Friday, September 9, 2011

Someone, Somewhere Touched a Button

Someone, somewhere touched a button and the world went dark. I’m sure the unknown Edison worker didn’t mean to send 5 million Californians into electronic paralysis. He probably didn’t know that such a small mistake could cause bedlam on the freeways, in the hospitals, at the gas pumps and ATMs. He doesn’t know that at our house my husband and son are watching a football game on TV. My daughters are doing the homework on computers and I’m playing solitaire on my I-pad. We have power when most of our neighbors don’t. Are we special? No. We just happen to be in a tiny pocket where the wires still sing with power.

So. No school tomorrow. The newsman tells us our electronic grid is very fragile. We don’t know what this means, except that we’re to use our electronics sparingly. (Thank heavens the temperature has dropped.)This is the perfect excuse not to do laundry. Vacuum? Wouldn’t want to upset the powerboard. We don’t know how the electronic grid works or who mans the powerboard or who was responsible for touching the wrong button and sending our neighbors into the dark, but it doesn’t really matter. We’re all connected, riding in the same boat and to some that means loss of power to a life saving device and to others (like the Tates) it means a day at the beach.

Is it fair? Is it right? No. It just is what it is.

5 comments:

  1. I'll bet that guy feels foolish. So how was the beach?

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  2. Hi Kristy,
    Sorry about loosing power. I hope the beach was awesome. I'm a new follower from the campaign and I'm so happy to find your blog. Rachel is a complete genius for making a way for all of us to find each other. See you back here soon!

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  3. We were 2 of the 5 million. Skipped dinner. Read my book all night by flashlight and went to bed early. My biggest worry was the SDGE tweets said they might not have it up until midday--the next day. How was I going to wash my hair for work?!

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  4. Hi Kristy. That was such a surprising power outtage--so sorry you had to deal with that, but sounds like it wasn't all bad. I'm a fellow Campaigner (Suspense/Thriller) just dropping by to say hello. So glad to have found your blog. Nice to meet you.

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  5. Kristy--I'm in Northridge. Where are you? Did you attend SCBWI? Do you go to Utah each year for StoryMaker's Conferences? Would love to meet you sometime.

    Kathleen
    kbrebes@aol.com

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