Focusing on the Positive
Our power went out (and our generator on) around 7:15AM on March 2. We are now at 8 days on backup power, along with many people in our community. This is our fourth adventure into the power-free zone:
Most of all, I am thankful for the perspective that these two images give me (captured from https://poweroutage.us/). Here in New Jersey, 114, 128 people are without power. Some of us are on Day 8 with restoration not promised for many more days.
So I will take the inconvenience of laundry piling up.
Of turning off major appliances in the house, including the gaming system.
Of running the heat only when we need to do so.
Of adding oil to the generator every few days and always slightly worrying that it will fail.
Of work piling up because the Internet isn't always working and my time is spent doing other tasks that wouldn't otherwise have to be done.
Of taking the long way around because wires are down.
We are prepared to live off the grid, and I know that people are working to get us restored to normal. Because of the generator and having been through it before, this outage comes with a different perspective for me. I know how fortunate we are, even those of us with portable generators and without generators at all (I've done all three!). So today, Day 8, is a day for me to focus on the positive.
- Hurricane Irene 2011 - 5+ days
- Crazy Halloween snowstorm 2011 - 7+ days
- Superstorm Sandy 2012 - 15 days (21 without Internet)
Not everyone in my community felt the effects of these earlier storms like my neighbors and I did. We were literally some of the last restored each time. Because of the track record, we have prepared ourselves to live off the grid. We have a generator, and we have no expectations of the power company. These two things are keeping us sane, as many in my town are bursting with anger at JCP&L.
I've written of my feelings during each of the power outages:
- Digital Twin Mom When the Power Goes Out
- The Year Halloween Got Cancelled
- Pioneer Life with Legos
- Just an Inconvenience
- No Reason to Cry
Today I will write about my feelings now, during the aftermath of two Nor'easters that have again wreaked havoc on my town. Just as I wrote in Just an Inconvenience and No Reason to Cry five years ago, I validate my neighbors' feelings of anger, frustration, and feeling more than inconvenienced. It's cold, and we all have well water. Without heat and water at your disposal, life changes dramatically.
I agree with everyone who believes that JCP&L has not done a good job of communicating or dispatching its crews - both local crews and the many out of state crews who have come to help. It's also probable that annual tree maintenance could have helped some of our issues.
However, I don't blame the power company for this extended outage. Following protocol, our area, which was hard hit, was also among "smaller neighborhoods and individual houses." We are always last. Unfortunately for us (and the power company), the second storm did even more damage to the lines feeding our grids. I counted 8 heavy trees/branches leaning on lines on the main artery leading into our town, lines that are connected to a substation that has been quarantined. I don't know exactly what that means, but I know it's not a good sign.
I also don't want to cut down all the trees to avoid this situation in the future, as some have suggested. I like living in a forest. I don't blame the trees. We live as one with the Ents.
I don't have a solution (aside from the very expensive option to bury all the lines). All I have today is the opportunity to focus on something other than anger and frustration. So here goes...
- I am thankful that my dad pushed us to install a house generator in order to prepare to live off the grid.
- I am thankful we were in the position to do so.
- I am thankful that when the generator failed on Day 5 of our outage, Innovative Electric was able to get it up and running again. (PS - Check the stepper motor if the engine won't turn over!)
- I am thankful that our local school district is doing everything they can to hold normal school days. Our superintendent personally drove all the bus routes on Monday, noted where downed trees and wires were a problem, and rerouted buses for Tuesday. The administration did the same for school to be in session today.
- I am thankful that Comcast crews are regularly filling up temporary generators to power their lines, allowing us to work from home when the Internet is running and to watch Jeopardy with the kids at night. I'm also thankful I didn't miss This is Us this week - the DVR worked!
- I am thankful for all the out-of-state crews who are here in NJ, trying to help.
- I am thankful for the community forums on Facebook and the group messages via phone that keep me in contact with my friends and community members. And also for the offers of support from those who already have power.
- I am thankful for the snowman on my lawn.
Most of all, I am thankful for the perspective that these two images give me (captured from https://poweroutage.us/). Here in New Jersey, 114, 128 people are without power. Some of us are on Day 8 with restoration not promised for many more days.
Our outages still don't equal those in Puerto Rico today.
Of running the heat only when we need to do so.
Of adding oil to the generator every few days and always slightly worrying that it will fail.
Of work piling up because the Internet isn't always working and my time is spent doing other tasks that wouldn't otherwise have to be done.
Of taking the long way around because wires are down.
We are prepared to live off the grid, and I know that people are working to get us restored to normal. Because of the generator and having been through it before, this outage comes with a different perspective for me. I know how fortunate we are, even those of us with portable generators and without generators at all (I've done all three!). So today, Day 8, is a day for me to focus on the positive.
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