We've just survived our first PSPS (Public Safety Power Shutoff) of the season--and actually, we had the good fortune to be out of town during the two or three last year, so this was our very first. 20 hours without electricity--and also without internet, a problem apparently caused by the power outage since they both came back at the same time. A few months back we joined an increasing number of neighbors in buying a portable generator, so we actually did have power, at least partial power (most of the essentials, but no air conditioning, laundry, and dishwasher; oh, and hot tub) for the hours that we ran the generator (about 8 a.m. through 9 p.m., with a pause for refueling midday). We were kind of dreading the no air conditioning, with a forecast of triple digit heat, but fortunately that didn't turn out to be the case. i think yesterday it may have hit 90, but today was cooler.
The cooler temps, though, in part because of the thick smoke cover from the various fires burning round about. The closest significant one to us is perhaps 100 miles away, and the smoke has been massive. Fortunately it is mostly high in the sky, so there isn't much of a smell of smoke, and the air quality has generally been rated "unhealthy for sensitive groups"; I'm still willing to take our morning walk at that level, though for a couple of days last week it was into the stronger "unhealthy" category and my wife wouldn't let me walk ("you're older than I and you have asthma," she scolded).
We were mostly able to stay "connected" by using the personal hot spot on our phones (being sure to keep them charged when the power was on), but it was pretty spotty. Tuesday is the day we record our church service, and I went into church (where the power and internet were both on) and sat in the fellowship hall to record; my colleague was in the sanctuary, and our other colleague was at home (where he also had both power and internet). So we made it work.
My wife observes that these are all very much first world and white privilege problems, and of course she's right. We were suffering minor inconveniences for two days. Many others have lost their homes, or are stuck in shelters in the midst of a pandemic.
I've also been reading through voluminous files of correspondence of my late in-laws, a good bit of which is between them while my father-in-law was living away from home either on business or at school. I am astonished at how often he advises his wife which bills to pay and which to let ride for a month. (This would be the late 1940s/early 1950s.) She was managing the household alone with three or four small children. We are so very fortunate.
Even as I write, a plane goes overhead. This time of year, you immediately perk up, wait to see if there's another, and if so, go out and see if you see new smoke. But as my wife says, "At least its something other than Covid to worry about."
Feeling grateful, though, in spite of it all.
