SLOOOOOOW Internet 04-31-23

Breakfast out this morning.   I met my bookie friend Verna at the Mini Gourmet, a rather "throwback" little local breakfast/lunch place.   It reminds me of places I knew in the 1940s and 1950s growing up in Portland, OR, but they were not carpeted! .  When we first arrived there were just a few people seated, but it soon filled up and many of the customers are regulars.  Verna says that when it is very busy some customers will put on an apron and help out.  It is run by five guys who all look like they belong to the Mexican mafia plus one young woman (shown) and they are all related in some way.  The prices are moderate, but still quite a bit more than they were five years ago.  I had pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, and had to leave part of the pancakes.  

Beside the long time Book Group Verna and I share our love of quilting, we are about the same age, both widows, and exchange information about dealing with our various ills.

I shared my "electricity" post on the Elder Orphans Facebook group and it turned out to be a great opportunity for many to share their electric outage experiences.  Most of them live in places  that have many outages for very long periods of time due to hurricanes, tornadoes, winter  storms, etc.  My five hour experience  is almost laughable.  However, there was a lot of information shared about keeping supplies and equipment ready and different ways they have prepared or recovered from their experiences.  I wish I could share the 89 comments with you as there are some valuable ideas there.  Almost everyone mentioned having lots of batteries on hand and keeping your cell phone charged.  I do have a solar charger that is about the same size as my cell phone and always sits in a south facing window . But i am diligent about keeping my cell  charged.  One person pointed out that I could have toasted bread using tongs over a burner on the gas range and others mentioned keeping the outside grill in good shape using gas or even charcoal. 

I don't know why, but it has taken more than an hour to prepare this post.  Very slow response when I type - I have to stop and let the letters catch up and  I am NOT a fast typist.  Hope it is well tomorrow! 

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Electricity Deprivation 04-28-23

Today was a serious lesson in how dependent I am on the electricity that comes into  my  house.  I don't think about it; I pay my monthly  bill  and the  power is just there.  I fondly remember Erma Bombeck's essay on her thought that the basement was just full of electricity and it came out those slots in the wall when she needed it.  Funny  bit.   About a week ago I (and presumably all my neighbors) received a notice in the mail saying that due to repairs power would be out on Friday, April 28th from 9am to 4pm.  I marked  my calendar  and stuck the notice in  an obvious  place  so I wouldn't forget.  This morning KoKo and I went for our walk, not needing any lights or anything electric before we started out, it was broad daylight and I suppose the power was still on since it was not yet 9am.  I wondered why so many of my neighbors had their car, or second car, parked in the driveway, but didn't make the connection.  I left my car in the garage.  When we returned home I thought I would have oatmeal for breakfast and I set up  the bowl to go in the microwave  Odd.  The microwave light did not go on.  The microwave did not respond to my command.  And then I remembered - no power today.  My life nearly stopped.  What doesn't work?   No recliner, reading lamp, garage door, toaster oven, microwave, microwave clock (all the others use  batteries), ignitors on the gas range top, iron, sewing machine, washer, dryer, dishwasher, garbage  disposal, bathroom heater, hot water heater, refrigerator (don't open)..... .  pretty  much  eliminating  anything I might  do with my time!  

I got  out a pan  and poured the oatmeal/water/salt  into  it and put it on the burner.  But no spark from the ignitor.  Where is a match?  I haven't used a match in at least a decade.  After  mulling it over for  what seemed  like a  very  long time, I remembered that there is a  small box of  restaurant  matches  in the guest bath with a scented candle (which has never been fired up)..  Ahhh, yes.   There  were three matches, might  put that on my grocery list.   Successfully cooked the oatmeal and ate it.  No toast.  What to do?  KoKo and I took a little nap for about an hour.  I sorted through some mail.  Then moved a chair closer to a window and read the new book group book, "Dinners with Ruth" (Bader Ginsburg) by Nina Totenberg.  The very beginning are Nina's comments of the value of friendship which I think I will send along to several of my friends.  Great thoughts.   But my eyes got tired so I thought I would take a shower.  Nope, no hot water.   I rolled a few small quilts for  storage.  I took KoKo out back three or four times, along with my coyote stick.  I noticed how quiet it was, although I don't usually play music or listen to the radio.  But the hum of the frig was missing.  Finally I hear it again!  Two o'clock and the frig was humming away.   I can now think of a few things I could have done with my day, but I guess my electric dependence stood in my way.  I do have flashlights for night time emergencies, but will now stock up on matches and some emergency candles.   Such an educational day

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Please forgive my silence!

I haven't blogged because I don't DO anything to blog about!  KoKo and I do our half hour walk twice a day.  I sew a little, but nothing to post, mostly mending.   I have been reading the Virgil Flowers crime series by John Sandford on Kindle.  The books can be a little raw and the language is bad, but I find the story line captures my attention.  I don't enloy Kindle as much as a real printed-on-paper book, but since I am not going out much I don't have access to actual books.  Guess Kindle is a blessing during isolation, huh?  I made sure my phone had a good charge on Friday because SCalifornia Edison shut off power in our neighborhood from 9am to 6pm.  Good, thoughtful friends Carol and Dick invited us over for a lovely corn chowder lunch, perfect for a cold, powerless day.  It was dark when the power came on and I was wondering if we would spend the night completely dark.  The house had not warmed up in the morning so it was cold all day and I didn't think we could survive the night without some heat.  I have a lot more sympathy for people who endure long term powerlessness.   These days there isn't a lot one can do without electricity.  Anyway, SCE replaced four power poles on Palm, the main cross street, so maybe this won't happen again for years.  

We have been sprinkled on several days the past week, but this morning it rained pretty good whilst we were on our morning walk.  We sheltered on a handy  covered porch for about 15 minutes and the rain let up to a light sprinkle.  Of course, we were damp when we got home, but it doesn't seem to bother KoKo, who gets a good toweling off and I just change my clothes.  

So, you see, I don't really have anything to write about!  I'll keep trying.

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