When the Lights Went Out

[lovelumps]

Robert, it is appreciated more than you will ever realize.

It is now 61 hours since the lights went out here, and not a power truck to be found. My house keeper comes in today and I will have to send her to the grocery store to replenish my near empty pantry (that is if she can find a store with power).

This has really become a humbling experience. I have always been an independent and take charge kind of guy.....now I realize how much I need and depend on others for my mere existence. Some good comes out of everything.

Thanks again, Robert.

I can't imagine how difficult that must be. I am glad that you have people you can depend upon.

 

[Buckeye1]

I can't imagine how difficult that must be. I am glad that you have people you can depend upon.

I have the greatest neighbors in the world. I hope you are safe in Colorado with all those terrible wild fires. Although I am unable to help personally, I often think of you and your fellow residents. My prayers are with you all.

In case I forgot to welcome you back to the forum, I do now. You have always been a favorite of mine. Loved your interview at the Denver Pride (gum or no gum).

Thank you, Lovelumps.

 

[lovelumps]

We lived in Manitou Springs, CO when we first made the trek west from St Louis. Our house was situated at the very end of Canon Avenue, which dead ended at the bottom of William's Canyon. At that dead end, we took a hairpin turn and drove 100 feet up the hill to our house, a 1200 square foot remodeled Craftsman bungalow. William's Creek flows through William's Canyon and follows along Canon Avenue. In late April of 1999, Manitou Springs received 13 inches of rain in 48 hours. From the edge of the cliff next to our home, we could hear the boulders tumbling out of the canyon. When the rain subsided, we walked down the road to the bottom and discovered that all those rocks that poured out of the canyon had completely destroyed the only road to our house. We were, for all intents and purposes, completely trapped. We had a 2 year old and I was pregnant with our second. We tried calling the police to alert them that we were stuck, but it wasn't until the second day after the storm, after Bill had walked into town to talk to emergency crews and they tried to finally answer our distress call and they couldn't get to our house, that they finally realized the severity of the damage to our end of town.

Emergency crews finally came and tore down the fence along Highway 24, allowing us an emergency access to our road 3 days after the end of the storm. It took another year for them to repair Canon Avenue.

Fortunately, we didn't have any emergency situations, but the whole time we were trapped, I worried. We had plenty of food and we never lost power, but we were getting low on supplies by the time we were able to drive out onto the highway.

In the fall of 2000, just days after our little Ian was born, the school bus stopped along the highway to pick David up to take him to his first day of preschool. I will never forget that day, how strange it felt seeing the bus pull up onto the shoulder of the highway to pick up my 3 year old son. I was relieved, 6 months later, when the moving van full of all our worldly possessions, pulled away from that same spot on the shoulder, made a U-turn and headed North to Denver!

 

[Buckeye1]

We lived in Manitou Springs, CO when we first made the trek west from St Louis. Our house was situated at the very end of Canon Avenue, which dead ended at the bottom of William's Canyon. At that dead end, we took a hairpin turn and drove 100 feet up the hill to our house, a 1200 square foot remodeled Craftsman bungalow. William's Creek flows through William's Canyon and follows along Canon Avenue. In late April of 1999, Manitou Springs received 13 inches of rain in 48 hours. From the edge of the cliff next to our home, we could hear the boulders tumbling out of the canyon. When the rain subsided, we walked down the road to the bottom and discovered that all those rocks that poured out of the canyon had completely destroyed the only road to our house. We were, for all intents and purposes, completely trapped. We had a 2 year old and I was pregnant with our second. We tried calling the police to alert them that we were stuck, but it wasn't until the second day after the storm, after Bill had walked into town to talk to emergency crews and they tried to finally answer our distress call and they couldn't get to our house, that they finally realized the severity of the damage to our end of town.

Emergency crews finally came and tore down the fence along Highway 24, allowing us an emergency access to our road 3 days after the end of the storm. It took another year for them to repair Canon Avenue.

