the joy of a tepid rather than freezing shower.

Second, I need some kind of old-lady wheelie shopping cart to drag my heavy computer bags and such across a neighbor’s lawn to where our car is parked (see pics below for why this is needed).  Have to purchase that tomorrow.

As for Lo-Co foods – well, I did make the pork tenderloin on the grill and it was very good.  And instead of Chinese Egglant we grilled the eggplant with some onions and ate that with a fantatic grilled char – will post that fish recipe after we get power back (it was my birthday dinner – huge kudos to my husband and son for getting the all-important birthday cake ordered and picked up pre-storm!)

All other meals, Lo-Co out the window. (Though I did go for one run since the storm!)

In all, there are not too many great points about being w/out electricity for 4+ days so far (and headed toward 10+ days total).  However, the power of the internet AMAZED me today – I posted a rant on our town website (scroll down this link to comment at 8/31 at 5:55 pm) about the fact that out entire street is BLOCKED by downed wires and the fire dep’t hung caution tape like streamers…and left us stuck here.  A mere 15 minutes after I posted it, the Deputy Fire Chief showed up at my house.  You can read the next comment (below my rant) for the result.

So, we won’t get power anytime soon, but I felt much better about the fact that the fire department confirmed they knew the issue and that a fire truck could make it up my street even though there are downed wires and cars can’t drive…

Here’s a delightful photo of what my road looked like the day after the storm.   This is between my neighbor’s home and mine.

The problem is, our road is a cul de sac with the only way out beyond this tree.  Where, amazingly, this tree is also across the road, lying atop a slew of wires.

Some guys w/ a chainsaw sawed the trees so we could eke a car by, but the wires are still all over the place.  So we got the cars out once, but can’t drive back until we get power again.

Which, as I said, won’t be for another, oh, WEEK.  Big sigh.

My iPhone is still going, but my Mac battery is toast. So signing off now, and probably won’t post again until after we get power. Wish me luck.