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After reading this post, you’ll understand my 26-hour absence from blogging this past weekend because that’s exactly how long I was without power in my apartment building.

From 8:00 AM Saturday until 10:00 AM Sunday….ZILCH….no electricity. 

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Scene: My dark apartment
Time: Saturday, April 21, 2012, 11:45 PM
Emotion: Pissy

I wish you could all see me sitting here with one candle illuminating my apartment and praying to God Almighty that the battery on my laptop stays charged until I finish writing this post because for the past THREE hours I’ve been using this computer to play Solitaire because I’m BORED out of my mind. And this is after working all day, eating dinner out because all the food in my refrigerator was destroyed, and then climbing 21 flights of stairs, and taking a shower in the DARK.

Last week will probably go down as one of the most annoying yet, enlightening weeks of my life. Between the TWO false fire alarms that went off in my apartment building on Wednesday, and the TWO Philadelphia power outages (one time for 2 hours, the second time for 26 hours), I was so irritated I could spit thumbtacks. It was a week of electronic maladies.

And isn’t it something how ‘we' bloggers panic when our Internet service is interrupted because our immediate thought is, “OMG…I can’t get online to BLOG!!!!!!”

It’s as if our ‘connection’ to the rest of the world has been taken away; leaving us with no lifeline.

I even tried placing my laptop on the edge of the windowsill and pointed it in the direction of the hotel across the street in the hopes of stealing their Wi-Fi.

*Ooops….I’m getting ready to lose the charge on my laptop, so I’ll have to finish this post tomorrow. Bye!

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Scene: My electrically charge apartment
Time: Sunday, April 22, 2012, 10: 25AM
Emotion: Happy

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay….the electricity is back on!!! Well, a lot happened after the battery on my laptop died last night. Initially, I got more pissed off and frustrated because the Philadelphia Electric Company told us that the power would be on within 3 hours (and that was at 7 PM, Saturday night). But as you could tell from my words above, we still had NO power at 11:45 PM.

Finally, at about 12:30 AM, I decided to throw in the towel and just forget about ever using electricity that night and go to bed. But before I did, I sat on the floor and practiced some mediation and deep breathing exercises to calm myself down.

Suddenly, a light bulb went on in my head! I thought to myself, “Why the hell are you getting so upset, Ron, it’s not the end of the world?”

I mean so what that I couldn’t get online to read emails or respond to comments or blog for 26 HOURS. And so what that I couldn’t use my phone or my DVD player or my stove to make COFFEE. Yeah it was a bummer, no doubt, but I think there was a symbolic lesson for me to learn here.

It’s ironic how when we lose electrical power, we panic because it literally feels as though we’ve lost our power. No phone, no Internet or computer, no lights, no NOTHING. 

We feel totally lost and out of touch.

Here I was freaking out over something I had no control over and getting upset was making it worse. It wasn’t a matter of life or death; it was just a temporary inconvenience.

Instead of using this time to just be in the moment and take it for what it was – a time to just be STILL and simply do NOTHING – I was worried about stuff that had no serious importance. Because eventually the power would be restored and life would resume as usual.

Life will always be full of intermissions - things that disrupt our everyday patterns - things that often cause us to see things differently.

I have to say, I think I acted very selfishly during the time of this power outage. All I kept grumbling about was how it was affecting ME. Not even thinking about the electrical workers down on the street, underground, who were working their asses off for 26 hours (in the pouring rain) to get the power restored. Nor was I thinking about the many elderly people who live in this building and were unable to leave their apartments because they couldn’t climb the stairs.

I also realize something else.

It’s good to have intermissions from computers, phones, TV’s, and electronics now and then because it clears the mind. It forces us to be quiet and just do nothing except BE, which is not easy in this technical world of ours.

Oh, and here’s one more thing I learned from this experience.

I’m addicted to BLOGGING....

63 comments:

  1. It's so frustrating during a power outage because we take electricity so much for granted and don't realise how much we use it until we don't have any! Glad you're connected again Ron. x

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  2. You're a better person than me. The thing about power outages and getting "down time" is that *I* don't get to choose the down time time. I get the whole thing about forced relaxation and it's good for us, blah blah blah. But I also hate when I can't have planned for an outage and figured out what the hell I'd do in all that time. It wouldn't be meditation, I'll tell you that. It would be driving to the nearest town where there was electricity and camping out, even if I was unshowered and stunk to high heaven. Wait, maybe I *do* need that meditation.

    Over and out.

