Day 7: Electricity

“Electricity is a recent discovery.  Think of 12 things to do when there’s no power.”

1)      Just because I was raised on Beavis and Butthead (against the expressed wishes of my parents, I might add), the first thing that pops into my mind is fornication.  You don’t need any light to do a little fornicatin’—be it with yourself or with anyone else—and it’s a good way to stay warm if the heat’s also out.

2)      For some reason, I always equate building a fire with a power outage.  Maybe it’s just that primeval security blanket thing, but I always want to build a fire.

3)      And if there’s a fire, what better thing to do that requires no energy at all but tell ghost stories?  Seriously, this is when you can get your creative juices flowing.  A favorite ghost story of mine comes from http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/02/scariest-story.html.  Like, this is poop your pants scary.

4)      Another way to get your creative juices flowing is to make a meal…out of only things that are in the pantry.  It can be as creative as roasting marshmallows over a candle to making a meal of pop-tarts and trail mix.  In a pinch, your pantry’s got some real treasures.

5)      I remember having a power outage a work one time.  We all just sat there staring blankly at our darkened computer screens still trying to click our mice when I got up to wander around to talk to people.  So that’s another thing you can do with no power: babble with co-workers.

6)      And speaking of wandering around, regardless of the time of day, if there’s no power you can go for a walk.  Walks are nice because you can let your mind wander, but it’s also fun in the dead of the night and there aren’t any streetlights.  It makes the scene quite eerie. 

7)      Playing board games don’t generally require power, unless you have some fancy new version of Trivial Pursuit I’m not aware of.

8)      Reading a book also doesn’t require any power, though the whole lighting situation may be tricky.  I really should just keep some candles around just in case.

9)      In this day of mobile telephonic devices, your cell phone doesn’t require external power immediately.  Call the power company to see what the crap is going on.

10)  Organize something.  This may not sound too exciting, but you know that project you’ve had about redoing your closet for the longest time?  Well without the Real Housewives of wherever-the-hell blaring from you TV, you could potentially tackle that project.

11)  I’m sure you’ve got something in your house that’s not electrically operated that you can use to occupy your mind.  For example, I’ve got a Lego pirate ship (yes, I’m that awesome).  I could EASILY see myself making the fair maiden walk the plank, or have the pirate crew set off on some wild adventure for hours if I felt the need.  Reconnect with your inner child and play.

12)  And finally, if your area doesn’t have any power, that may just be a localized thing.  Get in someone’s car and drive to another area of town—that area may not even realize that others are without power!