Blasts from the past I could do without

[flemmings]

This year has been reminding me of 2009 in its weather and ethos. Which was well enough-- better than last year at any rate-- but I could have done without the mini-blackout in my neighbourhood for five hours this morning. At least I'm not the only person who freaks out over blackouts, as if the gates of hell had suddenly opened before my eyes. 2003 and 2009 left deep scars in certain downtown residents.

I always figured that I could stand a blackout well enough if I wasn't alone in it. I mean, the great 1965 blackout was rather a lark.* Someone else to lend body heat in winter and moral support in summer, and my equilibrium would be just fine-- I thought. But the staff who came in looking as frazzled as I has a husband and daughter and dog and still couldn't get back to sleep for worrying, after hearing everything turn off at 4 in the morning.

*But I see it lasted a mere 12 hours if that, not the 24 of '09 or the 41 of 2003.

Comments

[nekonexus.livejournal.com]

One of these days I will remember that coworker who lives in your neighbourhood actually lives in your neighbourhood when she mentions things like she had no power and thus had to come to work without tea. I fail at connecting the dots.

It does traumatize one unexpectedly, this loss of power -- or in my case, heat (not always connected).

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

I was going to say, the affected area was pretty small, but in fact it took in most of Seaton Village. Except the lights were on in the block south of me. well north of the south boundary, so even then there were pockets.

Are you still losing heat on a random basis? That sucks mightily; though I suppose if you still have electricity there are workarounds. (I have a gas water heater and stove. Can't complain too much.)

[nekonexus.livejournal.com]

As I understand it, she's one street away, so close enough. :)

The funky furnace issues seem to have stopped as of the end of December. We do have a space heater, which we ran (and which of course ran up our utility bill to almost double what it had been the previous month). But we're still kind of twitchy about "is the furnace blowing cold air again? better check..."

That, and old trauma from living in the 100yo farm house, where we more than once ran out of oil in the middle of the night and had no money to get the tank filled, and they were reluctant to put it 'on account'. Yeah. Brain patterns that get stuck.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Oh the oil furnaces. I had one of those the first five years here, and the nagging question of Was there enough to get me through this cold snap? Could the truck get through the snow banks to refill? was a perennial. At least the money was never a problem.

Honestly, how *did* people live here before technology?