Okay so it might be a streach to list the 104 things I learned from not having electric for 104 hours (4 days 8 hours) but here we go......
1.) Always get gas before a storm that is predicted to be bad.
2.) The first couple of days are the worst.
3.) Do a load of whites when you know a storm is on the horizon.
4.) An 80 gallon water heater will keep lukewarm for about two days.
5.) Empty milk jugs and rubbermaid bins make pretty good water heaters if the sun is out.
6.) A small child only needs 2 gallons to bathe, a woman 3 and a man 4.
7.) Use your iphone sparingly.
8.) Have unused craft projects on hand always.
9.) You will still try to turn on the lights on day 4.
10.) A tent will not keep your kids entertained as long as you would hope.
11.) You can brew coffee without electric (not good coffee but keeps the headache away).
12.) Have a stash of cash.
13.) You can cook eggs on a gas grill in your glass pyrex 13x9 pan.
14.) Buying in bulk can save you or sink your ship.
15.) Buy two loaves of bread and peanut butter before a storm.
16.) Stars gazing in a city with 100% blackout is AWESOME.
17.) Kids will still ask you on day four if they can play the Wii, watch TV, and/or use the computer.
18.) You will on day 3 open the fridge even though you moved all the food to the cooler.
19.) Your kids will want to help do laundry in the sink even though they will not help on a normal day.
20.) Missing the Royal Wedding is kind of a bummer, but having your home and family is priceless.
21.) Thankful it was spring and found myself wanting to be outside.
22.) Use sunscreen.
23.) You will find out who your good neighbors are around you.
24.) Ice ~ hard to get.
25.) You will make a hierarchy of food supply. Stuff that needs to be cooked first over using bread. Bread is the last resort. Use what is in the fridge first.
26.) Eat the ice cream ASAP. Although half frozen ice cream is great fun for breakfast.
27.) Your kids will not want to sleep in their rooms.
28.) True night is very dark.
29.) Your kids might get a tick from being outside a lot ~ ask Nathan.
30.) Kids will help you organize the garage on day four without complaining.
31.) Remember where you put your flashlight in the morning so you don't have to spend time at dusk looking for it.
32.) Have batteries on hand.
33.) FB oddly was my only way to communicate at times.
34.) My iphone is one of my best purchases ever.
35.) Have phone numbers of your supervisor and emails at home.
36.) Candles produce carbon monoxide....not from experience but by listening to the radio reports.
37.) I know where Pulaski, TN is in relation to my house.
38.) Generators are not worth the trouble.
39.) Toast taste better when made on the grill.
40.) A lot of home repairs can be done without power tools.
41.) A homemade fort on the deck will entertain your kids for hours and for much longer than the tent.
42.) You will let your kids eat chocolate at 9 AM just because we have it in the house. Reese's peanut butter cups are good for you right?
43.) Kids will become creative and actually play ~ mine learned if you toss a ball on the roof from the deck it will come back to you.......most of the time.
44.) Mark found something he has been looking for in the garage for a long time.
45.) The middle most closet down stairs will do zilch, zip, nada, diddly-squat for us if an F4 or F5 hits my house.
46.) Publix is really a great company that sold things they normally don't sell but knew we needed. For example propane tanks for our Coleman stove.
47.) Have a couple of Coleman stove tanks on hand at all times.
48.) A whole day without electric, phone service or internet will not kill you.
49.) There are always people that will complain and make a bigger deal of a situation.
50.) Most people make the situation work.
51.) Allergy season is not the best time to have your windows open for 104 hours.
52.) If you have kids a hidden pictures book is a life saver.
53.) Most of N Alabama got a unexpected vacation. Those who did not are working hard 24/7. Thank you to local and out of state utility workers and elected officials.
54.) Learn what you take for granted everyday. Hot showers, stove, flipping on a switch and the light coming on.
55.) My kids have a new vocabulary which includes curfew, generator, and conservation of water.
56.) A coffee makers uses more watts than a refrigerator.
57.) Tape + Kids = great vacuum and great fun.
58.) You can make sun tea in a plastic container.
59.) You will set goals in terms of the electric coming back on. For example: you will say "I want to finish this rag wreath before the electric comes back on." or "When the electric comes back on I will have a ton of laundry to do."
60.) You will go to bed as soon as it gets dark and sleep a lot.
61.) You forget what time it is, what day it is, and know at dusk there is a ton to do before it gets dark.
62.) You will spend most of your day surviving but mostly doing dishes for your family of five.
63.) Next time buy paper plates.