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  3. I'm glad you made that realization, I think we all need to
    and you're so right about the feeling of losing power
    as if we can't just light our world from within
    we have to stay in touch with the within

    at least it wasn't a million degrees out like last week
    Oy!!

    Hope sends big hugs
    and so do I

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  4. OMG Ron it amazes me sometimes how closely our lives parallel. Our power went out around 3:30 yesterday. We are still without power. Yes, I think that you are right in saying that we feel that it steals "our" power.

    I was able to cook dinner for Stump before he left for work last night. We had flounder on the grill and salads. After he left for work, Sage and I spent the evening talking and looking up ancient music on Youtube for entertainment (gotta love an iphone). This morning, I picked up Burger King for breakfast as I headed in to work with my makeup in my pocket and my hairspray in my purse. I am PRAYING that we have power restored by the time I get off today. Power restored = MY power restored.

    I needed your blog this morning to put things into perspective. Maybe I DO need that still time.

    Hope you have a wonderfully amazing week, my Corsican twin!

    XOXO

    XOXO

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  5. That's partly why you're such a great blogger, you're addicted to it. Your passion keeps you consistent and engaged. I love your line about how you felt like losing the electricity had taken away your "power." That was brilliant. I think it's essential to disconnect some here and there. It's a good thing you don't have a smart phone. You'd never stop checking it.

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  6. Hi Ronnie,
    My goodness; what happened? Some big tech problem?
    I read your first post and it sounded like you were drifting off the face of the earth or something!! Then, I was reading on and to myself "he was freaking out", and getting that wrinkle between my eyes a little deeper...
    :(
    Then I read your words:

    "Suddenly, a light bulb went on in my head! I thought to myself, “Why the hell are you getting so upset, Ron, it’s not the end of the world?”

    Whew.... The dude got the light! EXACTLY! It is just a dark interlude that would be done. Thanks to a lot of hard work by PECO employee, restoring electricty. iIt was kind of you to think of them.

    I am honest; I would have been lost too, but there is nothing to do. Only roll with the punches.

    What did this experience teach you about yourself other than being blog addicted? Face it, all of us here have the same addiction!

    So glad to have you back on board and big hugs back to ya in Philly!
    xo

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  7. Great post, Ron! It's great that you learned something from this experience. It's so important to unplug ourselves from the various machines in our lives, but it's so difficult to do that and most of us need that intermission forced upon us. I see a lot of myself in this post--freaking out over relatively trivial things, thinking only of myself--you learned a good lesson from this and now you're passing it on! Thanks so much, buddy, and have a great week!

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  8. I react the same way during a power outage....it's like it's the END OF THE WORLD! All I can think about is how pissed I am, WTF is taking the power company so long, how bored I am, how much I want a hot drink, how all my food is going to be ruined, how cold or hot I am (depending on the season),etc., etc. On the last week of April about 5 years ago, we had an ice storm that knocked out the power for about 36 hours. It was so bizarre because then a warm front blew in and we had our windows open, it was so hot! With ice still bending trees over!

    But you're right, it's a good lesson, and a reminder that we could have been pioneers and REALLY been tortured! LOL!

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  9. Good morning Akelamalu~

    "It's so frustrating during a power outage because we take electricity so much for granted and don't realise how much we use it until we don't have any! "

    You said it! Yes, we DO take electricity so much for granted; not ever realizing how MUCH we need it. Yesterday morning when it came back on, I CHEERED!!!!

    Thanks for stopping by, m'dear! Have a glorious week!

    X

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  10. Kathy, I LOVED your comment!!!!!

    " It wouldn't be meditation, I'll tell you that. It would be driving to the nearest town where there was electricity and camping out, even if I was unshowered and stunk to high heaven. Wait, maybe I *do* need that meditation."

    Bwhahahahahahhahahaha! HILARIOUS!

    Honestly though, I hear ya. And trust me, I too (as you can tell) was not taking this very well. That is, until I finally realized I was FREAKING OUT so much that it was making it worse. I mean what could I do except go with it and let it be? This happens A LOT here in Center City, especially in the area where I live. I must live over an old grid that needs MAJOR repairs.

    The hardest part for me is that I live on such a high floor, so when the electricity goes out, it's a BITCH.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl! Have an awesome week!

    X

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  11. Hey there Lady Dianne~

    I LOVE what shared.....

    "....as if we can't just light our world from within
    we have to stay in touch with the within."

    BRILLIANT! And that's exactly TRUE!

    It's funny, because I was thinking of YOU when all this was happening.

    "at least it wasn't a million degrees out like last week
    Oy!!"

