Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I LOVE Windchimes!

I LOVE windchimes! - But not too many of them!

I was reminded of this when I went downstairs to wash the dishes and I could hear my windchimes outside! I used to have two of them but one just fell apart after having it for something like 20 years - LOL. I have it in bits and pieces and I want to put it back together again.

The windchimes that I have currently hanging outside are of little sharks! I got this particular windchime in Atlantic City. (I definitely have to take a picture of them so that I can post it here).

I love the sound of them! And hearing them lets me know if its windy outside.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Daylight Savings Time Has Begun!

Well I hope that you remembered to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour early this morning!

With the recent power outtages that we have been having in my area I have been changing clocks all month!

My cellphone clock took a while to "kick in" with the daylight savings time thing but I'm glad because now I don't have to worry about figuring out how to change the clock on my cellphone!

My computer's clock already "kicked in" with the daylight savings thing so all I really have to worry about are the regular clocks that are ALL around the house! I did notice that I'm going to have to update the thermostat clock - although I'm toying with the idea of leaving it like it is - LOL!

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Power Outage!

There was a power outage in my area early this morning.

You think that I would be used to this and not get myself in such a panic when this kind of thing occurs - but I wasn't and I did!

The first thing about this outage was that it occurred so early in the morning and it was a Saturday - meaning weekend - morning at that. I wondered if anyone else in my area was having this problem - but it was so early in the morning that I thought "who would be up at this time of night?".

I went to check my circut breakers (thank GOD I had purchased a flashlight a few weeks ago and the batteries were still good!) and they all looked fine. Then I went into the kitchen to get something to drink and noticed that the light in the refridgerator was working! OK, I thought that THAT was weird but since it was a new refridgerator I thought maybe it was one of those new "fangled" refridgerators that didn't need electricity in order for the light to work. Then I noticed that the clock on the stove was working (it had the wrong time on it but that was because the knob had broken off and I never adjusted it to the right time) and so I thought that that was really weird!

The lamp by the front door wasn't working but the lamp in the livingroom was working? OK more weirdness!

I looked outside to see if one of my neighbors who always has a light on had any lights on and I didn't see any lights on. So I thought well it must be at least happening in my block!

So I called the utility company and their number to report outtages. Imagine my surprise when I was able to talk to a real live person! She asked if I had checked my circuit breakers and I had told her that I did. ("Checked" meaning I looked at them and they seemed alright - BUT I DIDN'T TOUCH THEM!. She then got a technician to call me and he asked about the situation and I told him about the electricity being out. Since it wasn't a life-threatening situation and I told him that, he said that a truck would be dispatched as soon as someone got there. About 2 hours later the truck arrived but then it left! 'OK' I thought, 'it must have to do with just my house if the truck drove away! While I was on the phone with the utility company again I found out that several other people had reported outages in the area - which I was relieved about because it meant that I wasn't the only one! But as I was talking on the phone I looked out the window and noticed the guy looking at my meter. I hung up the phone and went out to talk to him and he said that there was indeed a problem. It was then that I told him that I had partial electricity. He said that there was a problem with the electricity in the area and that some - not all - of the houses in the area were affected.

Of course the problem was fixed (as you can tell by my being able to post this blog entry) a few hours later and all the power is back on!

Before this I had visions of old electricity in my 100 year old plus house and of expensive electricians and expensive electricity repairs!

I was so jumpy after that I took a nap!