I Have The Power!

Well, we finally have power at the house again. After going through the fridge and freezers, it doesn't look like too much survived the past few days^*. That's ok, because I have a computer, internet access, tv, phones that can actually be charged, lights, and many, many other things which run on electricity. It doesn't matter if I am going to use them all or not, the important thing is that if I want to, I can.

^*And of course, since it was nature's fault and not that of the power company^**, replacing all the food that has been damaged is my responsibility not theirs.

^**Though, I would argue that the length of the outage is their fault. We saw two of their repair trucks go by today, and less than 30 minutes later, we had power. Why did I wait 3 days? I guess they don't owe any sort of service to us. It's not like we pay them way too much every month.

Another Update, Still No Power

Tonight while we were out, we saw a guy out in front of a local business holding a sign. I couldn't tell what it said at first, but as we passed I realized it said "We sell generators. 10% off, today only."

Tempting...

Stormy Weather Pt. 2

I just got our first update on power restoration from the electric company (didn't get to speak to Morgan Freeman though). They are currently estimating our power will be restored on August 25th, 2007 at 4:00. Ah yes, there's nothing like rapid service. I guess I should just be glad that they included 2007 in the date so I don't have to wonder if they'll get to me this year.

Friday AM update: They now claim power will be restored by August 26th, 2007 11:59 PM. Will someone do me a favor and tell them that I hate them.

Stormy Weather

A large line of strong thunderstorms came rolling off Lake Michigan this evening. Around 5:15, a tornado warning was issued for areas just to our southwest. The storms looked to be severe and headed in our direction rapidly. The only good thing was that they were moving fast enough that they wouldn't stay for very long.

They didn't. In fact, we only had around 5 to 10 minutes of a strong storm, but it was enoughto knock limbs down around the neighborhood and cause a power outage (I'm posting from my phone again). Now, if you will excuse me, I have a long evening of sitting in the dark planned.

Guitar Hero

It may be one of the bigger hits that Van Halen ever had, especially during the Sammy Hagar era, but even 15 years later, every time I hear Right Now I want to go give Crystal Pepsi a try.


I wonder if that was really what Eddie Van Halen wanted.

This Little Piggy Went to Market

After a while in a marriage you can pretty much tell what your spouse is thinking. I've discussed the importance of this kind of understanding previously, but the understanding that comes with years of living together was made evident again while we were watching television and had the following exchange.

Man on the Food Network: In fact, I've got a buddy who's actually in a Bacon of the Month Club, where they send him a different type of bacon each month.

Craig: *chuckles to himself*

Melissa: No. Don't even think about it.

I Have No Toothpaste: Ruminations on Trains, Planes and the Herd Mentality

That title sounds a bit grandiose for what this really is, doesn't it? Oh well, the title still amuses me, so it stays.

Each time I travel gives me more things to ponder and more things to want to write about. I figured I might as well collect them here in a poorly organized list so that you can waste as much of your time reading them as I am writing them.

In the US, there are really only two decent means of long distance mass transit: train (which really means Amtrak, since there is only one major carrier) and airplane. Sure there are buses named after dogs that travel the highways that run across our country, but those are usually reserved for people who aren't afraid of spending 72 hours sitting next to a guy who might have been profiled on America's Most Wanted last night or who might just smell like he hasn't showered since the first Bush administration. Besides, if I'm going to travel by road, I would rather drive myself. I can control the music, when and where we stop and who sits next to me.


I hadn't travelled by train for anything city-to-city until recently, and the experience really helped me realize a few things. Mostly, I realized that trains are not designed for people of any size whatsoever. If you ride the train, you had better be thin and short. There is no leg room and no butt room. You can feel free to get up and move about as long as you don't mind getting thrown around the car. There is less security to deal with, so it's easier for everyone to get to and from the trains and waiting areas, but on the down side there is less security so it's easier for everyone to get to and from the trains and waiting areas. Really, everything I've seen indicates that train travel is basically a slower version of air travel, only with more mental illness and less teeth.

Travel by air becomes more and more annoying the more restrictions are put into place for security. If you want to take liquids on a plane, you can...as long as no single container is greater than 3 ounces and all containers fit into a "quart-size, clear, resealable, zip-top bag." I'm not sure whether I believe there was ever any sort of plot that caused this or if the actual plot was one that involved companies that make Zip-loc bags and trial size toothpaste. Like everything else in air travel, the enforcement is completely arbitrary, so I managed to get on a plane in one airport with my toothpaste safely in my carry-on bag, only to have it confiscated at the next security station because it was three and a half ounces, and I might try to brush the teeth of the passengers around me against their will. (Personally, I'd think that would be a public service, but I guess not everyone agrees.)

One of the most fascinating things about air travel is the layover at an intermediate airport. You may be stopping in Detroit for three hours on your way from Chicago to St. Louis or spending all day in Charlotte when you travel from Denver to Los Angeles. Not only do the routes you have to take seem to make no sense, but the lengthy layovers provide you the opportunity to spend time observing the other people stuck in the airport with you. There may be families running from gate to gate trying not to miss their flight. There may be couples on their honeymoon, who are the only ones that don't seem to be frustrated by the entire process. Mostly, however, you will find the travelling businessman. There are a few differences depending on whether he is single and hitting on every girl in the gate area, just hanging out in the sports bar, or trying to be productive with his time before the next flight. In spite of these differences, you can still spot them based on the characteristics they (almost all) have in common. First, there is the ubiquitous cellphone, preferably a Blackberry. This is out and on at all times, and even while walking through the airport, the businessman will be sending emails on it. In addition, you can often spot them by the Bluetooth ear piece which makes it look like the terminal is full of extras from Flash Gordon. Of course, there are exceptions to this. You might even happen upon a business man who isn't wearing an earpiece, but rather carrying a book (and by a book, I mean the most recent John Grisham novel or a book about business management). The more time you spend in the airport, the more time you realize that there are really only about 10 people at most wandering around there with you, the rest are just clones of those 10. The real fun is figuring out which of that 10 you are.

It doesn't seem to matter which method of travel you choose, you have to deal with plenty of waiting as well as other people who may be concerned with things other than your convenience. It's useful if you have to travel an extremely long way, but otherwise, I think that until someone perfects the Stark Trek style transporter, I'll stick with my car.