charlie 2004
Joseph Cooper
01/11/2014
PP: p 148 #2
Charlie 2004
One day in August 2004 while I was getting ready to watch a cartoon show on television, there was a power failure due to Hurricane Charlie. The television set just went blank, the lights went off and the fan slowed down and stopped. As it was getting dark, I hoped that the power would be restored soon but it would not be so for another week or more in some places.
Soon darkness enveloped the neighborhood. We got the generator ready and started it up so that the food in the refrigerator wouldn't go bad.
With just enough power from the generator to keep the refrigerator running we couldn't run the fans, air conditioning, or any other electronics that had to be plugged in to operate. We would have to keep an eye on the fuel level in both the generator and the gas cans so we wouldn't run out.
Without the fan running, it was oppressively warm. Furthermore there was nothing to do but wait for the power to come on again. All of us sat quietly in the living room. We had grown so dependent on electricity. Without it we felt so uncomfortable. I used a book I was reading to fan myself occasionally to try and keep myself cooled off.
Finally it was time for bed and still there was no power. When I made it back to my room, I changed for bed and lay down quietly in the silent darkness. It felt so strange without the familiar lights and sounds around me.
The power came back on for our part of town about a week later. Everybody was excited to be able to take a warm shower or bath and be able to have a home cooked meal.
01/11/2014
PP: p 148 #2
Charlie 2004
One day in August 2004 while I was getting ready to watch a cartoon show on television, there was a power failure due to Hurricane Charlie. The television set just went blank, the lights went off and the fan slowed down and stopped. As it was getting dark, I hoped that the power would be restored soon but it would not be so for another week or more in some places.
Soon darkness enveloped the neighborhood. We got the generator ready and started it up so that the food in the refrigerator wouldn't go bad.
With just enough power from the generator to keep the refrigerator running we couldn't run the fans, air conditioning, or any other electronics that had to be plugged in to operate. We would have to keep an eye on the fuel level in both the generator and the gas cans so we wouldn't run out.
Without the fan running, it was oppressively warm. Furthermore there was nothing to do but wait for the power to come on again. All of us sat quietly in the living room. We had grown so dependent on electricity. Without it we felt so uncomfortable. I used a book I was reading to fan myself occasionally to try and keep myself cooled off.
Finally it was time for bed and still there was no power. When I made it back to my room, I changed for bed and lay down quietly in the silent darkness. It felt so strange without the familiar lights and sounds around me.
The power came back on for our part of town about a week later. Everybody was excited to be able to take a warm shower or bath and be able to have a home cooked meal.