Man (?) Woman Against Nature

[Lisa Denton]

In texas lately it was like storming and raining for a month, but had finally stopped for a couple weeks, well it started again.

The TXU Energy peoples is fuckin idiots, and so even in a light sprinkle the power might go off. they usually get in on again in a few minutes or however long it takes somebody to quit laffin and get off thier ass and flip a couple switches. Sometimes it takes longer if power lines is down and stuff but usually an hour or so.

Well, yesterday evening it went off and stayed off.

It was just me and my brave fearless doggie Scooter, up against the wild forces of nature, left to fend for ouselves without internet, phones, food and water and NO ELECTRICITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, Scooter don't like the lightning and thunder, it scares him, and he hates the dark so when the lights went off he freaked out. But I quickly took took charge when I realized they wasn't gonna turn it back on. So I got a flashlight, but the batteries was going dead, fuck, but then I remembered I had some lil oil lamps and found them and lit them.

It has been longer now and I knew we was in a bad situation, so I took stock of the food and water situation. Yes, the water worked, but you gotta check in a disaster. Then I got out a big bag of tortilla chips and put them on the table so we wouldn't starve to death. I looked at Scooter, not like that you sick fuck, I wasn't gonna eat him, I was wondering how he was doing. It was thunderin and shit and he was really scared and tellin me to turn on the lights but there was nothing I could do.

But I had to think, this is it, what would we do if the electricity never came back on?

Could Scooter go out hunting when we ran out of tortilla chips? Maybe kill and bring in the neighbors cat so we could cook him up and eat cat-burgers? Scooter didn't look like he could do nothing but shake and shiver, so I looked in the pantry and made sure there was some soup and crackers.

I was getting good at this surviving in the wild stuff, so I decided to read by lamplight, guess what? You fuckin can't read by lamplight. I didn't know that, its too dark and even with the lamp turned up full blast you can't read.

If I could just turn on the computer I could go on google and find out how to build a generator or something, but I need a generator before I can go on google.

So I said fuckit and took a nap. The power came back on after 5 or 6 hours, but I had to wonder, could I survive if it never came back on.

Could you?

 

[rgraham666]

Nope. I'd be well and truly screwed if the power went off forever.

That's not going too happen for at least ten years though, more probably twenty.

So I don't sweat about it.

 

[Lisa Denton]

Nope. I'd be well and truly screwed if the power went off forever.

That's not going too happen for at least ten years though, more probably twenty.

So I don't sweat about it.

Huh?

The power is gonna go off in ten years?

 

[rgraham666]

Huh?

The power is gonna go off in ten years?

I think so. Most people are too busy looking after themselves to look after the world they live in.

So before too much longer the whole system will break down. At least here in North America.

Sad.

 

[Lisa Denton]

I think so. Most people are too busy looking after themselves to look after the world they live in.

So before too much longer the whole system will break down. At least here in North America.

Sad.

Well what are we gonna do Rg?

Do you know how to build a generator?

Can you grow tortilla chips?

 

[tickledkitty]

I might survive, but I'd be a cranky bitch without my computer.

 

[Guest]

I might survive, but I'd be a cranky bitch without my computer.

Indeed. Me, too.

 

[rgraham666]

Indeed. Me, too.

I'm sure you'll find some way to relive your crankiness.

 

[Guest]

I'm sure you'll find some way to relive your crankiness.

Sure.

We'll all come visit you.

Even if we don't have any power we can find something to do.

 

[tickledkitty]

I'm sure you'll find some way to relive your crankiness.

Sure, until the batteries run out.
(Speaking for myself, of course.)

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

A few years ago, the power went off over a large part of the entire city during an ice storm. I remember the water froze in the toilets. The power was off for days. At night my skinny ass froze. During the day it was a pleasure to go to work where it was warm.

This mess lasted about six or seven days.

Afterwards there was a big too-do about triming all the trees so this wouldn't happen again. But people forget and the trees are all grown back now.

 

[Bizkit_Writer]

I hate it when the power goes out! I feel like I'm in the dark ages! As for surviving forever without light? Internet? Literotica? Not a chance! I need my grown up electrical toys...

 

[R. Richard]

Some years back the entire New England power grid went down. It was not fun, but people did survive.

 

[TxRad]

When the power goes off, it's called camping......

 

[lisa123414]

We were without power for two weeks after a hurricane a few years back. The neighbors had a generator and ran us an extension cord so we could plug in the refrigerator. The kids wanted to unplug the frige and plug in the tv! (At least until they got hungry, I imagine.)

I keep telling the kids that I am going to hook up their bikes to a generator, then they can watch tv and play video games for only as long as they generate thier own power for it. As a parent who is constantly kicking the kids off the couch and out the door, I think there would be a real market for my invention. Course, I would have to generate my own computer power in order not to be a hypocrite.....hmmm.

 

[Alex De Kok]

I keep telling the kids that I am going to hook up their bikes to a generator, then they can watch tv and play video games for only as long as they generate thier own power for it. As a parent who is constantly kicking the kids off the couch and out the door, I think there would be a real market for my invention. Course, I would have to generate my own computer power in order not to be a hypocrite.....hmmm.

It's been done. Have a look here. If you Google 'bicycle-powered generator' you'll get over 9,000 hits . . .