Well, I only got to 63. I'm sure I can think of more but want to post this before June.
1.) Always get gas before a storm that is predicted to be bad.
2.) The first couple of days are the worst.
3.) Do a load of whites when you know a storm is on the horizon.
4.) An 80 gallon water heater will keep lukewarm for about two days.
5.) Empty milk jugs and rubbermaid bins make pretty good water heaters if the sun is out.
6.) A small child only needs 2 gallons to bathe, a woman 3 and a man 4.
7.) Use your iphone sparingly.
8.) Have unused craft projects on hand always.
9.) You will still try to turn on the lights on day 4.
10.) A tent will not keep your kids entertained as long as you would hope.
11.) You can brew coffee without electric (not good coffee but keeps the headache away).
12.) Have a stash of cash.
13.) You can cook eggs on a gas grill in your glass pyrex 13x9 pan.
14.) Buying in bulk can save you or sink your ship.
15.) Buy two loaves of bread and peanut butter before a storm.
16.) Stars gazing in a city with 100% blackout is AWESOME.
17.) Kids will still ask you on day four if they can play the Wii, watch TV, and/or use the computer.
18.) You will on day 3 open the fridge even though you moved all the food to the cooler.
19.) Your kids will want to help do laundry in the sink even though they will not help on a normal day.
20.) Missing the Royal Wedding is kind of a bummer, but having your home and family is priceless.
21.) Thankful it was spring and found myself wanting to be outside.
22.) Use sunscreen.
23.) You will find out who your good neighbors are around you.
24.) Ice ~ hard to get.
25.) You will make a hierarchy of food supply. Stuff that needs to be cooked first over using bread. Bread is the last resort. Use what is in the fridge first.
26.) Eat the ice cream ASAP. Although half frozen ice cream is great fun for breakfast.
27.) Your kids will not want to sleep in their rooms.
28.) True night is very dark.
29.) Your kids might get a tick from being outside a lot ~ ask Nathan.
30.) Kids will help you organize the garage on day four without complaining.
31.) Remember where you put your flashlight in the morning so you don't have to spend time at dusk looking for it.
32.) Have batteries on hand.
33.) FB oddly was my only way to communicate at times.
34.) My iphone is one of my best purchases ever.
35.) Have phone numbers of your supervisor and emails at home.
36.) Candles produce carbon monoxide....not from experience but by listening to the radio reports.
37.) I know where Pulaski, TN is in relation to my house.
38.) Generators are not worth the trouble.
39.) Toast taste better when made on the grill.
40.) A lot of home repairs can be done without power tools.
41.) A homemade fort on the deck will entertain your kids for hours and for much longer than the tent.
42.) You will let your kids eat chocolate at 9 AM just because we have it in the house. Reese's peanut butter cups are good for you right?
43.) Kids will become creative and actually play ~ mine learned if you toss a ball on the roof from the deck it will come back to you.......most of the time.
44.) Mark found something he has been looking for in the garage for a long time.
45.) The middle most closet down stairs will do zilch, zip, nada, diddly-squat for us if an F4 or F5 hits my house.
46.) Publix is really a great company that sold things they normally don't sell but knew we needed. For example propane tanks for our Coleman stove.
47.) Have a couple of Coleman stove tanks on hand at all times.
48.) A whole day without electric, phone service or internet will not kill you.
49.) There are always people that will complain and make a bigger deal of a situation.
50.) Most people make the situation work.
51.) Allergy season is not the best time to have your windows open for 104 hours.
52.) If you have kids a hidden pictures book is a life saver.
53.) Most of N Alabama got a unexpected vacation. Those who did not are working hard 24/7. Thank you to local and out of state utility workers and elected officials.
54.) Learn what you take for granted everyday. Hot showers, stove, flipping on a switch and the light coming on.
55.) My kids have a new vocabulary which includes curfew, generator, and conservation of water.
56.) A coffee makers uses more watts than a refrigerator.
57.) Tape + Kids = great vacuum and great fun.
58.) You can make sun tea in a plastic container.
59.) You will set goals in terms of the electric coming back on. For example: you will say "I want to finish this rag wreath before the electric comes back on." or "When the electric comes back on I will have a ton of laundry to do."
60.) You will go to bed as soon as it gets dark and sleep a lot.
61.) You forget what time it is, what day it is, and know at dusk there is a ton to do before it gets dark.
62.) You will spend most of your day surviving but mostly doing dishes for your family of five.
63.) Next time buy paper plates.
Well, I only got to 63. I'm sure I can think of more but want to post this before June.
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