We just had an hour long power outage (unexpected as it is 9 pm on a cold winter night). I learned three things tonight that I want to share (common sense but we all know that is not the way it works, LOL)
Make sure you KNOW where the candles ARE! it is easy to think "oh sure, I know exactly where they are" (want to bet?) and, during the day or when there is power by flipping the switch, it is easy to find them. It is not so easy when there are no lights (and damn it is BLACK) in here!
Make sure if you have pets (cats especially) that candles are not a novelty when they are lit. I had 2 out of three tonight who were determined that they had to stick their noses into the flame (or thought that they should)
In a pinch, a small tin can makes a good candle snuffer (something else I DO HAVE, but couldn't find it)
I'm going to sound like a total geek for adding these tips. Well, I am a total geek. :P Remember to protect your electronics - power outages can be especially hard on them. Here is a short list of things I thought might help: 1. Always keep backup copies of your important files on an external drive. The "flash" drive I bought recently cost less than $10 for a 4G drive. 2. Plug everything you can into surge suppressors. They'll help keep the inevitable power surges that happen when the power comes back from destroying your expensive gadgets. Depending on the number of outlets and level of protection, these can cost from $8 to $20. 3. If you can, invest in battery backups. These not only act as surge suppressors in themselves. They also prevent your computer's settings (like the clock) from being lost. I'm not sure what they cost, but I'm sure you could find better bargains at the non-retail computer stores, and end up paying a fraction of the value. I hope to get a second battery backup for my refrigerator; ice also sells out quickly when disaster strikes!
I'm going to sound like a total geek for adding these tips. Well, I am a total geek. :P Remember to protect your electronics - power outages can be especially hard on them. Here is a short list of things I thought might help: 1. Always keep backup copies of your important files on an external drive. The "flash" drive I bought recently cost less than $10 for a 4G drive. 2. Plug everything you can into surge suppressors. They'll help keep the inevitable power surges that happen when the power comes back from destroying your expensive gadgets. Depending on the number of outlets and level of protection, these can cost from $8 to $20. 3. If you can, invest in battery backups. These not only act as surge suppressors in themselves. They also prevent your computer's settings (like the clock) from being lost. I'm not sure what they cost, but I'm sure you could find better bargains at the non-retail computer stores, and end up paying a fraction of the value. I hope to get a second battery backup for my refrigerator; ice also sells out quickly when disaster strikes!
Thank you for posting this, You are so very right! Don't wait for a storm in the middle of the night to go hunting around, we need to be aware of where our emergency supplies are, including hats, gloves & extra blankets (for when the furnace quits working), along with a camp cook stove with a bottle of propane & a lighter or stick matches & keep several boxes of rice-a-roni & a box of instant oatmeal on hand for a quickie hot meal. And believe me, propane & cook stoves are the first thing to sell out during a power outage! But most importantly, in case of any emergency including storm or earthquake, I always keep a little dollar store LED flashlight clipped to my headboard, that way, I can find my other emergency items easily!
* Also, be sure to have a (non-electric) old fashioned PLUG-IN type of phone on hand! These were also sold out & gone from all the stores during our last power outage.
---> I'm sorry to say it, but Harry is right about the candles! We had a large house fire due to a candle, & we lost all of our furniture due to the smoke damage, & also lost nearly everything we owned! ...Once in a while I'll still burn a candle, but I always put the candle & candle holder in a large glass bowl & sometimes I'll also add about half an inch of water inside the bowl & under the candle, just to make sure! This way if your cat DOES tip the candle over, it will land in the water or in a non-burnable glass bowl! ... But, remember, pets are NOT human & don't understand about fire, so never leave the room with a candle going if you have pets, not even for a minute! ...Take it from someone who KNOWS what it's like to loose almost everything from a fire!
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