General Chat

It did this afternoon. A bit problematic for me, because it was about 2 pm and I would normally start getting work in my inbox around 4 pm, and you never know how long it will last.

Our block was out, the bank 6 blocks away (where No.1 was about to go, so we called ahead) was out, and people walking by said the school was out, and it was out a fair ways in the other direction too. I had called the power company so I just had to wait.

(This sounds funny to me. Over here we call it "hydro" -- the hydro went out, I called Hydro -- but I know nobody'd know what I was babbing about.)

So whaddaya do ...

You know what stupid stuff comes into your head?

Turn the TV to a local channel and see what they're saying.
(You know, even if the cable is out ...)

I have to email the office and tell them ... that I can't get email ...
Well, I'd better call the office (at least the phone lines have their own power), and tell them
... just have to check my old emails to get the phone number ...
(You know, even if the internet is out ...)

We had a huge blackout a few summers ago -- the very days my mum was visiting. Hot as hades, nothing to do.

So you sit on the porch for a while hoping to catch a breeze ... and it comes into your head that you should put a fan on inside.
(You know, even if the air conditioning isn't working ...)

Gotta eat something. Can't cook, so how about toast and tea?
(You know, even if the stove isn't working...)

But the hydro is out! No fan and no toast for you.


This aft I did manage to find a scrap of paper with a phone number on it for a related office, and called that one to ask for the number of the office I wanted, and while I was on hold and she tried to find it, the power came back on ... and cut me off.


About 3 hours later, a huge thunderstorm kicked up here (preceded by tornados! along its route to us) so we had to shut down the modem and computers voluntarily. Booooring!

It's amazing how little work I bother doing all day, until I have to turn things off, and then I just have this urge to work ...

It's like with everything, Janey, we all want what we can't have :-)

hi janey, well being as far north as you can go in uk, i know all about power cuts.yes i do know what the hydro are are our local company is scottish hydro electric. as soon as our power goes off in the gales, someone in the house will say better tel the hydro!

if it happens at night and usually it does, we go to the bathroom and whats the first thing you do, switch on the light, even though you know the powers off. lol

offer to make a cuppa while we are waiting for the power to come on. duh!

yes we have all the same stupid thoughts. oh another one is boil the kettle(electric) and then we can fill a flask for later if its still off. yes my daughter thought that was a good idea!!

Thankfully we havent had too many this year, but i am so glad i still have an open fire in our lounge and would not replace it with an electric one!

florence
in the hebrides

So how's that weather?

We've had a miserable cold wet spring.
Speaking of wanting what you can't have.

Today ...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.globaltvbc.com/Toronto+officially+breaks+heat+record+extreme+weather+
hits+parts+province/4914157/story.html

The Canadian Press: Wednesday, June 8, 2011 3:17 PM

During much of the day, residents in southern Ontario were
feeling the heat. By mid-afternoon, daily records going back
to the 1950s were toppled in Toronto, Ottawa and London.

In Windsor, the temperature hit 35.1 C, topping the record
of 34.1 C for June 8, set back in 2008.

Toronto's high was 33.3 C, breaking the record of 32.2 C
from 1950. Ottawa hit and London both reached 33 C,
smashing records set back in 1959.

With humidex values in the 40s, most of southern Ontario
was hot, hazy and humid. Smog and heat advisories were
in effect for several areas.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ridiculous. For the Fahrenheit lovers, 33C is about 92F. Our humidex was 43C -- about 110F. And it's the beginning of June.

Florence, you have exactly the idea!

Boil that kettle. ;-)

What you need is a gas cooker and a mobile phone (cell phone to you :-D) and a punkawalla to cool you down :-)

Sorted

jax

Fine. I say hydro, you top me with punkawalla. Are you pretending to be Australian or something there?

Ah! Southeast Asian:

a person in a warm climate that pulls a rope or string that is connected to a fan on the ceiling or a person that fans another.

"Where do I find a good punkawalla?"

Yes. I'll tell No.1 that next time.

I am impressed with myself there JC knowing something you did'nt :-D

Or were you just pretending?

jax

Janey , Darlin' ,

I fink that the url u posted has broke the page, .......anyway you can shorten it?
put it on two lines? maybe.....

Bob

When the power goes off, I just fire up the generator to keep the beer cold and get the computer/internet working, and get out the gas camping gear to cook etc.

xxxx mick

Sorry Bobs -- in my browser at least, the huge url/line problem has been solved, it gets wrapped (unless there's nowhere to break it -- like when someone posts a line of 100 dots ...).


Mick, I must have told you the Australian diplomat in Canada beer joke.


