Plans Change
So I spent a relaxing evening sitting out on the deck enjoying the summer weather, and it's darned lucky I did, because right about 3:30 AM there was a sudden —
KAKKETA-KAKKETA-BOOM!
— and instantly I was wide awake and standing there in my bedroom, without any memory of having spontaenously levitated out of bed, but apparently I must have done so. This was followed by the traditional, "Oh, crap!" and then the mad dash around the house to shut down the network and disconnect all the computers, seguing into the secondary mad dash to make sure all the windows were closed down to narrow slits.
Many years ago, I lost several computers to a nearby lightning strike that overpowered my surge protectors and fried the power supplies and mobos. So I got religious about disconnecting wall power during severe electrical storms, only to catch a lightning-caused surge through the phoneco twisted-pair that blew my DSL box, my print server, two hubs, and every Ethernet card connected to those hubs. (It also took out the cordless phone, two VCRs, and one television. Apparently the VCR acted as a big fuse to protect the second television.)
Ergo, in extreme weather conditions, I now shut down and disconnect everything.
This morning dawned sweet, bright, clear, and quiet — because all power was knocked out east of Century and north of 10th street. There are downed trees all over the neighborhood; I lost two sizable limbs off the poplars, a good chunk off the willow, and possibly the plum tree, but I can't tell yet.
The power just came back on a little while ago, hence this post. Whatever else I had planned for today, though, it's deferred. Instead, today's recommended reading is: It Takes a Village (of Lumberjacks).
If you're looking for me, I'll be outside somewhere, helping out with an axe and a chainsaw.
(Everybody sing! "I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay...")
— and instantly I was wide awake and standing there in my bedroom, without any memory of having spontaenously levitated out of bed, but apparently I must have done so. This was followed by the traditional, "Oh, crap!" and then the mad dash around the house to shut down the network and disconnect all the computers, seguing into the secondary mad dash to make sure all the windows were closed down to narrow slits.
Many years ago, I lost several computers to a nearby lightning strike that overpowered my surge protectors and fried the power supplies and mobos. So I got religious about disconnecting wall power during severe electrical storms, only to catch a lightning-caused surge through the phoneco twisted-pair that blew my DSL box, my print server, two hubs, and every Ethernet card connected to those hubs. (It also took out the cordless phone, two VCRs, and one television. Apparently the VCR acted as a big fuse to protect the second television.)
Ergo, in extreme weather conditions, I now shut down and disconnect everything.
This morning dawned sweet, bright, clear, and quiet — because all power was knocked out east of Century and north of 10th street. There are downed trees all over the neighborhood; I lost two sizable limbs off the poplars, a good chunk off the willow, and possibly the plum tree, but I can't tell yet.
The power just came back on a little while ago, hence this post. Whatever else I had planned for today, though, it's deferred. Instead, today's recommended reading is: It Takes a Village (of Lumberjacks).
If you're looking for me, I'll be outside somewhere, helping out with an axe and a chainsaw.
(Everybody sing! "I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay...")
posted by ~brb at 10:36 AM
