Am I glad Y2K wasn't a disaster? You bet.

Am I glad I prepped anyway. Heck yeah, because I'm taking advantage of my family's foresight right now. As many of you know, parts of North Texas, North Louisiana and southern Arkansas and Oklahoma experienced significant snow and ice over the past few days.

Early Friday morning, more than 25,000 homes in North Texas were without power; many had been without power for more than 24 hours. Here it is after noon on Saturday and many are in their third day without power.

We lost our electricity for three hours Thursday night, and then again last night before midnight. It's now 1:17 p.m. and it's still off.

When I awoke this morning and realized the power was off, I got dressed, went down behind my Dad's shop building and turned on the propane powered generator. Because of that we have heat and lights (and access to the computer).

The power outage shut down the only grocery store in town, but because we prepped, that's not a problem.

Sure, I got ready for the worst. It didn't happen, but had I not prepared, we be pretty miserable right now. Being ready for any eventuality isn't folly, folks. It makes perfect sense.

-- Vic (rdrunner@internetwork.net), January 29, 2000

Answers

Vic:

Your foresight in prepping is to be commended. Because of this, you're in a position to take care of your family and help your friends if needed. Good luck and may the weather break for your area soon.

-- haha (haha@haha.com), January 29, 2000.

Ditto, your family and friends are now blessed by your efforts. Bet anyone who snickered at you is now eating crow.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 29, 2000.

I've been thinking the same thing, having "prepped" for an earthquake 11 years ago, I have continued to have the necessities which has come in handy during storms and other power out situations.

As a matter of fact, the windstorm we had last week brought our power down and we were enjoying it when the power came back on and we all groaned because it ruined our adventure.

Prepping for Y2K is probably helping a lot of people through storms and other situations where they would not have been ready for normally. This is definatly one of the positive side effects of Y2K.

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), January 29, 2000.

"So I am very happy I spent $25,000 to be comfortable for three days without power". You should have gone to St. Thomas!

-- for real (for@real.com), January 29, 2000.

We prepped to be self sufficient in crisis conditions. I am very glad we haven't (yet)had a crisis. We are enjoying the fruits of our preps now. New windows have made me quit shiveriing in a drafty house. Also cut our fuel consumption. We light our oil lamps and enjoy a fire in our fireplace insert every night. It is such a soothing light. I had forgot how beautiful a fire is since my girlscout days. Very comforting.

Also had a wind storm here in the NW that knocked out our power for several hours. We hardly noticed. We enjoyed our usual comforting livingroom, sipping hot cocoa on our butane stove (OK indoors).

Loosing power slowed the pace of our lives considerably. Wonderful choice that we created for ourselves. And we have hot cocoa for a neighbor or two should one appear at our door. We can feed and heat and comfort two or three in addition to ourselves.

We prepped well and have no regrets. We love the feeling of comfort and safety we created for ourselves, with power, or without power.

It's wonderful to create choices, crisis or everyday living.

The support and caring of the folks I met on this forum was invaluable during the uncertainty with which we faced the rollover.

I celebrate each day as a new gift from God that I had not really thought much about before Y2K awakened me to the realities of our vulnerabilty in terms of utilities.

Plus, I get to read cards, pictures and letters from my six sponsored kids in Africa, India and Guatemala, feeling wonderful that we sent each of them extra money for food. They can all make use of food.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and feelings, both before Y2K and as it unfolds in future months. I prepped and I feel just fine.

-- Leslie (***@***.net), January 29, 2000.

for real, what does it matter to you how much money Vic spent on preps? The only person to judge if his money was well spent is Vic. If he is happy, his preps are worth it. I also suspect Vic could take care of himself for 3 years as easily as he could for 3 days. Could you? What Vic did was a self sufficient and loving act to take care of himself, his family and not be a burden on the rest of society in the event of hard times. The fact that you feel this is something to be ridiculed only shows your ignorance.

-- without (power@northtexas.com), January 29, 2000.

For Real

Let me tell you smart A$$, we spent more than $25K for our system and we have no regrets. We live in the boondocks and we need power for our well and freezers. We did the back up generator trip years ago when it wasn't cool and it doesn't hack it. Power has been out as long as a month and a half in areas close to us following winter storms off the ocean.

Try trolling some place else.

Todd

-- Todd Detzel (detzel@jps.net), January 29, 2000.

For Real

How about learning to read! Vic said "25,000 homes in North Texas were without power" not I spent $25,000. I guess you are just another defective product of a public education.

-- justwondering (justwonder@learntoread.com), January 29, 2000.

Cherri, please forgive me, if I mistake your handle. But weren't you the handle, who had, hand's on knowledge (super computer person), swore nothing would happen, and that we were stupid's for preparing for anything? And YOU prepared!!!!!

-- Handles (c@nbefake.com), January 29, 2000.

Hey 'for real', its the big fat food-stamped as*holes like you that will bring this society down through their inablility to care for themselves or their spawn!!

-- Porky (Porky@in.cellblockD), January 29, 2000.

My wife is saying that we had our own "Y2K" last night and this morning when the water main broke. My in-laws were staying with us. We both showered at work, but at least we could all flush the toilets at home thanks to all the water I bottled from the tap 4 months ago.

I live in a city near a bunch of rivers and the water is still not back on. VERY glad that I prepped.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), January 31, 2000.

test

-- hhbl (ww@hotstuff.net), December 21, 2004.