After a 50 minute blackout, the power went back on about 30 minutes ago! Yay!!! :D With the exception of the fact that the power went out the during second time I was trying to update my journal (I lost what I was writing the first time when my computer disconnected from the internet), it was pretty neat. I was the only crazy person on the street who went outside to look at the stars.  :P Oh, the best part is when I saw a shooting star!

Well, off to try and update my journal again. I hope nothing weird happens this time! *knocks on wood*

And here I thought I was the only freak who likes it when the power goes off!  *lol*  I just love the peace and quiet of it...no television, no nothing.  The shooting star sighting was like a bonus, Juri!  

Gah - along the lines of this topic - our phone has been giving us tremendous trouble - can't call out can't hear calls coming in and the phone company won't take responsibility.

Pointless Posts ROCK ...g

Now I want the power to go out.  Since I live in the country, it would be great for star gazing

I like thunderstorms...but not blackouts. But that's just because of my little fishies and the fact that aquarium filter and heater stop.

Sometimes when we have a nice thunderstorm (hasn't happened this year yet) I go to the balcony to watch it.

Eep! I'm going to try and reply to four people in one post.

Trisha Haha! I'm sure there's more people like us. Because the next day was garbage day, everyone on the street had their rubbish cans out and the air smelt a little funky, so the shooting star was definately a  bonus.

Gabi It's terrible that the phone company isn't being helpful. I hope your phone problems get fixed soon! *lol* Pointless posts do rock!

Panpeus It's funny that you should mention that you live in the country. While I was outside I was thinking, "I wish I lived in the country so I could see the stars more often." I live in a suburb so I usually only get to see the brighter stars.

Galadriel Thunderstorms in North America are really neat! I really like how you can see the lightning bolt extend from the ground to the sky. Over here the lightning just jumps from cloud to cloud.

Yep, I agree! Thunderstorms are totally cool. I saw a bolt of lightning for the first time. I've seem thunderstorms before, I just blink or something when it comes to actually seeing them.  :) I'm talented like that.

Meg

*gah* gimme a nice storm about now -

After six months of denial the phone company finally shows up only to tell us they can't fix it - they have to come in with heavier equiptment

I anticipate a loooooooong time of intermitant to no phone service...grrrrrrrrrrr...g

[quote author=gabi link=board=offtopic;num=1123666337;start=0#7 date=08/11/05 at 17:22:37
I anticipate a loooooooong time of intermitant to no phone service...grrrrrrrrrrr...g[/quote]
And they wonder why people are switching more and more to cell phones ???

I went to Montana once and saw the exact type of thunderstorm you described!  Columns of clouds going straight up, and thunder and lightning going to the ground.  It was one of the most memorable and amazing things I ever saw!  The columns really make you realize just how teeeny we are.

I hope your connections start behaving, Juri!  :)

Cynde

((((Everyone))))
Be there a thunderstorm wherever may you be.
Even better, be there a thunderstorm that causes blackouts wherever may you be. :-*

Anais

edited grammatical error

We had a power outage in our little village during the last thunderstorm (again) My hubby and I are ALWAYS outside looking at stars or the storm.....we have candles burning almost every night, so we only notice the power outage when the TV is dead, or the neighbor's house goes dark.
Our puppies don't care much for it. To loud for them, I guess. Our cat is rather outside during storms.
The last thunderstorm we had was weird. For the first time I noticed lightning from the ground up! Thunderstorms in Germany are not like that. Lightning "normally" goes from the clouds down towards earth. Things are changing. Last year we had tornados reported in 2 or 3 different areas. That never happened before.

I have to share one more story:
My daughter was born on 30 May 1983. The night she was born we had a thunderstorm, every year on her birthday there was a thunderstorm, sometimes it rained and stormed only for a little while, but it always did. She is 22 years young now. We have been in different parts of Germany and different parts of the US over the years. A thunderstorm for every birthday all the way up to her 21st. This year's 22nd is the first one without a storm or a drop of rain. ???

I remember out last big blackout a summer or two ago.  It was so hot and no a/c or fans!   :-/  The worst was that we needed money and all the bank machines where down!  My old job was open and they made people work in the dark! (no wonder I don't work there anymore) Thankfully I was not on shift for those days.  At night I would walk around the neighborhood with miners hats!  My next door nieghbor was a miner in Sudbury so he handed out hats to us. We walked around making sure there was no robbies and messing around.  Blackouts do things to people, my upstairs nieghbor took his girlfriend out to the back and well....we left them alone ::)  My hubby had some idea's too... notwithstanding we um...got back on partol eventually ::)

Great stories!!

It's like a fireside group.  Keep 'em coming.

BTW - we do have our phone connection back, I hope  ::)...g

Check out the birth rate in about 9 months :o  (happens with big snowstorms too ;) )

wrote on Aug 12^th, 2005 at 12:55am:

I hope your connections start behaving, Juri!  :) Cynde

Thanks, Khrome! Unfortunately, seeing as how I had an unexpected week-long vacation from LL, that hasn't happened yet.
:'(

Greetings. I just survived a four day blackout here after what I think was a tornado or a 100mph wind shear.

There was no joy in this after about the third day. People were threatening each other and even threatening power company workers! Unscrupulous tree trimminmg poeple came from as far as Ohio to rip people off (condidering the utility would remove the tree for free and these tree trimming leaches wanted pay!).

I kept my food safe by storing it in a lab freezer at work. I kept my sanity with three car batteries, three inverters, a dial up connection, and some low power lights.

