p a s s i o n + r e a s o n

Note:Unfortunately, when writing the previous version of this account, I didn't bother to save it (I had thought the power would have been stable) and lost it to the electric neverneverland.

Yesterday we were hit with a huge power blackout, which affected much of Southern Ontario and the Northeastern USA. Power is still intermittent, as some areas are experiencing rolling blackouts (as I did when writing my account without saving it). The Boston Globe calls it the "Great blackout of '03", and various Toronto dailies are saying power is trickling back and telling people to stay home.

I had checked the CAA's Central Ontario web site for the number of my local office and had just completed the call when the power went out. I left to go to TravelCuts to pay for my flight tickets but noticed that many radio stations were off air or were on intermittently. CBC Radio One informed me, but urged drivers to observe the lights as all-way stops. I noticed many people had forgotten that important piece of information as they sped through intersections scowling at and stealing the right-of-way of other drivers.

Ben and his friend Chris were still cycling home from Waterloo, so I decided to hop on my bike and meet up with them. They were incredulous when told of the extent of the blackout. They were pretty gleeful that they were the fastest moving traffic in some parts in Halton Region.

Dinner was barbeque foods and stir-fry on the BBQ stove, and dessert was the mad finishing of our green tea ice cream and Ruth's home-made gelato. After dinner, we listened to the car radio (none of our home radios work off batteries, or they require some five or six D cell batteries which we didn't stock up on), and then I went down to a major intersection to take photos of the cops directing traffic. They were not amused at how much traffic there was, with one cop yelling to no one in particular, "Go home people, go home!"

Afterwards I went home and watched the stars, satellites, and three shooting stars. It's unfortunate that it takes something this drastic to get most of us to step back and get in touch with nature. It is incredible how reliant we are on electricity. I don't think any of us can really imagine a life in electric neverneverland.