Wherein ( Fashion ) Mistakes Are Made

[blas]

It only takes about 10 seconds of a power outage here to have the local neighborhood pest start running up and down the street alerting everyone that the power is out.

And about another 5 before everyone is in their car and on their way to the store to buy flashlights and candles. At 10:00 at night.

[ADeMartino]

Quoth Gravekeeper

It would seem that it only takes approximately 45 minutes without electricity for the average adult human being to lose their goddamn mind.

Really? It takes 45 minutes? Judging by my neighbors, I'd have thought it was far, far less.

In the fall of (I think it was 2008?) when the windstorms killed the power around here, the building was dark for not quite three days. Fortunately for me, I hadn't been to the store for a while, so there wasn't a whole lot to spoil in the fridge. Aside from not being able to use my computer, it didn't bother me much at all.

My downstairs neighbor, on the other hand, was in full-on, ranting-psychopath mode scarcely ten minutes into the blackout. I could hear his tantrum loud and clear.

I remember hearing stories about people actually confronting the utility workers who were working to repair the power lines. They were trying to intimidate the workers into turning on THEIR power first.

Pro tip for those who would try that: DON'T.

[AccountingDrone]

Quoth ADeMartino

I remember hearing stories about people actually confronting the utility workers who were working to repair the power lines. They were trying to intimidate the workers into turning on THEIR power first.

Pro tip for those who would try that: DON'T.

Heh, we take the guys that work on lines down near our house a nice hot pot of coffee and fixings or iced tea and fixings, depending on the season. We get the good scuttlebutt then

Really, we live out in the countryside and have our own small generator so it isn't so horrid here when the power goes out. Well, and a wood stove for the winter. I just wish we had the $7K it would cost to install a generac that would automatically test once a week for 15 minutes and automatically turn on and off as power goes off and on in the neighborhood. I am lazy that way

[Pixilated]

Quoth firecat88

As someone with...issues about the dark (read: I am 25 and, unless I'm going to bed, I don't like being in a completely dark room), I can understand freaking out about a power outage if it happens at night. If it happens during the day, though? Meh. Where's my pile of To Read books.

I can understand that. I don't have issues so much as "AAAAUUGH. WHERE'D I PUT THE CANDLES AND FLASHLIGHTS???" if the power goes out at night.

But this power outage occurred in the early evening, during the summer, so there were still a few hours of daylight left.

[Jester]

Quoth wolfie

You think Vancouver is bad? If they get 2 days in a row of below-freezing weather, you'd think the ice age had started. Try Toronto, or (worse) Winnipeg (there's a reason for its nickname of "Winterpeg") if you want to hear the brass monkeys singing soprano.

I have no idea if Vancouver is bad compared to other Canadian cities. I just know it is bad compared to, say, Phoenix.

As for trying those other places? Um, no. Absolutely not. I'm from the desert and I live on a tropical island. The only thing in my life I like to be ice cold is my beer, thank you very much.

Speaking of beer, I'm off to go buy some and drop it off at my friend's boat, as today is the day of the Minimal Regatta, one of the crazy Key West events that make this place so much fun. I could explain it to you, but this video does a much better job of it than I could. Amusingly, while the dock will be packed with people sweltering in the sun, *I* will be on my friend's boat on one of the slips, with one of the best seats around, cold beer without a wait, plenty of shade, some good people that are also friends with my friend, and no sweltering on the docks with the unwashed masses.

Yes, several of my other friends hate me for this. This year that list includes my buddy Popcorn, who has never been to the Regatta, as this is his first time that he will not be working during it....and of course, I invited my niece's friend The Pagan to join me. (I'm allowed to bring myself and one other person.) Sucks to be Popcorn!

[Gravekeeper]

Quoth Jester

I have no idea if Vancouver is bad compared to other Canadian cities. I just know it is bad compared to, say, Phoenix.

We're lucky if it even snows during the winter in Vancouver.

Also, what are you kids doing on my lawn?

[Jester]

See, that's where we differ. You think you would be "lucky" if you got snow. I, on the other hand, would consider myself very unlucky to be anywhere near those temps.

And while it does occasionally (and rarely) snow in Phoenix, I am relatively sure that winter temps in Vancouver are far colder than winter temps in the Valley of the Sun. Also, as you know, I currently reside on a tropical island whose lowest recorded temperature EVER is 41F.

Yeah. Down here snow only comes on a cone.