Off the grid: No phone, no light, no internet, not a single luxury

[Starman]

Just returning to the 21st Century for the first time since Saturday night, when surprise storms blew my house back to the 1840s.

After the cell phone went dead early Monday morning, it dawned on me: there ain't a hell of a lot you can do without electric power in our society today once the sun goes down. I have a half-dozen flashlights stashed around the house, but you can only burn through batteries so fast.

Going to bed at 9 p.m. is a bit of an adjustment if you're used to 3-5 a.m.

Yeah, you can go sit in the car and listen to the radio/stereo, but you're burning gas at about a nickel a minute (or risking killing THAT battery too).

While the sun's still up, you can read books. I knew I was keeping those things around for SOME reason. But once the sun goes down, it's time to go to sleep (although I actually got in some quality stargazing Tuesday night. Blacked-out city means less light pollution). Luckily it only got down into the mid-40s and I have plenty of thick blankets.

Breakfast? Cold ravioli from a can. Yummy.

The power company's automated response system ashures me I should come home to a fully powered-up house tonight. But Monday afternoon, they said everybody would be back on line by Tuesday noon. So I ain't holding my breath.

 

[Matt1735]

Maybe you could have gone for a three-hour boat tour...

 

[Oggiedoggie]

This is exactly why, in the 1840s, the married couple had 53 children.

 

[Starman]

Maybe you could have gone for a three-hour boat tour...

Only if Mary Ann and Ginger were among the crew. The rest of that bunch can stay on the pier.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Maybe you could have gone for a three-hour boat tour...

... a three-hour tour.

 

[MileHigh]

Did you get the last cut of hay bailed and stacked, and get the cows milked?

 

[albert77]

Just returning to the 21st Century for the first time since Saturday night, when surprise storms blew my house back to the 1840s.

After the cell phone went dead early Monday morning, it dawned on me: there ain't a hell of a lot you can do without electric power in our society today once the sun goes down. I have a half-dozen flashlights stashed around the house, but you can only burn through batteries so fast.

Going to bed at 9 p.m. is a bit of an adjustment if you're used to 3-5 a.m.

Yeah, you can go sit in the car and listen to the radio/stereo, but you're burning gas at about a nickel a minute (or risking killing THAT battery too).

While the sun's still up, you can read books. I knew I was keeping those things around for SOME reason. But once the sun goes down, it's time to go to sleep (although I actually got in some quality stargazing Tuesday night. Blacked-out city means less light pollution). Luckily it only got down into the mid-40s and I have plenty of thick blankets.

Breakfast? Cold ravioli from a can. Yummy.

The power company's automated response system ashures me I should come home to a fully powered-up house tonight. But Monday afternoon, they said everybody would be back on line by Tuesday noon. So I ain't holding my breath.

Feel your pain, Starman. After Katrina, at my house we had 6 days with no running water, 3 weeks without electricity and 2 months with no internet. We had a Coleman stove, though, and plenty of fuel, so we could fix hot meals and make coffee. Wasn't fun, but we got by.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

This is exactly why, in the 1840s, the married couple had 53 children.

And 50 of them would die of dysentery.

 

[Lugnuts]

This is exactly why, in the 1840s, the married couple had 53 children.

And 50 of them would die of dysentery.

Exactly. When my power was out last week, so many people chimed in with, "Back to the pioneer days! You get to see how people lived back then!"

Then I pointed out the average lifespan back then was about 45 years.

fork pioneer days.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Of course, you didn't need to lock your front door throughout those 45 years.

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

Of course, you didn't need to lock your front door throughout those 45 years.

Because your nearest "neighbor" was 3 miles away and you rode horseback to get there.

 

[jr/shotglass]

And ... that was OK ...