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steve2470

(37,456 posts)
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:13 AM May 2017

Your power totally fails at 2:22 AM. What do you do ?

1- Run outside naked

2- Walk outside naked

3- Go outside clothed to try to discern WTH just happened and if any other humans are doing the same

4- Curse the darkness and try to go back to sleep

5- Try to call the local power company, be put on hold automatically, and hear lousy music for an hour and no one responds (which has happened every time in the past)

This time, I chose Option 4. After 2 hours, the power came back on. I'm glad I have power. I'm glad I can afford my power. Electricity is insanely important to modern life, and you get reminded of this every time your power goes out. I guess you can manage to live without it off the grid, but I don't choose to do so at this time.

Have a lovely day, my friends!

(no, I have never chosen Options 1 or 2 and will never do so, for the record )

30 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Your power totally fails at 2:22 AM. What do you do ? (Original Post) steve2470 May 2017 OP
I have avoided the naked outdoors sharp_stick May 2017 #1
I don't call either steve2470 May 2017 #3
I call early and I call often OriginalGeek May 2017 #16
Never say never!! lunasun May 2017 #2
It's happened to me MFM008 May 2017 #4
The worst of the power failures I ever endured... 2naSalit May 2017 #5
Yea -18F changes everything from.... steve2470 May 2017 #6
Yup! 2naSalit May 2017 #10
This is why we keep wood as an alternate heat rurallib May 2017 #18
I lived in a... 2naSalit May 2017 #29
I Sympathize Leith May 2017 #27
We used to get those.. 2naSalit May 2017 #30
I'd have gone outdoors in my shorts and t-shirt Warpy May 2017 #7
6- The Power is out supply crate Afromania May 2017 #8
excellent option! nt steve2470 May 2017 #9
True! 2naSalit May 2017 #11
We have two generators (50 gallons of stored gasoline), gas stove, gallons of bottle water sarge43 May 2017 #12
yes, the line men and women have a tough job! nt steve2470 May 2017 #13
One of the toughest. sarge43 May 2017 #14
I don't notice. malthaussen May 2017 #15
If it doesn't come back in an hour start the generator, go back to bed. nt doc03 May 2017 #17
Nothing Generic Brad May 2017 #19
Get up, go outside (not naked) to see whether the power is out The Velveteen Ocelot May 2017 #20
I always call - habit from when I was the last house on the line csziggy May 2017 #21
(1 Find my dog. (2 Look for a flashlight. Rhiannon12866 May 2017 #22
We text our friendly lineman. cwydro May 2017 #23
At 2am my happy ass is asleep. NightWatcher May 2017 #24
#4, with a side of fries True Dough May 2017 #25
If it's winter after about 15 minutes I get up and turn on the kitchen stove. In_The_Wind May 2017 #26
3 if I heard a noise, 4 if not. nt retrowire May 2017 #28

sharp_stick

(14,400 posts)
1. I have avoided the naked outdoors
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:16 AM
May 2017

mainly because I like my neighbors and would not want to expose them to that.

Normally I pick option 4 after looking outside to make sure it's not just me that lost power. The lady across the street will be on the phone to the power company within minutes so no one else needs to do it.

Like you I'm amazed at just how much reliable power is needed for day to day living.

steve2470

(37,456 posts)
3. I don't call either
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:19 AM
May 2017

After my past experiences, it became clear to me that 1000 other people were calling too, and that was probably why I could never get through. Or maybe they just didn't care. Or their system broke. Or something. So, I no longer call.

Yes, I like my neighbors also, and I'm sure they would not be delighted to see me in the buff!

OriginalGeek

(12,132 posts)
16. I call early and I call often
Tue May 2, 2017, 03:06 PM
May 2017

I have no evidence to support my theory but I just think the more complaints they get the more likely they are to hurry it up.

MFM008

(19,776 posts)
4. It's happened to me
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:20 AM
May 2017

Wind. Snow and 80 degree days.
All year all night. All day... for days.
I go back to sleep.
Keep lots of battery run candles.....

2naSalit

(86,031 posts)
5. The worst of the power failures I ever endured...
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:31 AM
May 2017

was when a major device in another state blew up and large portions of two states were affected. It wouldn't have been such an issue except that it was a searing -18F for the high temp that day. That's when you quickly engage in a mental inventory of friends you know who have a wood stove! It lasted for over six hours so it quickly became a localized emergency for about a thousand communities. Didn't have to worry about food in the fridge going bad!

I would never walk outside naked, especially at -18F!

steve2470

(37,456 posts)
6. Yea -18F changes everything from....
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:39 AM
May 2017

trivial annoyance to major emergency! Smart person you are, -18F would freeze your tuckus rather quickly!

2naSalit

(86,031 posts)
10. Yup!
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:50 AM
May 2017

That is in Montana, it's definitely WINTER for half the year in most places near the mountains, I was IN the mountains, even saw -50F a few times there but no power failure, thank goodness. I was also a temporary inhabitant of the Anza-Borrego Desert a couple decades ago, for the entire summer. At +118F for a "cool" temp at night was a blessing, as long as the swamp cooler was running. When it got over +120F, it was time to inventory friends with AC.

I seem to have gravitated to extreme climates in my past, now as I age, I'm looking for lower maintenance lifestyle options.