    Oy is right! I was thinking was THANK GOD this wasn't happening during the HOT summer months because a few years back we lost power in August for about 8 hours. OMG...I wanted to DIE!

    Thanks for stopping by, dear lady! Have a superfantastic week!

    X and hugs to you and Hope....

    (((((X You and Hope X))))))

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  12. Hey there Diane~

    OMG...how IRONIC!!!!!! Yes, we do live parallel lives!

    Isn't the PITS to lose power? You feel totally lost!

    "This morning, I picked up Burger King for breakfast as I headed in to work with my makeup in my pocket and my hairspray in my purse."

    OMG...how funny! It's it something how we take electricity for granted, until we DON'T have it? When the electricity came back on yesterday, I was cheering and jumping up and down like a little kid!

    "I am PRAYING that we have power restored by the time I get off today. Power restored = MY power restored."

    Amen! Sending ya 'good vibes' that it's restored today!!

    ((((( You )))))

    Thanks for stopping by, girl! Have a wonderfully amazing week too, my Corsican twin!

    XOXO
    XOXO

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  13. Hey there Jen~

    Aw...thanks for your sweet words, girl.

    But OMG, you have seen me FREAKING OUT at 11:45 Saturday night when my computer battery died!!!! And like an idiot, I took the laptop cord and plug it in like it was going to recharge it - HA!

    And you're right, it's essential to 'disconnect' from time to time.

    "It's a good thing you don't have a smart phone. You'd never stop checking it."

    OMG...and that's exactly WHY I don't have one!

    Thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a super week!

    X

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  14. Intermissions are good...they force us to live life! Online taking over our lives? Yes, that's exactly why I've reduced blogging to three days; seems I was missing out on living, and no the world did not stop without me.
    It also takes me a while of being irritated to realize the loss of power was a good thing. The last time it happened we had an impromptu dinner of wine, cheese, bread, and fruit and rocked out to an ipod!

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  15. Bonjour Barb~

    " Then, I was reading on and to myself "he was freaking out", and getting that wrinkle between my eyes a little deeper...
    :("

    HAHAHAHHAHAHA! Yup, that's exactly what I was doing!!!!

    I actually don't know WHAT happened. I was asking one of our maintenance guys this morning about it and he said he didn't know. Honestly? I think my building is in line with a faulty grid because this happens quite a bit, but never for THIS long. We had this happen a few years ago in the middle of August, and OMG, it was horrible because it was so HOT. It was FUN walking up 21 flights of stairs with no air conditioning - UGH!

    Yes, yaaaaaaaaaaay PECO! Those guys were working round the clock to get it repaired. The horrible part was that it started raining heavily Saturday night, so they were out there freezing rain.

    Isn't it something how lost we feel without electricity? Every time I think of that, I say, "Thank you Ben Franklin!"

    Other than I'm a blog addict, this experience taught me that I can't control everything, and that when I can't, it's just better to go with the flow because getting upset only makes it worse.

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, my friend. Have a super week!

    Here's a hug from Ronnie in Electrically Restored Philly....

    ((((( You )))))

    XO

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  16. Hey there Rob~

    "It's so important to unplug ourselves from the various machines in our lives, but it's so difficult to do that and most of us need that intermission forced upon us."

    You are sooooooooooooo right!

    " I see a lot of myself in this post--freaking out over relatively trivial things, thinking only of myself--you learned a good lesson from this and now you're passing it on!"

    HA! That's WHY I've shared several times in my comments to your blog posts that I can SO identify with you, because I get the same way.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Wishing you a flawless week. Say Hi to NYC for me!

    X

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  17. Hey there Bijoux~

    "All I can think about is how pissed I am, WTF is taking the power company so long, how bored I am, how much I want a hot drink, how all my food is going to be ruined, how cold or hot I am (depending on the season),etc., etc."

    Yes! Yes! Yes! Those are ALL the same things I was thinking too!!! OMG...I was so PISSED. And you would think I would be use to it because of living in Florida, where outages are plentiful because of all the rain storms it gets. But, THERE I was always ready for it.

    "On the last week of April about 5 years ago, we had an ice storm that knocked out the power for about 36 hours. It was so bizarre because then a warm front blew in and we had our windows open, it was so hot! With ice still bending trees over!"

    HOLY COW....36 hours!?!?! That's horrible!!!!

    "But you're right, it's a good lesson, and a reminder that we could have been pioneers and REALLY been tortured!"

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Funny you mentioned that because I was thinking the same thing while this was happening!

