High Winds

High winds hit Los Angeles today, which meant I didn't have power for a couple of hours this afternoon. A transformer in my neighborhood caught on fire and, poof, the lights went out. There's nothing like losing electricity to make you appreciate how much you use it.

I was trying to watch "Run Fatboy Run" on TV but with no electricity that was the end of that. No internet, no cordless phone, no stereo system either. I was dying. And you start thinking about what you would do if it was like that forever. I cheered when I saw firetrucks pulling up outside, roping off the street with yellow tape.

My kids thought it was a sort of fun. "It's like it's Transylvania and we're the vampires."

Uh, guys, Halloween has been over, but at least they weren't complaining that there was nothing to do with the power off. I probably did enough of that for them.

Los Angelista = tech addict. I need my electricity!

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm with your kids - I think power outages are kind of fun. As long as they don't last too long!
When I lived in New England, I had a trunk full of supplies for power outages due to snow and ice storms: Candles, Coleman propane camp stove, flashlights, afghans, etc.

I can do without a lot of things, but not my computer.
West said…
After all the hurricanes that have touched down in this corner of the U.S. I think about such outages fairly often. It's one reason I'm pretty interested in the tiny lil solar cell devices that power and charge hand-held devices like mobile phones. At least with my phone working, I can listen to news, radio, podcasts, music, watch videos, surf the 'net, play games, blog, etc.

THAT's the device I want to keep going, if nothing else. Also, I'd like to be able to eat. :-D Too bad my phone can't cook a pork chop up.
Anonymous said…
Los Angelista,
(I’ll stick this here, so I’m pretty sure you’ll get it)
This is going to get way outside the legitimate parameters of the purpose of the “Comments” section, lol.

The Marathon distance is a hard race, not in terms of just mileage (though that is there); it is so unforgiving in regards to making ‘mistakes’. In a 5K/10K (even to a certain degree a Half-Marathon), you can kinda mess up on pace, hydration, eating (beforehand, lol), going out too fast, etc and still survive it (and make something of the race). While the marathon pace is, by necessity, much slower, the distance makes it totally unforgiving to all these types of considerations; you make a pre-planning/tactical error in a marathon, oh trust me, you’ll feel it. That’s why even for such super-uber pro’s like Haile Gibrselassie, when he moved up to the marathon distance (after being multi-time Olympic/World Gold Metal at 5K/10K/Cross Country), he said it took him about 4 races ( and all their preparation) to learn just what worked for him. That said, best advice possible is try everything out beforehand on long runs, trial runs, lesser distance races. I mean everything, shoes, clothing (you’ll be surprised what’ll rub you raw after 22 miles), drink, race food, anything you can think of. I’ll “helper” you out, but not on the Comment section (who wants to read me write, we’re here for YOU, lol).

I’d give up the Garmin, but, there is a “price”. I don’t want that expensive item being used for one, and only one, marathon prep and then it’s just stuffed back in the box. You want it, you gotta run fer life. Please, please, don’t do a crappy “Oprah”, run one stinkin’ race and quit. Once you’ve done all that for a marathon, you are SO ready for gearing up to race 5K’s and 10K’s at speeds you’d never in your life thought possible. Do it.
As to how in the world to get it to you, you think up what makes you comfortable.
SW-something-a-ruther

PS. Ms. Wooden Shoes – lol, no running in the rain?! Come on, think of all those “hard men” of the Low Lands that are cycling away all rainy winter to be ready to crush in the Spring Classics. You don’t think Tom Boonen got so good by ‘spinning’ indoors, lol? As far as the Garmin, that is exactly why I hate such over-tech’ed junk; I ain’t spendin’ 18 hours reading the instructional CD to figure out how to just turn the damn thing on, I got a run to do, lol!
Anonymous said…
I had an 18-hour power cut a few weeks ago because of a cable fault in the street. It made me realise just how dependent we all are on electricity, especially for computers which run just about everything these days. But it was a good excuse for Jenny and I to go to our favourite Indian restaurant while they fixed the supply.
Shiona said…
It was windy here as well. And watching the football game in San Diego it was windy there. Goodness soe strong winds across southern Cal yesterday. It's still windy here.

Glad the power was not out for long. I am an electricity junkie myself :)
Remnants of U said…
Whew! Yes, no electricity = no fun...I thought that was just me. The last time that happened, I went in to work for a few hours. I really wanted to just sit in the breakroom with my laptop...But I decided to do some work that night. LOL
Liz Dwyer said…
Citizen,
This was long enough for us to have fun and short enough that I didn't totally wig out. I really enjoyed power outages too as a kid. I just thought they were so fun.

Heart,
Ooh, a propane stove is a great idea. I'm adding that to my list. I am totally computer addicted. BUT I'd rather be addicted to this though than to lots of other more harmful things.

West,
I really need one of those devices. I started thinking, "What happens when my laptop battery dies? What happens when my cell phone dies?" I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be. And porkchop cooking??? LOL!

Daniel,
I can TOTALLY see how it would take several races to figure it all out. I'm doing lots of experimenting now and have figured out some things but I have a long, long way to go, that's for sure. At least I know that Clif gels make me want to throw up. Thanks for all your help and support! :)

Nick,
18 hours is a long time. At least you were able to spend it with the lady you love! :) It does make you disconnect though, doesn't it? I felt like Mary Shelly sitting around writing Frankenstein by candlelight.

Faith,
Do they make those for apartments?

Shiona,
And more of them are kicking up! Welcome to more freakishly hot Santa Anas! I'm so sick of them. I wish they'd go away!

Remnants,
I thought about taking the boys to hang out in a coffee shop but since the transformer next door had caught on fire I was worried I'd come home to nothing if I left. Paranoid, I know.

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