Life Without Electricity

It’s been a week of tussling with Mother Nature out here in Virginia.  There was the 5.8 earthquake on Tuesday in which telecommuters fared well and the Washington Monument not so well.  It was followed by the remnants of Hurricane Irene which unfortunately did not leave telecommuters quite so unscathed.  Power was knocked out all up and down the East Coast, during which I realize how completely helpless I am without electricity.  The worst part is not being able to get any information:  I had no Internet access, no television, no radio, and very limited phone use.  (We were keeping our cell phones off for emergencies since we couldn’t recharge them.  Oh why didn’t we get a landline?)  Then there was the issue of food: no refrigeration, no microwave, no stove, and no grill.  The least of our problems was Continue reading →