    I would be a ROTTEN Daniel Boone!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Hope all is going well with your house selling. Have a super week!

    X

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  18. It just shows how much we take things for granted and how much we expect. I am a little better about it now, in fact I'm the one who has to calm hubby when things go wrong. It wasn't always like that. You're right to remind us that there are people worse off than ourselves and be grateful for what we DO have. Regarding Internet access and our besotted attitude to blogging, I'm grateful for the iPad - it's the perfect standby, except of course it does need charging now and again. It's a bit late to say it but hope you have a marvellous Monday.

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  19. Hey there Suzi~

    "Intermissions are good...they force us to live life! Online taking over our lives? Yes, that's exactly why I've reduced blogging to three days; seems I was missing out on living, and no the world did not stop without me."

    You said it! And that's why I reduced my posting schedule from three times a week to two. Blogging takes A LOT of time.

    "It also takes me a while of being irritated to realize the loss of power was a good thing."

    Me too. And that's what I FINALLY realized Saturday night. I could have spent that time doing nothing except BEING.

    "The last time it happened we had an impromptu dinner of wine, cheese, bread, and fruit and rocked out to an ipod!"

    You GO, girl. How faaaaaaaabulous!!!

    Thanks for stopping by this morning. Have a glorious week!

    X

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  20. Gooood morning Valerie~

    "It just shows how much we take things for granted and how much we expect."

    Yup...you said it! I was acting like a total brat; reacting as though "I" was the only one this was happening too. And believe it or not, I'm better now than I use to be when stuff like this happens. When I was younger I was much worse.

    " Regarding Internet access and our besotted attitude to blogging, I'm grateful for the iPad - it's the perfect standby, except of course it does need charging now and again."

    It's funny you mentioned an iPad because one of the people I work with carries one with him all the time, so I was tempted to ask him if I could go online and check my emails - HA!

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, dear lady. Have a marvellous Monday too!

    X

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  21. Forgot to say.... I bought some olives today. Couldn't resist after reading your recent post about them. Oh boy, what a variety - I was spoiled for choice. Stuffed, salt dried, soaked in wine, etc. I ended up getting plain ones in a jar of oil. Heehee this is all your fault, you know.

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  22. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!

    You GO, dear lady! Don't you just ADORE olives???

    "...soaked in wine."

    OMG, I've never tried those?! I need to look for them because they sound DELICIOUS!!!!

    Enjoy your olives!

    X

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  23. Oh yes, I totally get this frustration. We lost power once for THREE DAYS and I really thought I was going to DIE because I couldn't blog or get on Facebook.


    Of course, I ended up packing all my things, going to my local country club, took a shower in the women's locker room, and hijacked their internet. There was NO WAY I could survive without access to mah peeps!

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  24. Oh yeah... I forgot, I even made movie about our lack of power! ENJOY!


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZu1YYzbKgQ

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  25. It’s as if our ‘connection’ to the rest of the world has been taken away; leaving us with no lifeline.

    our friends are in the computer. it's true. i really can't get out now and would probably die without twitter or internet.

    but yes:
    "It’s good to have intermissions from computers, phones, TV’s, and electronics now and then because it clears the mind. It forces us to be quiet and just do nothing except BE, which is not easy in this technical world of ours."

    after pulling out our hair because we have no power, we calm down, get closer to actual people and as soon as the lights come back on we scatter like roaches all reaching for our electrical devices. hahahha.

    yes the first few hours are painful, but we fall in okay and realize the break is what we needed. it just had to be taken from us.

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  26. Hey Meleah~

    OMG...isn't it the PITS????

    "Of course, I ended up packing all my things, going to my local country club, took a shower in the women's locker room, and hijacked their internet. There was NO WAY I could survive without access to mah peeps!"

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OMG...how HILARIOUS!

    I was so tempted to just go to Starbucks and use their WiFi, but it meant me walking down 21 flights of stairs and then back UP :(

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, girl! Have a fantabulous week!

    X

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  27. Bwhahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

    Bwhahahahahahahahahahahahhaha!

    OMG, Meleah...that was friggin' HYSTERICAL!!!!

    I COULD NOT stop laughing at your father TWIRLING in the background!!!!!!!!!!

    I ADORE your family!!!!

    Thanks SO MUCH for sharing that video!!!!!

    X

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  28. Hey there ladyV~

    "our friends are in the computer. it's true. i really can't get out now and would probably die without twitter or internet."

    Yes, isn't that the TRUTH????

