My first posting on the "big boy" board:

Okay--been a lurker: expecting a 6-7, trying to prepare for a 8-9. But a big hidden Polly within that has been hoping for a less than 4 has been killed off forever after today.

Woke up today to a power outage--not too unusual for the rural area in which we live. Drove to work--no power the entire way. I get to work and the power is on but the computers are down. Now, I work for a .mil and we have been having computer "glitches" for the last week. They have been getting progressively longer and more disruptive with each day--today was a total bust on all systems all day!

My hubby works for an unrelated .org and his net access was unaccessable all day. So he left work early to get gas and the computerized gas pumps were all off and blinking!! So he pays indoors and is told "cash only, our credit card connection is down".

Okay, I hear you all thinking "semi rural area with network problems", but I don't think so--too many different systems including my .mil.

The final kicker was when we got home and watched the local news and they informed us that the 911 system of a 'burb near our biggest nearby city was down. The cute blonde anchor actually said "so if you have an emergency, flag down a passing patrol car or drive to a fire station". My hubby and I looked at each other in disbelief.

We have stepped up our preps and are now "true believers". Any one else feel like they are the main characters in an old black and white episode of "The Twilight Zone"?

-- cath (fin@llyGI.com), September 15, 1999

Answers

P.S. We live in the West--far from any influence from Ma Nature or Floyd. We've recently had the best weather we have had in the last 10 months!!

-- cath (fin@llyGI.com), September 15, 1999.

Dear Cath, welcome to the Doomers Club ;^)
What a day you had! Please keep us posted. Will it be a 3-day disturbance? Be sure to buy your official "red flag" this week. Also a map to the nearest fire station ...

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 15, 1999.

Welcome cath,

Nothing like first-hand "glitch" experience to help one "get" interconnectedness... at the local level... and beyond. Imagine the whole planet... glitching and twitching.

*Sigh*

Being prepared is the only prudent choice... for the experienced.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 15, 1999.

Cath,

If the phone lines are OK, would you call the "cute blond anchor" and ask her if she likes to mudwrestle, K.O.S. will need to know ASAP.

-- mud anchor lover (tag team@WWF.com), September 15, 1999.

Cath, is your power back on?......duh!

-- bbb (bbb@bbb.com), September 16, 1999.

King of Spain is out chasing tropical boobie birds! He decided that this in more fun than mudwrestling!

-- bbb (bbb@bbb.com), September 16, 1999.

Thanks to everyone for your warm welcome... Yes power is on and gennie is quiet (for now). Holding our breath, but learned a valuable lesson about fuel availablity. Hopefully some on the southeast part of the nation learned similar lessons befor the "final exam" in late December.

-- cath (fin@llyGI.com), September 16, 1999.

cath,

Welcome to the spot light side of the forum. Keep on keeping on.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), September 16, 1999.

Hi cath! Glad to have you on board (at least for the next 3 1/2 months:-)...

-- Nabi (nabi7@yahoo.com), September 16, 1999.

Cath is a troll. Read the post again....CLOSELY.

-- Don't Jerk Us Around (lookinoutfory2k@thedate.com), September 16, 1999.

LMAO!!!! Someone always swallows the bait!

-- LMAO (LMAO@LMAOOOO.com), September 16, 1999.

"Someone always swallows the bait!"

C'mon now. It's not a UFO alien abduction story. I've yet to "swallow" one of THOSE.

It's just a blackout story. We've ALL been in blackouts, haven't we? That you can lie about being in a blackout, & someone will believe you, is not surprising, or amusing, or evidence of gullibility.

OTOH: That anyone would lie about being in a blackout is merely disturbing, when you think about it. Lots of sick people out there. Which is also not surprising.

-- some folks (need@professional.help), September 16, 1999.

Nice comments--I guess you guys have your own way of "welcoming" new posters. For those that think I'm lying or a troll--I don't care, but I also will not be posting again.

-- cath (fin@llyGI.com), September 16, 1999.

Hey Cath,

Why did your husband pay if the pumps were all off?

Trolling, trolling, over the doomer seas!!!!!!

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), September 16, 1999.

cath, if you sincerely desire credibility -- Tell us all WHERE this happened. Then, after the story checks out, no one will call you a liar. I live in south-western Ohio. Our lights are on. OK, now, it's your turn: where do YOU live?

-- is this (really@so.complicated), September 16, 1999.

Dear cath,

I believe your story. Please keep posting or email me at hatchou@yahoo.com.

Truth hurts - some people.

-- Not Again! (seenit@ww2.com), September 16, 1999.

Hey "nothere nothere" !!!

Reread what Cath wrote, carefully. Notice that her husband found the gas pumps "blinking", so it was only their computer linkage, not their electricity, that was off.

So the pumps could pump, but not handle credit card payments.

Get it, dum dum?

- - - - - - -

And all you other "troll"-yellers should be ashamed of yourselves.

-- Some people just want to yell (troll@the.dropofahat), September 16, 1999.

"And all you other "troll"-yellers should be ashamed of yourselves. "

Are you going to tell us WHERE this black-out happened, or NOT?

...No...?

Then YOU'RE the one who should be ashamed.

Anonymous posters with stories that take place nowhere, & which cannot be verified, get what they deserve. Anyone who's been lurking for any length of time should know that. Tell us WHERE & WHEN this blackout took place. Until you do, you're a troll. OK?

-- just (the@facts.lady), September 16, 1999.