Woo Hoo everything is back up, Armageddon is over =)

[TacticalMom]

Woo Hoo, everything is back up. We have internet, cable tv, and power.

To celebrate I went shooting all by my lonesome. I had some frustrations to get out on my targets.

Had to go into work early in the morning on Saturday. As most of you know I am a pastry chef. When I got in I found out the power had gone out right after I had gotten off of work on Friday night, at 10:30pm. We had back up generators on but that only powered the emergency lights and registers. We had a light on every 10 feet just so people don't walk into poop.

So we cleaned, I lost about $5,000.00 in pastries. My cakes and pastries had been out of refrigeration for about 10 hours by 8 am. (note: it is generally bad to sell food out of refrigeration of more than 4 hours, that is the generally accepted amount of time it takes for bad bacteria to populate in the food item to get you sick.) I say generally because different Items differ in times and temps. Some pastries/cakes are perfectly viable for 5 days at room temp.

We had no air conditioner, no lights except the emergency lighting, and no refrigeration. So we are cleaning my work area and cleaning out my case. Our manager opens for business at about 9:30 am. Just to let folks come in to get water, and non perishable items like canned goods.

Only one door is opened and there is a greater at that door, letting people know that there is no perishable food available due to power outage, and you will have to shop in relative dark. I only give this background to set the stage.

As you know when we lose one of our luxuries, all hell breaks loose. Well this weekend was no exception. I had people yell at me because we did not have any Armageddon cakes for them to buy. (note: a couple of years ago when we had the blizzards we had an unexpected number of cakes sold, I now lovingly refer to those cakes that people have to have in an a natural disaster as Armageddon cakes.) I had people yell a me cause they just wanted one gallon of milk and we did not have any. I had one nasty lady snap at me, as I was walking out of the store to take a break, I politely informed her that we are sorry we don't have any perishable foods right now because of the power outage. She replied " I f&*king know" she had her husband and child with her. He looked a little embarrased. I said "oh wow sorry, just trying to inform you."

We had one crazy dude yelling at our store manager, flipping him off, and yelling obscenities, pealed out of the parking lot because he could not get what he wanted when he wanted.

People were shopping with their phone lights on, trying to read product labels. Water was being yanked off the shelf. It was your typical armageddon weekend.

If we break down this much for a small storm that took out our utilities, can you imagine what would happen if something worse happened?

[ShotgunBlast]

This is exactly why I prep. The last thing I want to do is deal with the crazies after a bad storm. Fortunately we didn't lose power, but if we had we would have been just fine.

[TacticalMom]

This is exactly why I prep. The last thing I want to do is deal with the crazies after a bad storm. Fortunately we didn't lose power, but if we had we would have been just fine.

Yep we did not have to get anything this weekend. I felt good about my preparations.

[mamabearCali]

As bad as we can have it. My husband is getting the brunt of it. He works for dominion as a business process analyst. However 4 years ago he was a designer and thus is able to patrol lines and has the training to handle emergency operations. He was called out for at least a week (a little bit of a surprise--he is usually only called out for hurricanes), and yesterday he was nearly assaulted and was harassed by irate customers as he is trying to direct crews and keep people from being electrocuted by downed power lines (live!!!!). So if you see a power company employee out there, please be nice. You don't have to get them lemonade, but please get out of their way and let them do their job so everyone's power can be back on.

[ShotgunBlast]

As bad as we can have it. My husband is getting the brunt of it. He works for dominion as a business process analyst. However 4 years ago he was a designer and thus is able to patrol lines and has the training to handle emergency operations. He was called out for at least a week (a little bit of a surprise--he is usually only called out for hurricanes), and yesterday he was nearly assaulted and was harassed by irate customers as he is trying to direct crews and keep people from being electrocuted by downed power lines (live!!!!). So if you see a power company employee out there, please be nice. You don't have to get them lemonade, but please get out of their way and let them do their job so everyone's power can be back on.

Yeah, I feel bad for anyone who works for the power company no matter what they do. People know you're the janitor or accountant there? Well how come you're not out reconnecting my power? What's up with that??

For everyone to be connected to such a fragile power grid, things turn downright ugly real quick when there's a problem with the system.

[Jakeiscrazy]

I was at work(Mcd's) when the storm hit and our power would flicker on and off people were getting all angry about us being unable to take their orders because the registers were resetting. Every time the registers would come back up the power would flicker again it eventually stabilized and they never lost it.

[rlbellco72]

It's crazy the way people get crazy when the poop hits the fan!

[TacticalMom]

As bad as we can have it. My husband is getting the brunt of it. He works for dominion as a business process analyst. However 4 years ago he was a designer and thus is able to patrol lines and has the training to handle emergency operations. He was called out for at least a week (a little bit of a surprise--he is usually only called out for hurricanes), and yesterday he was nearly assaulted and was harassed by irate customers as he is trying to direct crews and keep people from being electrocuted by downed power lines (live!!!!). So if you see a power company employee out there, please be nice. You don't have to get them lemonade, but please get out of their way and let them do their job so everyone's power can be back on.

Tell your husband I said thank you from our family. We appreciate everything we have, and appreciate all the hard work that the crews were doing. We were not calling about the power, cable, or internet, because we were sure all hell was breaking loose and we did not need to add to the problem by asking when. We knew the crews were out there trying to work as fast as they can. We dealt with what we had and waited till out stuff came back up.

Being in the service industry, in any area sucks when people are stupid and irate about what they feel entitled to.