    "after pulling out our hair because we have no power, we calm down, get closer to actual people and as soon as the lights come back on we scatter like roaches all reaching for our electrical devices. hahahha."

    Bwhahahahahahahahahha! OMG...that was HILARIOUS!

    ...we scatter like roaches all reaching for our electrical devices.

    What a GREAT visual!!!!!!!

    "yes the first few hours are painful, but we fall in okay and realize the break is what we needed. it just had to be taken from us."

    I know, but aren't those first few hours the WORST? I mean that's ALL I was thinking, "Holy shit....I can't get online to blog, answer comments, or read my emails!!!!"

    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. And thank you for understanding the HORRIBLE frustration I went through.

    LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!!

    Have a faaaaaabulous week!

    X

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  29. Ron, I absolutely hate when this happens. And being that I live in Florida now (and I know you know what I mean), this happens more than it ever happened when I lived up north. The worst part is having no air conditioner!

    I can't imagine what it was like having to walk up all those stairs!?

    So glad to hear you got your power restored. Thank heavens for electricity, hu?

    Have a nice week, Ron

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  30. Hola Denise~

    Yes! Yes! Yes! I know what you mean about this happening A LOT in Florida. OMG...it was every month occasion! And what about when a HURRICANE hits????? My family had no power for 10 days one time. It was during that last bad hurricane you guys had several years ago.

    "I can't imagine what it was like having to walk up all those stairs!?"

    Yes, walking up and down those stairs was a BITCH. MY calves are killing me today - HA!

    Thank GOD the electricity is back on. Yaaaaaaaaay! I spent part of my morning doing laundry because I literally had no clean clothes. And I also went grocery shopping.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl! Have a super-duper week!

    X

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  31. You've very welcome!

    Happy to put a smile on your face!

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  32. Ron,

    I think I need a power outage, I really do. I spend way too much time with electronics and on top of that, I am an IT Director. I am connected 24/7. With e-mail, messaging, texting, twitter, blogging and facebook there is not a minute that I am not connected. And now, I am looking at Paul and he is busy typing on his laptop....OK, decision made Ron. We are going to have a 24 hour period with no connectivity. Soon, very soon, but not tonight... :)

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  33. Hey there Bill~

    "....and on top of that, I am an IT Director. I am connected 24/7. With e-mail, messaging, texting, twitter, blogging and facebook there is not a minute that I am not connected."

    OH. MY. GAWD......you ARE connected aren't you?????

    Well, at least I now know who to contact if I ever have any issues with TECHNOLOGY!

    I swear to god, that's one of the reason why I don't have a smartphone because I would be playing with it all day at work :)

    Isn't it something how we've ALL slowly turned into electronic GEEKS?

    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Always fab seeing ya!

    Wishing you and Paul a faaaaaaaaabulous week!

    X

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  34. "I even tried placing my laptop on the edge of the windowsill and pointed it in the direction of the hotel across the street in the hopes of stealing their Wi-Fi."

    That's a sign of somebody dedicated to the art of blogging. Kudos!

    And yes, I too feel disconnected and out of touch when I'm unable to get online. I imagine that's how junkies must feel when they need a hit of their drug of choice. I'm just thankful my drug is 0's and 1's ;-)

    And that's an *awesome* power cord. Is that thing real? If it is, I'm picking one up ASAP!

    Awesome post, brother!

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  35. Ron, it's so easy to lose track of what's important, especially now-a-days, with all the electronics which keep us up-to-date 24/7/365.

    I had a power outage about a week ago. It was right in the middle of one of the shows I like to watch. I was surprised, I didn't get upset at.all. I sat on my bed in the dark and just enjoyed the peacefulness! It only lasted about 10 minutes. But it was a blissful 10 minutes at that. And then back to NOISE! Ever notice that even light bulbs can be NOISY! And I LOVE light!!

    Glad YOU saw the "light" in your "dark" apartment. lol. It's the lessons we learn while going through the experience that teach us the most, I think.



    Have a fantabulous week!!

    ((You))

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  36. I know I panic too when power goes out. BUt it does also put things in perspective. There are more important things... it just might not seem so at the moment. Sorry you had a challenging day! Hope the rest of your week is brighter!

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  37. Howdy Herman~

    OMG, you should have seen me positioning my laptop on the widowsill trying DESPERATELY to get a connection - ANY connection - I was like a desperate highjacker!!!

    "I imagine that's how junkies must feel when they need a hit of their drug of choice. I'm just thankful my drug is 0's and 1's ;-)"

    HA! You said it, bud!!!

