Our power went out in the windstorm we had a few weeks ago. I woke up to no power. I was still able to go for my walk, which was less enjoyable due to the noise from all the generators in the neighborhood. I could hardly hear the birds. The ground was littered with leaves and branches from the storm. Nothing huge came down, but it was still a good walk despite the noise.
I had to shower in the dark, which wasn’t that hard. I don’t mean to imply that it was complete darkness, only that the bathroom doesn’t get good natural light. I was only showering and not doing much else. The temperature was in the fifties, which meant that, without the heat, I didn’t linger. Then I was faced with the problem of making coffee. Fortunately, my coffeemaker is the type that will let me pour hot water through it, so I have coffee. I have it in a thermo pot, which is keeping it hot.
My routine was impacted because I couldn’t access my journal file, but I could write the morning entry on my tablet. I write in my journal every day, even during a blackout. I simply uploaded it to the network after the power came back on. I also couldn’t work on the novel I was revising. That file is not in a format that I could access from the tablet. So I wrote a blog instead. That’s why it is a good idea to have alternative project, like blog posts. I could still be productive even if it wasn’t in the way I had planned. I just had to slow down a bit. That’s cool. It’s good to do that once in a while.
Power outages don’t have to be catastrophic. They don’t even have to be real. Just unplug all your electronic devices and pretend that you don’t have power. Then just sit back and enjoy the quiet. Try writing with a pen and paper, or even with your tablet, the way that I did. It doesn’t matter. All you have to do is relax.
Take this time and connect with your writing soul, or your inner child, if you prefer. It’s the thing that is deep inside you. If you aren’t a writer, this is also good for you. It will give you time to think; time to learn what you need in your life. We don’t think enough about that.
The power outage was on a Sunday. It gave me the time to contemplate things. I didn’t obsess, except over whether the battery on my tablet would last long enough for me to finish my journal entry. It was quiet and peaceful. I almost enjoyed it. it was nice. It was restful. That’s not to say that I wasn’t happy when the power came back on. I’m not that into the basics, but it made for a nice break. Taking breaks like that has to be good for you. so unplug from the world for a few hours and enjoy.
I am not one who is comfortable talking about myself but here goes. I enjoy writing, family history, and reading. I decided to do this blog because I wanted to try something new. I decided to make it a weekly blog because I wasn't sure that I could keep up with a daily one, and monthly seemed like I was writing a magazine. I think I did ok with my choices. You'll notice that there are not a lot of graphics on my site. That's because there are graphics plastered everywhere on the Internet and those sites sometimes take forever to load. This blog is a place where you can kick back, relax and be ready to be amused. At least I hope I willbamuse you. This blog is on a variety of subjects from my ficitional cat agency, the FFL, which is monthly, to instructional blogs to editorials, which are my opinions only. I admit that I don't know everything and could be wrong -- I frequently am. Now, stop reading about me and read what I have to say!
Check out my novel, The Accidental Colony — It's the story of a group of scientists fighting for survival.
FCIS: The Tricolor Killer is now available on Smashwords
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