Alex

 

[lisa123414]

It's been done. Have a look here. If you Google 'bicycle-powered generator' you'll get over 9,000 hits . . .

Alex

Thanks Alex!

I can believe that I am not the first person to think of this. We have a crank-powered radio I got years ago for the inevitable hurricane power loss.

As is everything in our capitalist society, the answer is marketing. The person who elegantly incorporates the generator into a nice looking piece of exercise equipment, gets the cost down to something reasonable, then goes and markets it to the parents who are concerned about the screen time their kids are getting, will become rich.

I have seen one of these in action at our local children’s museum. It takes a lot of pedaling to operate a radio, so our American kids should all turn out like Lance Armstrong rather than being the worlds laziest and most obese. Maybe the answer is to get the medical supply companies to provide and the pediatricians to prescribe....

 

[Liar]

Me and my then better half went through a summer a few years back whithout power and phone at my family's summer house on a small coastal island. The rest of my family opted out because the power lines had been cut by a stray anchor, but I though "Hey, how bad can it be?". For three weeks we lived on fresh fish from the sea, vegetables from the garden, and whatever canned and dry that was in the cupboards. We threw wood in the fireplace for heating, hauled buckets from the well for drinking, and screwed like bunnies for entertainment. Not sure that last one was all thatrelevant to the power outage, but since we had the whole house to ourselves... well.

Bottom line, it went splendidly. Only thing we really missed was a fridge.

And this kind of thing is only doable if you have plenty of time and no rush. Making a cup of coffee (lighting the wood stove) took 35 minutes. And the SO was cranky because she couldn't get milk in hers.

 

[lisa123414]

Hi Liar!

Like TxRad says, its called camping. Some of us are cut out for it, some of us are not. Most of it is not so bad, when you get used to it. With kids, and the way they seem to eat constantly, a refrigerator is a good thing to have. Oh and I cannot imagine how people coped with babies before electricity. Babies make all kinds of messes requiring soap and running water. Would not want to wish that on any new moms.

 

[SeaCat]

LOLOLOLOL

After Hurricanes Francis and Jean we had no power for a couple of weeks. No problems.

The foods in the fridge and freezer were cooked and consumed first. That which went bad fed the fish.

We had plenty of canned food, which I supplemented by fishing.

Light came from several hurricane Lamps and a Lantern. We charged our Cell Phones on the way to and from work. (As well as in work, where we had a generator.)

After Hurricane Wilma we fired up the generator. It was large enough to run the Fridge and Freezer as well as charge batteries. It also ran the TV when we weren't charging batteries. I had six, six gallon tanks of gas which was plenty.

I'm ready, as long as our place comes through okay. I have enough canned and dried food for almost six months. I have enough kibble and kitty litter for a couple of months. I have six 6+gallon and five 2 gallon gas cans. (Not to mention multiple bottles of Gas Stabilizer.) (My generator is just large enough to run the fridge and both freezers as well as charge batteries. I run it for roughly six hours a day, and it uses four gallons in 24 hours. You do the math.) I have three Oil Lamps and four gallons of lamp oil.

This of course doesn't take into account any smoked meats I may have on hand, or the tools I have squirreled away.

Cat

 

[Lisa Denton]

LOLOLOLOL

After Hurricanes Francis and Jean we had no power for a couple of weeks. No problems.

The foods in the fridge and freezer were cooked and consumed first. That which went bad fed the fish.

We had plenty of canned food, which I supplemented by fishing.

Light came from several hurricane Lamps and a Lantern. We charged our Cell Phones on the way to and from work. (As well as in work, where we had a generator.)

After Hurricane Wilma we fired up the generator. It was large enough to run the Fridge and Freezer as well as charge batteries. It also ran the TV when we weren't charging batteries. I had six, six gallon tanks of gas which was plenty.

I'm ready, as long as our place comes through okay. I have enough canned and dried food for almost six months. I have enough kibble and kitty litter for a couple of months. I have six 6+gallon and five 2 gallon gas cans. (Not to mention multiple bottles of Gas Stabilizer.) (My generator is just large enough to run the fridge and both freezers as well as charge batteries. I run it for roughly six hours a day, and it uses four gallons in 24 hours. You do the math.) I have three Oil Lamps and four gallons of lamp oil.

This of course doesn't take into account any smoked meats I may have on hand, or the tools I have squirreled away.

Cat

Cat, you continue to amaze me.

If the power goes out can we all come to your house? How many beds do you have?

 

[SeaCat]

Cat, you continue to amaze me.

If the power goes out can we all come to your house? How many beds do you have?

Lisa,

Currently I have our bed, two futons and one pull out couch. Enough for six guests. (12 if they're friendly.)

Bring your own booze and firearms. I only have one case of Tequila, One case of Wine and 4 cases of beer in back.

Visitors are always welcome.

Cat

 

[The_Darkness]

Could always be worse. Could be that ice storm that Jenny was talking about.

Damn weather cycles.

 

[Lisa Denton]

Lisa,

Currently I have our bed, two futons and one pull out couch. Enough for six guests. (12 if they're friendly.)

Bring your own booze and firearms. I only have one case of Tequila, One case of Wine and 4 cases of beer in back.

Visitors are always welcome.

Cat

12 friendly guests, booze and firearms?

Sounds like a party. Should I bring some sex toys and ammo?