    I got that power cord photo online. And yes, I do think it's real. Isn't it COOL-LOOKING???

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, buddy! Hope you had wonderful Monday. Enjoy your week!

    X to you and family!

    P.S. Again, AWESOME Five-Minute Fiction today!

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  38. Good evening dearest Pamela~

    "Ron, it's so easy to lose track of what's important, especially now-a-days, with all the electronics which keep us up-to-date 24/7/365."

    You said it, girl! I cannot believe how 'anxious' I got when I realized I wasn't able to get online for 26 HOURS! I wasn't even concerned about the food in my fridge, only about getting on the Internet - HA!

    "It only lasted about 10 minutes. But it was a blissful 10 minutes at that. And then back to NOISE! Ever notice that even light bulbs can be NOISY! And I LOVE light!!"

    Good for you! That's what I should have done, but noooooo...I acted like a CRAZED LUNATIC!!!!!

    "Glad YOU saw the "light" in your "dark" apartment. lol. It's the lessons we learn while going through the experience that teach us the most, I think."

    You're exactly right! It's the lessons we learn while GOING through the experience that teach us the most!

    Always FAB to see ya! Thanks oodles for stopping by. Have a fantabulous week too!

    (((( You ))))

    X

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  39. Hiya Peg~

    "But it does also put things in perspective. There are more important things... it just might not seem so at the moment."

    It SURE does, my friend! And that's a lesson I needed to learn!

    Yes, I'm having a much BRIGHTER week!

    Now that the lights are back on - HA!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, Peg! Hope all is going fabulously well with the restaurant. I'm so anxious to hear how your opening goes!

    Have a super week!

    X to you and Dwight!

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  40. ah ron, it's all an illusion anyway, don't you know that? :)

    i hear you, we used to lose power for WEEKS on end out by the coast and we had three kids who were generally starving all the time! talk about nightmare and grounds for divorce even tho it wasn't his fault sort of thing....but i hear you, i wasn't blogging then but i am now and the little glitches i am having lately are enough to make me insane all over again. xoxoxox and good luck with it. the powers that be will more than likely keep it going now, they hate to miss out on blogging too.

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  41. Is it weird that I keep *hoping* for a power outage just so I can use my scented candles?

    OMG. I've turned into Ron!!!! Next I'll be stuffing olives up my nose and pooping in five seconds flat. ;)

    Have a g'day!!

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  42. excellent post! I'm on board with your opinions and insights. First finding gratitude for what we have rather than focusing on what we don't have. Only then can we find peace. And I do enjoy reading your blog so I'd selfishly have to say I'm sorta glad you're addicted to blogging. sending love, diane

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  43. Good morning Linda~

    You're right...it's all an 'illusion' anyway!

    However, you should have seen how DE-llusional I was acting before I had my epiphany - HA!

    "i hear you, we used to lose power for WEEKS on end out by the coast and we had three kids who were generally starving all the time! talk about nightmare and grounds for divorce even tho it wasn't his fault sort of thing..."

    OMG, you lost power for WEEKS???? Oy vey, I don't know HOW you survived?!?

    " i wasn't blogging then but i am now and the little glitches i am having lately are enough to make me insane all over again."

    Isn't it something how insane we bloggers get when we have those glitches?

    Thanks so much for stopping by this morning, dear friend. Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

    ((((( Linda )))))

    xoxooxo

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  44. Howdy Mark~

    "OMG. I've turned into Ron!!!! Next I'll be stuffing olives up my nose and pooping in five seconds flat. ;)"

    Bwhahahahahahahahahahha!

    Mark, you CRACK ME THE HELL UP!!!

    Thanks for stopping by, buddy! And make sure you have those scented candles handy because you NEVER know!

    Oh...and the olives too!

    Have a g'day!

    X

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  45. Hey there Diane~

    " First finding gratitude for what we have rather than focusing on what we don't have. Only then can we find peace."

    Amen!

    Yup, it took me this experience to remember that.

    Thanks so much for stopping by and for your sweet words, my friend.

    (((( You ))))

    Have a wonderful week!

    X to you and Cristybella!

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  46. It's all about perspective, Ron! We had our fair share of power outages in Ely and it was always a great excuse to get out of the house for a drive in the hills or a ride on the four-wheeler. Glad your power is back on and you can continue blogging while pooping. ;-)

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  47. Hey there Tara!

    I just this second finished leaving a comment on your last post. It was faaaaaaaabulous!!!

    You're so right, girl...it's all about PERSPECTIVE. And I think I needed this experience to remind me of that.