Fortunately, we didn't have any emergency situations, but the whole time we were trapped, I worried. We had plenty of food and we never lost power, but we were getting low on supplies by the time we were able to drive out onto the highway.

In the fall of 2000, just days after our little Ian was born, the school bus stopped along the highway to pick David up to take him to his first day of preschool. I will never forget that day, how strange it felt seeing the bus pull up onto the shoulder of the highway to pick up my 3 year old son. I was relieved, 6 months later, when the moving van full of all our worldly possessions, pulled away from that same spot on the shoulder, made a U-turn and headed North to Denver!

WOW. What a harrowing experience! Are you now in a place that you can feel reasonably safe from all of the terrible destruction going on there now? I hope so.

 

[lovelumps]

WOW. What a harrowing experience! Are you now in a place that you can feel reasonably safe from all of the terrible destruction going on there now? I hope so.

Yes, thank you! We are many miles away from any of the fires. However, the Waldo Canyon fire came within 3 miles of that little house of ours perched on the hill above Canon Avenue. We would have been evacuated if we still lived there.

We live now in the midst of suburbia in South East Denver.

 

[Buckeye1]

Yes, thank you! We are many miles away from any of the fires. However, the Waldo Canyon fire came within 3 miles of that little house of ours perched on the hill above Canon Avenue. We would have been evacuated if we still lived there.

We live now in the midst of suburbia in South East Denver.

Thanks. I'm glad you are safe and sound and I pray the fires will soon be contained. Aren't the firefighters some of the GREATEST people in the world?

 

[lovelumps]

Thanks. I'm glad you are safe and sound and I pray the fires will soon be contained. Aren't the firefighters some of the GREATEST people in the world?

They are wonderful! I have several close neighbors who are firefighters. Very grateful for the work they do!

 

[Buckeye1]

They are wonderful! I have several close neighbors who are firefighters. Very grateful for the work they do!

Amen! Thanks for sharing, LoveLumps. It has been my pleasure talking with you. You are a fun person to know.

 

[joninliverton]

Maybe you should be playing this song.. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRtW1MAZ32M

 

[lovelumps]

Maybe you should be playing this song.. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRtW1MAZ32M

MMMmmmmm.... Morrissey.... Yum! Good song, too! lol

 

[Buckeye1]

Hey all,

I am now 92 hours into this massive power outage. I was watching the coverage on TV this morning and found out it covers states from Ohio to Maryland. Six deaths have been recorded so far. I didn't realize it was that huge.

A ray of hope for me....they are saying now that most Ohio residents should have power restored by the end of July 4. From their lips to God's ears.

My housekeeper was able to find a little store about a mile from here with power and restocked my pantry. It is called WALMART! God, don't those people ever close. Every home surrounding Walmart is without electricity and Walmart's was not off for one minute. I guess that is a blessing this time. Anyway, she got the important things such as potato chips, cookies, Coke (not that kind of coke, Stimpy), candy bars, and Popcicles. Oh yes, she also got a lot of lunch meat, cheese, bread, and lettuce for sandwiches, but I probably won't need this sandwich crap....I think the good stuff will last until the end of this outage.

So that is where we are now. Should be just a bad memory hopefully in less than 36 hours. Hope so anyway....that's when I will have to switch to the sandwiches.

 

[grace17]

Hi Robb, Gosh you've done well, I'd be on the verge of insanity if I were in your situation. What have you been doing to keep your mind active without electricity?

It's way past my bedtime, so I hope by the time I read your response you'll be back on the grid.

 

[lovelumps]

Hey all,

I am now 92 hours into this massive power outage. I was watching the coverage on TV this morning and found out it covers states from Ohio to Maryland. Six deaths have been recorded so far. I didn't realize it was that huge.

A ray of hope for me....they are saying now that most Ohio residents should have power restored by the end of July 4. From their lips to God's ears.