Being one that has to be involved, I went around the neighborhood looking for downed phone lines and offered to rehook the ones that still had tone. My son and some neighborhood teens cut trees for free and move them away from the dead wires.

So, while there was much unrest, there were also a few good things to come out of it.

Look for an increased birth rate around next May, too!

wrote on Aug 19^th, 2005 at 3:48pm:

So, while there was much unrest, there were also a few good things to come out of it. Look for an increased birth rate around next May, too!

Yeah!!! :D

Sir Rat;  
You and your son are to be commended for your actions during such trying times.  I'm sure everyone that was assisted appreciated your help and will remember.  What an excellent example you were.

wrote on Aug 19^th, 2005 at 5:29pm:

Sir Rat;   You and your son are to be commended for your actions during such trying times.  I'm sure everyone that was assisted appreciated your help and will remember.  What an excellent example you were.

Here! here!  I love men who get out here and help! "Sir" Rat indeed!  ;D

Wow, Sir Rat, and we complain if the power is out for an hour. Your experience truly puts minor inconveniences in perspective. It's people like you, and your son, and the group you cobbled together, that makes living through such an experience memorable in a more positive way.

wrote on Aug 19^th, 2005 at 3:48pm:

Being one that has to be involved, I went around the neighborhood looking for downed phone lines and offered to rehook the ones that still had tone. My son and some neighborhood teens cut trees for free and move them away from the dead wires. So, while there was much unrest, there were also a few good things to come out of it. Look for an increased birth rate around next May, too!

Your good deeds are an inspiration to all.  It makes me think of what I can do in case of an emergency like this.  I can't do much, that's for sure.  I was hoping to get my amateur radio's license so that I can help with communications, and kind of fizzled off studying for the test.  But your story reminded me how important it is to have these skills.  I will now make it a point to study again!

I suppose I should learn how to build a fire too... :)

Good luck to you and your community.

Cynde

What I did was micro-miniscule compared to what needed to be repaired. :-[

Building a fire won't be a problem for a while. Got lots of new firewood aging in the utility easment!

Here is a new piece of art, Kirby Ann in a 1904 type corsetted dress.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/rodent/design236-2.jpg
Larger view

Another great outfit for Kirby!  Thanks for sharing.

We had a three day blackout last week :-/ :'(, due to a very severe thunder storm, which you can still see left broken tree branches (and a couple of whole trees too) in peoples front yards

actually on the third day it came on twice for about ten minutes- which in that time i took over the computer  ;) and satisfied my urge to see the new posts here

Though we were very lucky to have a gas stove and not an electric one (thank goodness my mom won't live in a house if it had an electric stove)

Man, I have a hard time getting through an hour long blackout. I think I would go nuts if I had to put up with one that lasted for three or four days. I think I've become too dependent on the computer.

Rodent aka Sir Rat-I really like that dress! :)

"Another great outfit for Kirby!  Thanks for sharing."
"Rodent aka Sir Rat-I really like that dress!"

Thank you. That dress did very well at the design boards.

Beesan, sounds like the storm we had. Ours was more than a thunderstorm I believe. Although a tornado may not have touched down, viewing the storm while standing in it, (Yeah, I'm nuts for standing in a thunderstorm, but remember I work with 20 meteoroligists!), it looked like hurricane footage you see on CNN.

Utility poles here are specified to withstand 70mph constant wind speed. The way they were cracked like toothpics made me think wind speeds in excess of 90-100 occured. I watched a piece of 10 foot conduit rip from my deck overhang, twirl in the air, and land back on the overhang. Winds came from all directions except north.

The column of clouds coming from the SW was pretty fascinating. It wouldn't be surprising to find out they were 70,000 ft. tall. They weren't black, but blue!

All one can say is WOW to the power and fury of it all. ....then ".crap." when noticing the power was out.

wrote on Aug 21^st, 2005 at 11:29pm:

. Beesan, sounds like the storm we had. Ours was more than a thunderstorm I believe. Although a tornado may not have touched down, viewing the storm while standing in it, (Yeah, I'm nuts for standing in a thunderstorm, but remember I work with 20 meteoroligists!), it looked like hurricane footage you see on CNN. Utility poles here are specified to withstand 70mph constant wind speed. The way they were cracked like toothpics made me think wind speeds in excess of 90-100 occured. I watched a piece of 10 foot conduit rip from my deck overhang, twirl in the air, and land back on the overhang. Winds came from all directions except north. The column of clouds coming from the SW was pretty fascinating. It wouldn't be surprising to find out they were 70,000 ft. tall. They weren't black, but blue! All one can say is WOW to the power and fury of it all. ....then ".crap." when noticing the power was out.

LOL!  i live in Missouri too ;D it's a small world after all ;D

Glad you guys came through that storm okay.
Sir Rat: "All one can say is WOW to the power and fury of it all."
Reminds me that I'm really not in control or in charge like I like to think I am...

wrote on Aug 12^th, 2005 at 11:11am:

I have to share one more story: My daughter was born on 30 May 1983. The night she was born we had a thunderstorm, every year on her birthday there was a thunderstorm, sometimes it rained and stormed only for a little while, but it always did. She is 22 years young now. We have been in different parts of Germany and different parts of the US over the years. A thunderstorm for every birthday all the way up to her 21st. This year's 22nd is the first one without a storm or a drop of rain. ???

That is sooo cool!