    Me too, so glad the power is back on!

    *And I say this while sitting on the toilet with my laptop taking a POOP!

    Bwhahahahahahhahaha!

    Thanks a bunch for stopping and have a super week!

    X

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  48. It's sad that we are so reliant on electricity now, for things we don't really need, to get by in life.

    I grew up in a time when there were no such things as computers, mobile or house phones, or any other electrical gadget, come to that. We only relied on electricity for our lighting and the wireless. Washing was done by hand, floors were swept with a broom, irons were heated on the gas stove and we kept warm with coal fires. I don't know that we ever had power cuts, but we wouldn't have noticed if we had :)

    I remember the strikes in the early 70's which led to regular power cuts. We began to look forward to them, because we were all prepared and used the time to play family games together, or get our guitars out and have a musical time. Again, that was really before we had many electrical gadgets. Home computers and the internet were unheard of. I would be lost in a power cut now.

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  49. OMG

    TELL me the only can opener you own isn't electric?!

    Yeah......well....power outages in this bitty town happen. I own several 'church key' openers and various hand held models.
    Can't be sitting in the candle light without a can of olives to feed my feelings yaknow! :-/

    Probably a bit odd to admit, but I rather like when the power goes out ('cept in the middle of an ice storm.......THEN it ain't so fun.....), cuz flashlight theatre happens, candles get lit (himself has a phobia of 'em when the electricity is ON.....notsomuch when the electricity is off..hmm....odd, huh? LOL), and I getta sit around and listen to silence! No whirring of the fridge, no fan noises--no television (wooooohoooo!!!!)....and it's awesome.
    AND I don't haffta worry anything if electricity goes off in bad weather....the weather alert has a battery back up.
    Damn thing....even when there's NO POWER it squelches and screams and tells me what's what.......for every county he's got programmed. (at last count it was six.....LOL....SIX! Cuz I CARE that the storm is three counties over and two counties UP. *rolling eyes*)

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  50. Hellooooooooooo Babs~

    "It's sad that we are so reliant on electricity now, for things we don't really need, to get by in life."

    Yes, it is, isn't it? And it seems that with the advancement of technology, electricity is becoming more and more of relied upon, so when stuff like this happens....we're lost!

    "Washing was done by hand, floors were swept with a broom, irons were heated on the gas stove and we kept warm with coal fires."

    OMG, as I was reading that I thought, "How WONDERFUL!" Yes, you may have not had the technology of today, but life was also more SIMPLE and FOCUSED.

    "I remember the strikes in the early 70's which led to regular power cuts. We began to look forward to them, because we were all prepared and used the time to play family games together, or get our guitars out and have a musical time."

    Meeee too! When I was kid, we actually looked FORWARD to those strikes!

    Thanks so much for stopping and sharing on this post, my friend. LOVED your comment!

    Hope you're having a lovely week!

    X to you and Mo!

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  51. Hiya Mel!

    "OMG

    TELL me the only can opener you own isn't electric?!

    HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes! In fact, I don't even own an electrical can opener - only manual!

    "Can't be sitting in the candle light without a can of olives to feed my feelings yaknow! :-/"

    Bwhahahahahahahahahaha! OMG...that CRACKED ME UP!!!

    "but I rather like when the power goes out ('cept in the middle of an ice storm.......THEN it ain't so fun.....), cuz flashlight theatre happens, candles get lit..."

    Yes, you're absolutely right....it is kinda enjoyable when you really look at it that way. I was just so wrapped up and OVERLY concerned about getting online, I let it spoil my enjoyment. Oh well, next time I'll be different. I hope :(

    ".for every county he's got programmed. (at last count it was six.....LOL....SIX! Cuz I CARE that the storm is three counties over and two counties UP. *rolling eyes*)"

    HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! Mel, you're a RIOT!!!!!

    You and Himself make such an adorable couple!

    Thanks oodles for stopping by, dearest lady. Hope you're having a super-duper week!

    ((((( Mel )))))

    X ya bunches!

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  52. Bwahahaha! That last pic!!! Yes, it is frustrating to be without power, but we used to lose it all the time at the cottage so I became rather self sufficient without it!! We now have generators both here and there...and I have an inverter for the car that I can plug either my portable dvd or the laptop into!! The last time we were without power for about three days and nights...but it was ok, the one thing I missed was WATER!!! Our water is pumped up from the lake...so that wasn't fun!! When we had the ice storm, we were without power for ELEVEN days...now, let me just say that was the longest eleven days in my life!!! Especially because at the time I was living with my ex and we were right smack in the middle of our divorce...it was awful!!! So glad you got your power back on! It sure does make us appreciate it that much more!! I have even learned how to make coffee by boiling water on my gas grill outside and manually pouring the hot water over a coffee filter into the pot! Amazing what we can do when forced!!! Have a great day Ron!! xo
    Jeanne

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  53. Hellooooooooo Jeanne~

    "We now have generators both here and there...and I have an inverter for the car that I can plug either my portable dvd or the laptop into!!"

