Where were you when the lights went out......

Last night I had just finished cleaning up my kitchen and had plopped myself down in my recliner to watch the latest episode of "24" on FOX. It was a little after 9pm and I had just gotten comfortable when I noticed that my lights had begun to flicker off and on repeatedly. Having lived through 4 or 5 blackouts in my lifetime...I knew this was probably not a good thing.

Sure enough, seconds later all of the power went out! As my monster began pulling out candles, batteries and flashlights (he's ALWAYS prepared!!! Ya gotta love it!!!) I went outside to see what was going on. Everyone was in the darkened hallways and on the way down five flights I saw some very interesting outfits...lol and joined in on some hilarious conversation....

I finally got down to the lobby with my neighbor Glenda right behind me and we were greeted by firemen and fire trucks.....we quickly found out that there was a transformer fire underground on my corner and it took out the power on the entire block! I was told that Con Edison had already been notifed and were en route...but they warned us that it would be a while because it was a busy night for them...(er....when HASN'T it been a busy night for Con Ed of late???...with manhole covers either blowing up, catching fire or electrocuting dogs....I guess I'd be busy too...lol)

Now as I said earlier....Being a native New Yorker...I have actually lived through several blackouts of the entire city! Although a MAJOR inconvenience....I always manage to enjoy myself during them...it forces people to TALK and LISTEN to one another for a change...there isn't any way to really "veg out" when you have no power. Of course this sort of event can either bring out either the best or the worst in your neighbors, but fortunately we didn't see the "worst" come out of anyone on this night. We all stood outside cutting up for a good while.....folks just decided to take for what it was and try and make the best of a bad situation. It was really cool. (Not the blackout....the people...PEOPLE!)

I decided to make my way to the bodega down the street to get some cold beverages and munchies for the long night. I got back up my 5 flights and found my monster sitting all cozy in the living room with the room lit up with candles....VERY ROMANTIC!!! So I plugged in my Ipod to some portable speakers, turned on some music and we spent the rest of the evening listening to music and just talking...something we don't get to do a lot these days....Con Ed must have arrived around 1am because that's when the street was suddenly lit up with floodlights....they worked through the night and when I awoke the next day the power was restored....YAY!!!!

Thanks Con Ed for an inadvertently magical night!

There are three kinds of people in the world: Those who make things happens, those who watch things happen and those that wonder what happened...Which one are you?