12 February 2009

Boom, Boom...Out Go The Lights...
That song kept playing over and over...wonder why?
If there is ONE thing you CAN take away from living down on the south side of Fort Wayne, it's this:
Things are ALWAYS INTERESTING.
Last night, around 2210 hours, we had the unique opportunity to see what it's like when the electricity goes out in "da hood" for a prolonged period.
The word DARK takes on a whole NEW meaning...
If not for the cloud cover from the passing storm front, it would have been darker still, but fortunately for me, my night-vision was working pretty damn fine, once I acclimated myself. Nevertheless, I got out our stash of candles, because I somehow KNEW this was not going to be a brief outage.
Wasn't wrong THERE, either.
Power was restored about 0425 hours today.
But during the interim, it was Little House On The Prairie Time, kids.
Now I'll grant you that last night's winds were howling...no denial there.
And I had to set my trashbin back up THREE times.
When it blew over the 4th time, I brought it back against the garage and eliminated any wind from getting to the bin (thanks to physics).
During a time like this, you really get a sense of HOW DEPENDENT we are on modern contrivances.
With NO electricity, you have NO lights, NO television, NO computer (unless you have a battery-driven notebook with dialup), NO fridge (there goes the food?), NO furnace (fortunately, no -19 degree F temps, either), NO coffee (unless you go out), NO alarm system (battery backup only lasts SO long), NO garage door opener (manual only, like the window cranks on my car), NO shaver (except for "the blade"), NO stove, and NO hot water.
Now I tend to be a survivalist...it's just due to things I've come across in life.
So I DO have a crank-operated radio, and TWO battery-powered shavers, and, if need be, I could heat some water for coffee on the good old "ghetto stove" aka my BBQ grill, so the basic necessities of life can be enjoyed.
To add another item to the NO column, I would have to choose SLEEP.
I nodded out a few times, but for only 15-30 minutes, and yes, my 9 MM was (very) close at hand. That's only so I can shoot my way to my SHOTGUN...lol.
But if I lived in ANY other place I've lived before, that wouldn't even be necessary.
Down here...it IS, trust me.
If I were one of the (all too) many criminals that frequent my area, I'd say that last night was like being given the "keys to the candy store". I would have torn this area UP with robberies, burglaries, home invasions, car thefts, etc. It was the PERFECT venue.
And it was ALSO the "perfect time" to toss those "unwanted empties" out the old car window and ONTO MY DAMN LAWN (f$cking morons). One was even a Bud Light bottle (DUI?...ANYONE?). Don't DARE toss anything when I can CATCH you, you cowardly sh*theads.
I say it was the perfect time to commit some "nasties" due to the fact that I (personally) did not see ONE police car come through the area (maybe they did only when I was nodding out...I don't know).
From what I could see, we were the ONLY house that had ANY light inside it (thanks to that great collection of votive candles we managed to get over the years). Curiously, I didn't see ANY foot traffic (unusual, as they "only come out at night"...like the living dead, which many of them already ARE), but vehicles were still coming through the area (best time to mule some dope, right?), and many had the license plate bulb out, as usual.
I remember one outage we had in Philly. All the neighbors were out and about to check on each other, shoot the shit, have a brew, and basically catch one another up on happenings. A REAL sense of community was there. Can't say that around here, unfortunately, because any involvement with my "local community" would entail me either scoring some weed, crack, or meth, or sharing a holding cell with them at the ACDC (lockup), neither of which is going to occur in the foreseeable future, as far as I'm concerned.
I will also say that for the past few years, we've been rather fortunate when it comes to power outages.
I remember looking after this house when my in-laws were still here, and almost EVERY time I stopped by, the clocks and VCR were blinking, telling me that the power went off. But that was 12 years ago, and things were a bit less "stressful" in this neighborhood.,,nowhere NEAR what they are today, that's for sure.
I just hope THAT pattern of outages doesn't come back to plague us. That's the LAST thing I need around here.
If this outage had lasted longer, I was hell-bent and determined to NOT leave this house. That would be like posting an invite to clean this place out on every utility pole in the area!
That is ONE THING you don't want to do around here.
I like MY STUFF right where it is, thank you. I don't want any of it to become SOMEONE ELSE'S STUFF for any reason.
People around here don't see things THAT way.
They tend to be emboldened with "entitlements", and feel you HAVE to "share", even if it means they must TAKE from you.
Sorry..."cold, dead fingers" time for ME then, if you get where I'm coming from.
See, I've got this weird kind of ETHICAL aspect to my nature.
I believe that you get things the old-fashioned way...you WORK FOR IT.
THEN, you take care of it, in order to keep it around for a while.
THAT is called GOOD STEWARDSHIP.
If anyone wants to get what I have, they can do what I've done, but they can't avail themselves of what I've busted a hump for...it's that simple.
Like I say, people around here see things differently.
And I suppose we can thank the government for aiding in their skewed view of life.
The missus and I might drop by Menards later this week to get a few items to further our survivability (plus, I have ALL those surplus and shooting catalogs from the post to go through), which is something I feel makes existence down here more bearable.
That's right, folks...it's NOT called LIVING down here...it's JUST existing.
Helluva way to run a household and go through life, right?
Hey, but I didn't set the stage or recruit the players for this farce...
That was all done by those a LOT higher up the "food chain" during the last 30 years at City Hall.
But I have what I need to get by, regardless the situation.
I'm locked, loaded, and waiting for whatever comes down the pike.
And don't say I never warned anyone.
***By the way...if anyone cares, TODAY is the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's BIRTHDAY, or the 200th birthday OF Abe (1809-1865)...either way.
Damn shame they closed his MUSEUM here in Fart Waste...I mean FORT WAYNE.
(another shot to the city's foot).
Take some time to read up on the MAN.
It will definitely get you thinking.
It WILL place a lot of things in better perspective, too.
As for me, now?
I'm gonna go grab a few more winks that I was denied last night.
The rest of you stay safe out there.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love my crank operated/solar power radio. omg. one of the best things i ever bought. fun on vacation and in the back yard. plus when you get down with it you put it in the tornado closet. a wonderful little item. and honestly that is why i bought a barbaque grill. encase i did ever loose power for a week like i did a few years ago.

Bob G. said...

Indy:
When in "the field", you LEARN to do what you NEED to...
We used to call it "bivouac".
You already been through that, though...

Our next step...a generator...and perhaps some solar panels.

Or maybe if the gov't still has any of those OLD MISSILE SILO/BUNKERS available (for cheap)...LOL!
(loads of parking, but no windows)

B.G.