No Cable!

[PALefty]

Power went out last night... no problem, went back to sleep and it came on a few hours later. My dog woke up a few hours after that (I guess... had no idea of the time with the clock blinking). Took her out, made my coffee and went to relax, watch TV, surf the web, drink my java. Aaahhhhh cable is out too. Well that just blows.....no TV and no surfing. I don't get the paper... what am I to do???? As I was putting in a video to make the best of things (which we rented and watched a few days ago)... the cable came back on. Phew.......... close call. I think I am a junkie.

On the positive side... I would have been much more productive today. Now I can procrastinate....

[bigstick509]

Wired

The wonderful world of the connected lifestyle. I can't count the number of times in the last year that I've had to reset modems and digital clocks. It always makes me think of buying a whole house UPS or a generator.

[Deadhead]

It always makes me think of buying a whole house UPS or a generator.

Every time we lose power, I swear I'm going out the next day to buy a UPS for the cable modem and router. At least with the laptop, I'd have time to finish what I was doing and check the weather radar before powering down.
I have a generator, but usually wait an hour or so before thinking about getting it out. Unless I'm in a hurry or my wife insists she needs water (electric well pump).

[PALefty]

At the time... the electric was back up.. but the cable itself was down and out. A generator would be nice at times.. but they are certainly pricey for a big one.

[Stick]

Try living on a farm that just so happens to be on a single feed transmission line. We had over 70 outages last year. Most are less than 5 minutes, but some last for hours. The bright side, we have no cable anyway, or high speed internet. Laptop and dialup always works, so does XM radio. Still have an outhouse and a hand pump well for the power is off to the well pump and sewage pump, wood heat and kerosene lights. Power being out doesn't really bother us, other than cattle drink a LOT of water, or so it seems when you have to hand pump it.

[cwsmith]

It must be the "little boy" in me, but I always looked at such things as an adventure and even a rare chance to really get back to nature. I sort of really like when the lights go out! The night sky is really rarely seen anymore and all too often we sometimes forget how nice it is to simply sit and talk by the candle's light.

But all that poetic stuff set aside, you need to get "insurance" like I did. I've alway been a "be prepared" kind of guy with an alternate heat source, candles, etc. But not having electricity for my shortwave radio equipment got to be a real pain in the butt when we started loosing electricity three or four times a year!

So, I went out and bought a couple deep-cycle batteries which I diligently keep charged... it's now been three years since we've lost power (ever since I bought those batteries). So, I guess have some "insurance" pays off, even if not the way I planned.



CWS