2naSalit

(86,031 posts)
29. I lived in a...
Wed May 3, 2017, 11:28 PM
May 2017

shotgun shack complete with daylight cracks and dry enough to serve as kindling... it had electric heat and there was no place to have a fire without burning it down. Better to climb into the snowmobile suit and sheepskins, grab the ski poles and go for a trudge... helps warm you up. You can work up a mean sweat in a good snowmobile suit at -50F! Those things are awesome for winter extremes. Gotta have good headgear too. A down-filled hood from one of my parkas with a storm ruff is perfect, just a light balaclava or similar and deep pile sheepskin boots and mittens, it's all you need, good for an amazing amount of time in survival mode. Ski goggles are a good idea too sunglasses get cold on the bridge of your nose and you totally want tinted or polarized goggles if it's sunny.



Leith

(7,802 posts)
27. I Sympathize
Wed May 3, 2017, 11:17 PM
May 2017

When I lived in NC, we had an ice storm that knocked out power for a week. Luckily, we had a gas fireplace to take the chill off. We dragged the mattress and bedclothes into the living room and camped out. The local radio station's DJ stayed on the air, gave updates on who had power and who didn't, and took callers. That was when there were still local DJs.

2naSalit

(86,031 posts)
30. We used to get those..
Wed May 3, 2017, 11:34 PM
May 2017

in New England and around the Lakes region. There, it's a lot of snow and then super cold for however long, the snow events could last a week. Up in the 7,000ft elevation area in the northern Rockies... that's some serious weather. I have relocated to a little lower elevation now, still get a pretty mean cold.

Warpy

(110,900 posts)
7. I'd have gone outdoors in my shorts and t-shirt
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:40 AM
May 2017

that I've used for jammies since I started working nights, check to see if everybody's power is off, then retreated back to bed to read for however long it takes to get the power back on. Headlamps, I has 'em. Power always comes back on with a thud as the fridge, freezer and furnace all cycle at once and that would prevent me from sleeping. Besides, 2:22 AM is a little before my bedtime.

Afromania

(2,767 posts)
8. 6- The Power is out supply crate
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:41 AM
May 2017

Filled with flashlights, batteries, and such. When the power goes out around here its probably going to be out for a while.

2naSalit

(86,031 posts)
11. True!
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:53 AM
May 2017

I live out in the sticks and when it does go out, it will be a spell before it comes back. Alternatives are a must in such living conditions.

sarge43

(28,939 posts)
12. We have two generators (50 gallons of stored gasoline), gas stove, gallons of bottle water
Tue May 2, 2017, 01:48 PM
May 2017

battery powered chargers and about 50 pints/quarts of self canned food. We go back to sleep.

In New Hampshire power outages are like frost heaves, frozen speed bumps at the driveway entrance, snow removal induced heart failure and ski nazis - all part of the winter fun. One learns to cope.

Blessing on the line men.

sarge43

(28,939 posts)
14. One of the toughest.
Tue May 2, 2017, 03:00 PM
May 2017

Like paramedics and fire fighters, when they're not saving lives, they make life bearable. Good people.

Generic Brad

(14,270 posts)
19. Nothing
Tue May 2, 2017, 10:18 PM
May 2017

My phone is always fully charged by 11:00 PM and my alarm is set. I would be up on time and on my way to work without missing a beat.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,267 posts)
20. Get up, go outside (not naked) to see whether the power is out
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:00 PM
May 2017

elsewhere in the neighborhood; probably just go back to bed. There was one time when the power went out and it was miserably hot and humid, so I got in my car (with a/c) and drove around for awhile until the power came back on. It took a full lap on the I-694-494 freeway around Minneapolis/St. Paul but it was better than sweltering in the humidity.

csziggy

(34,119 posts)
21. I always call - habit from when I was the last house on the line
Tue May 2, 2017, 11:24 PM
May 2017

There were times when a tree fell on the line and my farm was the only place affected. Or the week after the hurricane when everyone else had power and we didn't yet.

Now I am often the only person at home during the daytime in the immediate area so am the only one calling in to report outages.

Our power co-op is pretty good - though I cannot call their automated line. We have three meters on the farm - one for our storage building and the well, one for the barns, and one for the house. For some reason the automated system cannot handle this concept even though all three meters are billed to the same account, same address, same phone number, same everything.

If it takes very long to get an answer on the non-automated line, I know it is a larger area problem and I don't stay on hold. I might call back power it doesn't come back in a few hours.

Plan B is to curse the darkness (or lack of power) and go to sleep.

Rhiannon12866

(202,970 posts)
22. (1 Find my dog. (2 Look for a flashlight.
Wed May 3, 2017, 03:35 AM
May 2017

But I have also done, #4, as well. It's happened fairly often, here in the North Country. And I know how you feel, I'm grateful too.

True Dough

(17,090 posts)
25. #4, with a side of fries
Wed May 3, 2017, 09:28 AM
May 2017


I just go back to sleep. Fortunately, the power is reliable where my wife and I live now but we previously lived in a city where there were frequent outages and "brown-outs." I wasn't happy about that because 1) it's hard on appliances and can shorten their functioning lives 2) there are too many damn plug-in clocks that need to be set to the proper hour each time

In_The_Wind

(72,300 posts)
26. If it's winter after about 15 minutes I get up and turn on the kitchen stove.
Wed May 3, 2017, 09:05 PM
May 2017

Parrots don't like being cold.

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