My housekeeper was able to find a little store about a mile from here with power and restocked my pantry. It is called WALMART! God, don't those people ever close. Every home surrounding Walmart is without electricity and Walmart's was not off for one minute. I guess that is a blessing this time. Anyway, she got the important things such as potato chips, cookies, Coke (not that kind of coke, Stimpy), candy bars, and Popcicles. Oh yes, she also got a lot of lunch meat, cheese, bread, and lettuce for sandwiches, but I probably won't need this sandwich crap....I think the good stuff will last until the end of this outage.

So that is where we are now. Should be just a bad memory hopefully in less than 36 hours. Hope so anyway....that's when I will have to switch to the sandwiches.

That's great news!!! I can't believe how long it's taking to restore power!

Glad you have the essentials!

 

[Buckeye1]

Hi Robb, Gosh you've done well, I'd be on the verge of insanity if I were in your situation. What have you been doing to keep your mind active without electricity?

It's way past my bedtime, so I hope by the time I read your response you'll be back on the grid.

Playing on the computer, watching a LOT of Broke Straight Boys porn, and watching TV. And insanity is yet to be determined....I may have gone over that edge.

Sweet dreams, Grace.

 

[Buckeye1]

That's great news!!! I can't believe how long it's taking to restore power!

Glad you have the essentials!

All of the people here also cannot believe that it is taking so long. I am home bound now so all I can see is the immediate area where I live....not too much damage here. My neighbor's privacy fence and a couple of huge tree limbs, and that's about all that I can see here. But I guess the damage was so widespread, they are trying to get where most of the people live back on line first. Some of the more remote areas are looking at another two weeks to get power restored. I sure hope they have learned something from this storm. But they never do.

 

[Ms. Kianna]

Hey all,

I am now 92 hours into this massive power outage. I was watching the coverage on TV this morning and found out it covers states from Ohio to Maryland. Six deaths have been recorded so far. I didn't realize it was that huge.

A ray of hope for me....they are saying now that most Ohio residents should have power restored by the end of July 4. From their lips to God's ears.

My housekeeper was able to find a little store about a mile from here with power and restocked my pantry. It is called WALMART! God, don't those people ever close. Every home surrounding Walmart is without electricity and Walmart's was not off for one minute. I guess that is a blessing this time. Anyway, she got the important things such as potato chips, cookies, Coke (not that kind of coke, Stimpy), candy bars, and Popcicles. Oh yes, she also got a lot of lunch meat, cheese, bread, and lettuce for sandwiches, but I probably won't need this sandwich crap....I think the good stuff will last until the end of this outage.

So that is where we are now. Should be just a bad memory hopefully in less than 36 hours. Hope so anyway....that's when I will have to switch to the sandwiches.

I think in your situation the only essential on that list is popsicles.

I am glad you are still hanging in there, it has been a long time, but now you can see an end in sight. As for the sanity............the power outage cannot take away, what you had already lost.

 

[Buckeye1]

I think in your situation the only essential on that list is popsicles.

I am glad you are still hanging in there, it has been a long time, but now you can see an end in sight. As for the sanity............the power outage cannot take away, what you had already lost.

I LOVE popsicles. I had a box of popsicles in the freezer and after the first 24 hours they were getting mushy so I ate the whole box loving every minute of it. BTW the green ones melt faster than any of the other colors. The sticks all slid out of them.

Now for the sanity thing. I was thinking the exact same thing and almost posted what you said, word for word. There is also a saying that I believe is totally factual, "like minds think alike". If my mind lacks sanity, then........................ I could be wrong about that one though.

 

[Buckeye1]

I HAVE POWER.....I HAVE POWER.....I HAVE POWER

Thank you, God.

And thank all of you guys and gals for all the encouraging words. I love you all.

 

[Ms. Kianna]

I HAVE POWER.....I HAVE POWER.....I HAVE POWER

Thank you, God.

And thank all of you guys and gals for all the encouraging words. I love you all.

........So every light, tv, radio, and appliance in your house is on, just because you can?

 

[Buckeye1]

........So every light, tv, radio, and appliance in your house is on, just because you can?

YES....no, not really. Never thought of that one. There goes my like mind theory.