Can't Cook? This Ain't No Joke.

What can you cook, when you can’t cook? Salad!  I’m sorry. I know this isn’t funny anymore, particularly when some of us haven’t been able to cook in our own homes for several days without electricity.

But that does beg the question. How do you prepare yourself for prolonged power outages and perhaps being without water? We’re New Englanders after all. We’re practical, prepared and able to withstand anything, right? To be honest, I thought tropical storm Irene was going to be no big deal; just like the blizzard that was barely more than a dusting. I hate to say it, I was wrong!

So, what would I do differently next time?

• Heed the warnings: Don’t laugh at me for buying a few extra gallons of water (and milk, of course). I’ll stock up on batteries, and even a jar of instant coffee and powdered creamer!
• Have some common sense: I won’t get on the road unless it’s an emergency and then I’ll drive carefully and stop at 4-way intersections when the lights are out, and treat it like there were stop signs on every corner. Remember how your Mom taught you to “take turns”?
• Count my blessings: I’ll be grateful for the things I take for granted like hot water, refrigeration, healthy kids, and a roof over my head.
• Keep a sense of humor: I’ll get there when I get there, and I really don’t care if you beep at me. It’s not going to make me go faster. I’ll just keep humming these words to one of my favorite tunes by Jimmy Buffett.

I bought a cheap watch from the crazy man
Floating down Canal
It doesn’t use numbers or moving hands
It always just says "now"

Now you may be thinking that I was had
But this watch is never wrong
And if I had trouble the warranty said:
Breathe in, breathe out, move on

• Practice the art of patience: Rather than curse the people that are supposed to be fixing the power, praise them for working as hard as they do. It may look like they’re just all standing around watching the one guy in the cherry picker, but electricity is scary stuff and I know they all want to go home to their families as much as I do.

Where you prepared? What would you do differently next time?