New Australian High Commissioner arrives in Ottawa in mid-winter. He has arranged to have a number of cases of whatever that stuff is, Fosters? imported to his domicile. (For his housewarming party.)

He sensibly puts it out in the garage to stay cool.

Every bottle in every case freezes and breaks.

He remarks that Ottawa is the only place he's ever been where you put your beer in the fridge to keep it warm.

:-D

What's worse than a power cut?

On Sunday, my handy OH managed to cut through our cable whilst putting in a fence post (he just had to pick those particular 2 square inches!). No phone, no TV, no internet for 2 days. Thank goodness for the radio!

We get occasional power cuts where I live but have a gas cooker so at least I can light the burner using a match and not miss out on my coffee!

We keep candles in the house just in case.


I don't like it, but I can cope with the electricity going off more than I can with the water going off.....now THAT drives me do lally! :-(



Cx

LOL JaneyC

This reminds me of the time we bought our first house.
My Dad found a piece of tubing in the garden and pulled it out. There was a trickle of water ("its just draining" said Dad). A swimming pool later and a neighbour popping his head over our fence and asking if we had problems with our water supply, prompted a check.
Yep. rusty pipe = vital equipment. No water.

It was a really hot day so whilst we waited for a plumber, hubby said he would make a cuppa........ well I watched him go into the house and wondered how long before he realised................................... no water.
I said I think we will need to get some orange juice or fizzy pop from the local shop............what did he come back with ...........................concentrated orange juice for diluting with .......water...............what a numpty.

Ria x

Oh Janey, poor you! :-D

Having fallen in to the same trap and deciding to do the put-off ironing....nope!.....I can sympathise!

And thank goodness for 2 sources of power - a gas hob and stand alone gas fire. At least we can cook and keep warm. Mind you, it can be a bit awkward crawling under the desk to plug in a line phone as the wireless one no longer works. (Not than any one would phone us, but you never know!)

If you can get them in Canada (silly, of course you outside living people could) get a one burner bottled (calor) gas stove. At least you could balance a saucepan on top to heat water, soup, or scramble eggs!

Thank goodness here in the great TO (Toronto to you none Canadians) we didn't lose power in my neck of the woods anyway. Just lots of black skies and VERY high winds !! I thought we would with that heat and all the AC'S going all day. It was like an oven whenever you ahd to walk outside

We're silly creatures of habit, aren't we? Like cats -- once you learn something, that pathway in your brain is permanent and the little thought processes just follow their course to their logical conclusion!

Yes, of course the outside lights are on when the power fails, a power failure is a good time to get caught up on that ironing, cut the water line? let's make tea! Well, that one is an English pathway that I gather the end of the world wouldn't interrupt. :-D

Our power went out *before* the storm hit, C! (It might have had to do with a car accident at an intersection a mile or so away that was on the traffic report right after, I'm thinking.) It was certainly a doozy of a storm, though. Brought the temp down about 10 degrees ... but it seems to be on the way back up again.

Barry, that sounds like a very useful gadget, and I'll be looking into it.

We do have a gas barbecue ... but a couple of years ago the spiders took up residence in the gas lines and No.1 got tired of cleaning it out ... it would probably be a good idea just to have one of those dinky Coleman stoves around, true.

Lots of hydro today. No excuse for not working.

Oh the things we take for granted !
It's not until you go abroad you realise how well off we are, and how unprepared we are for any shortages.

My best buys recently have been a wind-up radio and wind-up tilly-type LED lamp'
Ever the pessimist, candles ,matches,camping gaz at the ready.

Now have we thought about the drought and how that will affect next years supplies and prices ? Bread ,rice , potatoes will all be in shorter supply.
We are so used to having fresh strawberries etc all year round.
I remember the store cupboard of my childhood , at least a months supply of preserved food, how many of us rely on a deep freezer [ until the power gets cut ]

My next project is to stock up on cans, dried, longlife produce,etc

As for the ironing and housework' that can wait !

The wind-up flashlight we have -- and I was wishing for a wind-up radio yesterday, but fortunately, No.1 keeps batteries around for a little one he has. Those wind-up ones were still a bit pricey last time I looked; should check again.

Yes, I know I rely on the freezer -- that's how I do my "preserving". Maybe it's time for No.1 to educate himself on the art of canning ...

It's definitely time we all started being just a wee bit more frugal all round -- frugal with our own resources and the planet's. Strawberries in January may just not be the best idea.

Keep an eye out for the wind-up radio.combined torch with flashing red/white alert lamp ,
ideal for diabetic emergencies , gives about 30 minutes power per wind.
I love inventions and good design !

Oh and a manual tin opener for emergencies !