raven01750
.270 WIN
3:58 PM. We returned to the stone age. So, decided it would be best to take a nap (not knowing how bad the outage actually was) only to wake up a couple of hours later with no power. Thinking this strange, I picked up my cell phone so I could call SDG&E to find out how long the power would be out. No answer. Hell, No Ring. What is going on, my phone says it's searching. Uh Oh. That means that the cell towers are down too.
So, I have no power, no phone because we don't have a land line. No internet to find out what is going on. And I'm wondering what am I going to do to find out what is going on?
Well, about that time my SO wakes up and says why don't we use the radio? I said, no power of course. Then it dawned on me that I had two hand crank Emergency Radios I bought just a couple of months ago for just this type of circumstance.
Went to the hunting box and pull one out. Thinking it weird of course. (We never actually think we will use the things of course or maybe we just hope to never use them) :shock:
Turn it on and start going through the FM band. Nothing. Weather Band, yes that's still transmitting. AM. Finally the usual signs of a moronic society talking about how it is taking them 1 1/2 hours to move 1 car length. But I also found out that the world hadn't come to an end. Chalk up one for the emergency Radio. (Of course I hadn't thought of the one in my car since I just woke up from a nap) Duh.
That's when I heard it... SDG&E telling us over the radio to activate your families Emergency Response Plan if you have one. I said SH*&. My emergency response plan is at the Mossberg Repir Facility in Eagle pass Texas!
I went outside and ran into a neighbor walking her dog. She said power was out in all of San Diego County. :shock: :shock: How bad is it really? What were we going to do next? Food, low. Water. Still on. But for how long? Drinking water. OK. but not if this was going to last for a few days. Fill up the bathtub for flushing water just in case. Check.
Get back to the cell. Signal pops in and out. But no phone service. Found out from another neighbor that text was still working. OK. I at least have some way to contact my kids etc who live with their mom 20 miles away. Send them a breif text saying "Power out until tomorrow. Are you OK?" The battery is almost dead. Crap. OK. I can recharge it in the car. That will keep that lifeline open for now. And wait for a response...
Start listening to the car radio while the neighbors are gathering around the Emergency radio and natural gas grill to make some dinner. My propane bottle on my grill was out. Of course. Sheesh. Not looking to prepared here but we still had the basics. Information is coming in now. The main line from Arizona went down. Not terrorist related. Cool. But it could be until tomorrow until we get power again.
As the night went on, several neighbors came out and hung around the radio, kids playing, enjoying the excitement. Were OK for now. Emergency services are tasked to the limit since all of the workers getting off are trapped in elevators, parking garages that can't get the exit gates open etc. Radio constantly asking people to stay off of their cell phones and only dial 911 if it was a life or death emergency because that was the only was they would try to make it to a particular scene.
Text came in from my oldest son. "Yes." That told me they were OK but nothing else. But that's what was important anyway.
Then it came time to start to deal with the minor inconvieneance of life in the stone age. Break out a cigar and my bottle of bourbon. This is actually more important than I thought. Why you ask? Because it gave people the time to just sit and talk. Talk to neighbors that we see all of the time in passing. Relax and learn a little about each other. And a good bourbon helps. Several families used the grill. Found out that I was the only one with weapons and ammunition if it had come to that and that some of them actually knew that we as a community would be better off defending our little slice of civilization togther. And even knew how we could do it. Encouraging. One neighbor even had MRE's for dinner. Had a great time and woke up with lights and a bit of a hang over.
All in all, a great experience on several levels. And a learning one too. Better get back to building my Families Emergency Resonse kit. Becuase you never know when your really going to need it. Have a great day everyone.
Paul
So, I have no power, no phone because we don't have a land line. No internet to find out what is going on. And I'm wondering what am I going to do to find out what is going on?
Well, about that time my SO wakes up and says why don't we use the radio? I said, no power of course. Then it dawned on me that I had two hand crank Emergency Radios I bought just a couple of months ago for just this type of circumstance.
Went to the hunting box and pull one out. Thinking it weird of course. (We never actually think we will use the things of course or maybe we just hope to never use them) :shock:
Turn it on and start going through the FM band. Nothing. Weather Band, yes that's still transmitting. AM. Finally the usual signs of a moronic society talking about how it is taking them 1 1/2 hours to move 1 car length. But I also found out that the world hadn't come to an end. Chalk up one for the emergency Radio. (Of course I hadn't thought of the one in my car since I just woke up from a nap) Duh.
That's when I heard it... SDG&E telling us over the radio to activate your families Emergency Response Plan if you have one. I said SH*&. My emergency response plan is at the Mossberg Repir Facility in Eagle pass Texas!
I went outside and ran into a neighbor walking her dog. She said power was out in all of San Diego County. :shock: :shock: How bad is it really? What were we going to do next? Food, low. Water. Still on. But for how long? Drinking water. OK. but not if this was going to last for a few days. Fill up the bathtub for flushing water just in case. Check.
Get back to the cell. Signal pops in and out. But no phone service. Found out from another neighbor that text was still working. OK. I at least have some way to contact my kids etc who live with their mom 20 miles away. Send them a breif text saying "Power out until tomorrow. Are you OK?" The battery is almost dead. Crap. OK. I can recharge it in the car. That will keep that lifeline open for now. And wait for a response...
Start listening to the car radio while the neighbors are gathering around the Emergency radio and natural gas grill to make some dinner. My propane bottle on my grill was out. Of course. Sheesh. Not looking to prepared here but we still had the basics. Information is coming in now. The main line from Arizona went down. Not terrorist related. Cool. But it could be until tomorrow until we get power again.
As the night went on, several neighbors came out and hung around the radio, kids playing, enjoying the excitement. Were OK for now. Emergency services are tasked to the limit since all of the workers getting off are trapped in elevators, parking garages that can't get the exit gates open etc. Radio constantly asking people to stay off of their cell phones and only dial 911 if it was a life or death emergency because that was the only was they would try to make it to a particular scene.
Text came in from my oldest son. "Yes." That told me they were OK but nothing else. But that's what was important anyway.
Then it came time to start to deal with the minor inconvieneance of life in the stone age. Break out a cigar and my bottle of bourbon. This is actually more important than I thought. Why you ask? Because it gave people the time to just sit and talk. Talk to neighbors that we see all of the time in passing. Relax and learn a little about each other. And a good bourbon helps. Several families used the grill. Found out that I was the only one with weapons and ammunition if it had come to that and that some of them actually knew that we as a community would be better off defending our little slice of civilization togther. And even knew how we could do it. Encouraging. One neighbor even had MRE's for dinner. Had a great time and woke up with lights and a bit of a hang over.
All in all, a great experience on several levels. And a learning one too. Better get back to building my Families Emergency Resonse kit. Becuase you never know when your really going to need it. Have a great day everyone.
Paul