Derecho On My Mind

It was June 29, 2012 when the photos above were taken of my home after the wind storm went through.

It's been a year since Licking County learned a new weather term--derecho--that we had not had reason to know before.  The storm brought more trees down than could be handled, especially on power lines.  It also brought in two 100+ degree temperatures during a couple of days, a rarity for Ohio.

Though our home was without electricity for 11 days, we were among the lucky ones, really, and there were just as many good memories generated as bad ones.

Three things come to my mind a year later.

1. Still No Generator.  Eleven days without power didn't convince me to buy a generator.  Here's my thinking:  Unless I bought a high-maintenance, whole-house generator, I wasn't going to have air conditioning anyway.  If I had a small generator, it's main use would have been keeping my refrigerator cool.  I would have spent four times as much on fuel to keep my generator cooling my food than the food was worth.

For the cost of a whole-house generator, I could have lived out of a hotel 50 miles away for 11 days and still saved money.  Plus, my basement would have been a livable alternative had other places to hang out not emerged.

2. Electronic Users, Not Addicts.  I'll admit recalling the sensation of being Amish all that time.  In the end, I didn't watch television and went significantly down on the electronics side during those 11 days.  That proved my family can live without electronics so we aren't addicts, just users.

3. To Do List Continues.  My to do list continues.  I still have a tree that never grew back quite right after it's fellow pair of trees got taken down.  I also still have a downspout that needs replaced.  I still keep finding pieces of Styrofoam hidden in my bushes that came downwind from somebody's house.  I'll get to these things some day.

4. Better Electric Service.  I predicted better electric service would come from this event.  The theory was that trees were taken down in one chunk that would have provided continual problems over the years instead.  Transformers would get an update.  The last 365 days has seen zero memorable power outages to my home.  I might be jinxing myself saying it, but I think my prediction was right.

5. A Better Attitude.  The next time this happens, I'll be better prepared.  The biggest need?  A better attitude.  It took every bit of five or six days for me to get the right attitude about accepting the fate dealt our family. 

Now, I'll just dig out the flashlights. grin, and bear it.