Blackout 2003 [was Re: OT-Kinda]

[Z! Reinhardt]

Joe Garrett -- Must be nice to excercise the option to play hooky on your
terms on Friday ...!

Here in Metro Detroit, we had to play hooky from anything resembling
Business As Usual, as we were deep in the Great Blackout of 2003.

Friday's schedule originally contained just 1 jobsite with 4 pianos.  The
site was conveniently located behind one of the local TV stations, so I
figured that as long as I heard comments referring to back-up generators
powering the station, there wouldn't be much point to even think about what
those pianos may be up to.  Thankfully my little battery radio does pick up
TV audio, so I could listen in on that station whenever I pleased.

As I'm sure all of you have seen/heard/read in media reports, Detroit was
featured as the City of Shopping Woes (although things could hardly have
been different in other affected cities) with people scrambling to find
stores that were somehow open for business and scooping up everything that
resembled bottled water, batteries, flashlights, and other emergency
provisions.  I just sat there at home all fat, dumb, and happy.  Less than a
month ago I had stocked up on batteries.  Less than a week ago I loaded up
with 8 gallons of filtered water.  The night before the blackout I filled
the gas tank in a car that averages 500 miles between fill-ups.

What to do ... just sat on the porch with pad and paper, writing letters to
assorted pen-pals just like I did in high school.  The neighborhood was very
quiet ... I supposed people had simply hunkered down to wait it out.  I have
to confess, I am not the most outgoing neighbor.  In retrospect, I should
have done more to check on the neighbors, particularly the 2 with infants.
However, I did check in on my aunt on the other side of Ann Arbor.  She was
fine.

+ + +

OK -- for all of you who were also in the Blackout of 2003 ... What Were YOU
Doing When The Lights Went Out?

Me?  I had just left the last jobsite of the day.  I glanced into the
windows of the building as I was pulling out of the parking lot and all was
normal inside.  By the time I turned onto the road and faced a traffic light
just 200 feet away, all was dark.  Managed to make it home 25 miles away
just before the worst of the rush-hour crunch got underway.

Next question -- Were you caught in the Blackout of November 1965?  I was,
while living in the Boston area.

Z! Reinhardt  RPT
Ann Arbor  MI


----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Garrett" <joegarrett@earthlink.net>
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2003 12:08 AM
Subject: OT-Kinda


I thought I'd share my day with Y'all!<G>:
>><<
    Anyway, one tuning, then the rest of the day to either come back to the
shop or take some time for myself. Life has been rather cruel, these last
few months, so I opted to "play hookie"!<G> (One of the nice "perks" of
working in this business!) The Plan: Hang out on the beach, have lunch and
read The Five Lectures!<G>
    >><<
    Well, that was my day, "Playing Hooky"! I feel much better now. Ready to
get back at it, in earnest, tomorrow.
    I hope you all have the opportunity to "play hooky" occasionally, it's
good for the Soul!

Best Regards,
Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
Captain, Tool Police
Squares Are I