My father powered up his chainsaw the next day. Neighbors flocked to the sound, clearing the trees, giving us access to the outside world, still mostly without power. I was amazed at an intersection whose stoplight hung black in the center of the road. Somehow the drivers in all four lanes of the major road decided the light had changed and stopped, and those in the crossing lanes took their turn.
    Over the next eleven days I experienced the worse vacation ever. There were some highlights, like listening to Radio Taiwan on the short wave. They were playing Japanese, French and Chinese dance music. It was dark in the house, so no one had to witness my dancing. My eyeglasses with the lights? - A timely fashion statement. Two weeks ago I had been silly for having those glasses, now I was a genius.
    Luckily, the bad took the shape of small things. The first two days, I jerked every time a candle flickered, thinking the lights were going out, and I should turn off my computer. Then I experienced the relief of knowing my computer wasn't on, mixed with the dull ache of knowing why. There were also countless radar screens, extended forecasts, and outage maps that I could only listen to on the radio.

    I did learn a few things from the experience. I found you could plug in a laptop at Kinko's for free, twenty-four hours a day. Note: if you're ever in a blackout, don't read a book about a video game. I read Masters of Doom, about the makers of the Doom games, then had to drive to Kinko's to play Doom on the laptop for a few hours. Yes, I had to.

    Also, I learned the word 'bougie' from the candle box. It's French for candle. Say it a few times in your head, "Bougie, bougie." It makes replacing a candle for the hundredth time, a bit more fun.

    I learned if you put a tap-light upside down on top of a glass, somewhere up high; it can light a whole room.

    I learned some people don't know the courtesy of turning off their generators at night. In our neighborhood everyone does. I thought it was common etiquette, but I heard horror stories from friends who were trying to sleep while their neighborhood sounded like it was built in the center of a racetrack.

    I learned I am very well trained to turn lights on and off when entering and leaving a room. I never failed to turn on and off the bathroom light. Now, I'll probably walk in the bathroom and tap the end of the counter for no reason.

    On Saturday the 27th, we finally saw the power trucks. We told the workers the guide wire had been pulled from our house, and we were taken off the grid - line cut, no chance of power. The workmen from Michigan cut the line because they couldn't reach our roof with the ladders they had with them. They said they wouldn't forget us. The houses across the street from us got their lights that evening. The next day, everyone around us had lights.

    Monday the 29th, the guys from Michigan pulled up in front of our house. They brought the long ladder. They hadn't forgotten us.