    WOW...I need to get me one of those!!!!

    Thank GOD we were still able to get water because the first thing I thought when we lost power was...."Am I going to be able to use the TOILET???" HA!

    I use to have a gas stove in my previous apartment, however, this one has electric so I was not able to even make coffee with my French Press :(

    " When we had the ice storm, we were without power for ELEVEN days...now, let me just say that was the longest eleven days in my life!!! Especially because at the time I was living with my ex and we were right smack in the middle of our divorce...it was awful!!!"

    OMG...I can't even IMAGINE what that must have been like?!? ELEVEN days?!?!?

    " I have even learned how to make coffee by boiling water on my gas grill outside and manually pouring the hot water over a coffee filter into the pot! Amazing what we can do when forced!!!"

    You GO, girl! You're like a regular Mrs. Daniel Boone!!!!

    Thanks a bunch for stopping my, dear lady. Hope you're having a wonderful week!

    X to you and the girls!

    P.S. thank you for leaving that link on your post a few weeks ago to the online photo editing website, PicMonkey - I LOVE IT!!!!

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  54. I am with you Ronnie! When I am on a bloggin buzz nothing can stop me from wanting to post. Losing the power would drive me nuts and would probably force to go use my phone and try to read and comment on that tiny little screen lol! That would be a sight to see!

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  55. Hey there Shae~

    " Losing the power would drive me nuts and would probably force to go use my phone and try to read and comment on that tiny little screen lol! That would be a sight to see!"

    HAHAHAHAHAHA! I don't have a cell phone, but this is one time I wish I HAD because I would have probably done that!!!

    Thanks for stopping by, girl! Hope you're having a fantabulous week!

    X

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  56. Glad your power is back on!! I can't ever remember losing power for that long. Actually, we rarely lose it at all. Sometimes in a bad storm our DirecTV will go out but not for too long.
    I do usually have alot of candles on hand so an outtage wouldn't be terrible ... especially since I'm not all that regular with the blogging. haha

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  57. Oh my gosh, how frustrating! You're right about how connected we are to our electronic stuff. The power went out at work last week so I opened my blinds and just starting doing stuff manually. Now, not everyone has a window but it was so funny to just see people walking up and down the hallways lost because they didn't know what to do!

    Hope you're having a good week!

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  58. Hey there Mary~

    Me too! I can't tell you how frustrating it was not to have use of the elevator. My calves are still killing me from walking up and down those 21 flights!

    I should be use to the outages because of living in Florida where outages are the NORM.

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by this morning. Glad to see that you posted yesterday. I missed ya!

    Enjoy the rest of your week.....X

    ((((( You )))))))

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  59. Hey there Chrissy Girl~

    " Now, not everyone has a window but it was so funny to just see people walking up and down the hallways lost because they didn't know what to do!"

    HAHAHAHHAHAHA! OMG...how FUNNY!

    I never even thought about what it would be like to lose power at work, with having to use computers, copiers, etc. UGH!

    Isn't it something how accustom we've become to using electronic stuff to exist???

    Thanks for stopping by, girl! Have a GREAT rest of your week!

    X to you, Millie, Dino, and Vinny!

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  60. I react the same way during a power outage....it's like it's the END OF THE WORLD! All I can think about is how pissed I am, WTF is taking the power company so long, how bored I am, how much I want a hot drink, how all my food is going to be ruined, how cold or hot I am (depending on the season),etc., etc. On the last week of April about 5 years ago, we had an ice storm that knocked out the power for about 36 hours. It was so bizarre because then a warm front blew in and we had our windows open, it was so hot! With ice still bending trees over!

    But you're right, it's a good lesson, and a reminder that we could have been pioneers and REALLY been tortured! LOL!

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  61. That's partly why you're such a great blogger, you're addicted to it. Your passion keeps you consistent and engaged. I love your line about how you felt like losing the electricity had taken away your "power." That was brilliant. I think it's essential to disconnect some here and there. It's a good thing you don't have a smart phone. You'd never stop checking it.

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