I am ill prepared (RL)

[thistlechaser]

Worst time to find out all your flashlights have dead batteries: When the power goes out.

Last night I sat in the cold dark for ~4 hours. It's amazing how dark it is without all the little LCD lights on your electronics. It's almost scary how quiet it is, too.

Other things I perhaps might want to change in the future: Having phone numbers on paper. "Oh, the power is out, guess I'll call the power company and report it! *turns to computer* ...oh wait. Okay, I can just check a bill for the phone number! ...no, I pay those online..."

I had my Nintendo DS for entertainment... except I couldn't find any games. c.c That Professor Layton one was in the DS, but that was rather hard without being able to write the puzzles down on paper to work on them that way. It's a shame, I had wanted to re-start Animal Crossing on the DS, last night would have been a perfect time, but I couldn't find the game. Pitch black apartment and all.

Finally I just went to bed. At 8 PM. Luckily(?) I hadn't slept much the night before so sometime around 9 PM I actually fell asleep. Power came on about 11 PM.

I could have gotten into my car and gone somewhere with power, but I hadn't known what caused the issue and so figured sitting tight would be best. Yeah, I have a radio, but its batteries were dead, too.

I suck at planning ahead.

Comments

[pomr.livejournal.com]

Some awesome rechargeable batteries:
http://www.usbcell.com/

Coolest.
Batteries.
Evar.

Not that batteries are generally cool. :)

For next time maybe lay in a small supply of matches and a candles. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my AA/AAA batteries are all rechargable (need them for games!), but I've never really used C/D ones often enough to worry... Going to have to change that!

[kriatyrr.livejournal.com]

Power outages are common where I live, so I'm well prepared. I have a wind-up flashlight (mine comes with a cable for emergency recharging of cellphones, but I know there are ones with radios as well), as well as several LED flashlights where the batteries last for ages because of the low power drain.

The wood stove proved very useful that one time we had a 15-hour power outage. I could still heat water for my tea!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Luckily this is only the second power outtage we had in 8+ years! *spoiled*

Wow, the wood stove sounds really handy, yeah.

[veloxe.livejournal.com]

Pfft, DS = flashlight + entertainment! At least that's how I used it last time there was a power outage. I just cranked up the screen brightness until I found my games and then turned it back down for battery life purposes and played through it. Hurray!

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

I've used my DS as a flashlight before too. They're quite bright!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I kept tilting it so I could check the time on my battery-powered clock! I guess I could have walked around the apartment with it, too.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ha! Good plan!

[tersa.livejournal.com]

D'OH.

Another idea is to lay in a supply of candles and a box of matches. My favorite candles to keep on hand are the large jar ones from Yankee Candles (IMNSHO, I think they have the best scents) because they give good light and the jar makes them semi-portable while at the same time giving a shield for the flame if you do have to move it around.

Batteries go dead, but there's no expiration date on candles. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Candles are a good idea, and I'm tempted by the scented ones, but I'm paranoid I'd knock one over and burn my apartment down! Hmmm, but I bet in a jar they'd be safer? If it got knocked over, the flame couldn't really reach anything, the wax just might run out?