Tell him to keep safe, and thank him again. He and all his coworkers are in our minds.

[dorminWS]

Verizon's hard wired system is still down out here. I'm using an I-pad and a little Verizon mobile link while I'm paralyzed with no e-mail or Internet. Power went off last night and killed my bi-pap machine. Nothing like waking up unable to inhale. Been many a moon since I peed in the bed, but I came damn nigh it last night.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[mamabearCali]

Tell your husband I said thank you from our family. We appreciate everything we have, and appreciate all the hard work that the crews were doing. We were not calling about the power, cable, or internet, because we were sure all hell was breaking loose and we did not need to add to the problem by asking when. We knew the crews were out there trying to work as fast as they can. We dealt with what we had and waited till out stuff came back up.

Being in the service industry, in any area sucks when people are stupid and irate about what they feel entitled to.

Tell him to keep safe, and thank him again. He and all his coworkers are in our minds.

I gotta say...call them once at least to let them know the power is out. There was a fellow back in August that did not call in his power outage. He was an old guy living off in the woods and had a generator he ran everyday for two hours. He kept his food cold that way, watched his favorite show then went on with his life. He figured Dominion would get there when they got there. Two weeks later a line-man makes a u-turn in his driveway. He comes out and says--"yall here to fix the power" the line man asked suprised "you don't have power?".....It turns out Dominion has no way of knowing if your power is out unless you call and he was on a lonely circuit with just himself so Dominion had no idea that he was out of power. So please give Dominion a call just once to let them know your lights are out. Chris (my DH) would appreciate that.

[OakRidgeStars]

Interactive outage map from Dominion

http://outagemap.dom.com/DomComFlexOuta ... index.html

[tursiops]

Interactive outage map from Dominion

http://outagemap.dom.com/DomComFlexOuta ... index.html

It'd be interesting to see what that looked like about midnight Friday!

[Reverenddel]

(shakes head) Those nutjobs, yelling, and screaming, and such? Are EXACTLY why I carry a firearm, and unlock the BIGGER firearms during disasters/potential disasters.

When idjuts get desperate, they do stupid things in desperation...

Rather have myself mentally really, physically able, and emotionally as calm as a Hindu Cow.

[Mav]

Oh wow I go way to a cigar festal for the weekend and your right TacticalMom, Armageddon break lose down south.. :-0

Good to hear everyone's OK and back up.. and yes give those power and phone guys a break..
If you want someone to yell at, go talk your local politician

[OakRidgeStars]

More Stormageddon updates: http://wtop.com/

[dorminWS]

Got our internet back up at the office. But it ain't the Verizon feed. The last time we had a problem like this, I had my IT ner...uhhh... right-hand-man stick in a Comcast feed as backup. He had to spend the morning changing IP addresses, but we're back in business. Verizon still dead. Beginning to loose all faith in them as a provider.

We had very little real damage out here in the immediate area; hunkered down as we are between these wonderful, lovely mountains. We may have to pipe sunshine into some of these hollers out here, but we have a lot better show of not getting blown away, and most of the damned guv'mint bureaucrats are too lazy or too scared or both to drive out here and bother us face-to-face.

[stryder67]

Verizon still dead. Beginning to loose all faith in them as a provider.

I was a comcast customer for over 15 years and for the past 4 years, a verizon customer. Trust me, Verizon waaaay better.

[dorminWS]

Verizon still dead. Beginning to loose all faith in them as a provider.

I was a comcast customer for over 15 years and for the past 4 years, a verizon customer. Trust me, Verizon waaaay better.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You're probably right, but right now it's VERIZON that I'm royally p!ssed off at. Heck, I cuss Comcast every night because I pay $150/month for 200+ channels with NOTHING ON THEM WORTH WATCHING (that I haven't already seen 43 times)! Truth is, I figured if I had them both (at a very modest cost for the Comcast as B/U - we already had their cable in the meeting room), then we might be better off with TWO jackwagon outfits than just one. This time, at least, they didn't both drop dead at the same time.

[wally626]

As bad as we can have it. My husband is getting the brunt of it. He works for dominion as a business process analyst. However 4 years ago he was a designer and thus is able to patrol lines and has the training to handle emergency operations. He was called out for at least a week (a little bit of a surprise--he is usually only called out for hurricanes), and yesterday he was nearly assaulted and was harassed by irate customers as he is trying to direct crews and keep people from being electrocuted by downed power lines (live!!!!). So if you see a power company employee out there, please be nice. You don't have to get them lemonade, but please get out of their way and let them do their job so everyone's power can be back on.

Unlike a hurricane there was no day after day of warning. First I knew it was coming was when i work up from the winds buffeting the house. Just some light flickering here, so no outages, but the total I recall was 2.5mil out in VA, Isabel which was the previous biggest I think only had 3.5mil out in VA, so this suprise short storm really had the power-outage punch of a hurricane. I am not suprised a lot of peaple were caught short on supplies, although you should always have at least a few days of food and water. When I got my new house I did put in a whole house generator after suffering many day outages from Isabel and some ice storms. Of course since then the only long outage was a guy hitting the power pole down the block.

[Diomed]

Verizon still dead. Beginning to loose all faith in them as a provider.

I was a comcast customer for over 15 years and for the past 4 years, a verizon customer. Trust me, Verizon waaaay better.

I was a Verizon customer for seven years for phone and internet. Wretched. Been a Comcast customer for cable for even longer, and they're not much better. Unfortunately, those are the options around here, Verizon or Comcast. Pick your poison, because you're taking it in the shorts either way.