Black-out

How dependent we are on technology! 

Either some dude hit a telephone pole or there was a brushfire a block away from my company’s building (or both, reports were sketchy and varied).  Happened a little after 2:30 today.  An ominous, omnipresent sputter belched from every vent in the place, and, with a sound like a cross between an M80 attached to a silencer and a 1940s vacuum cleaner rattling death knell – no power.

Oh, the emergency generator kicked in.  So half the place had light.

But not my office.  In fact, if it wasn’t for a ceiling window twenty-feet away, I’d be utter darkness.

Computer worked, after rebooting and cycling through all that nonsense, wrestling to retrieve open files in various stages of Save.  But no internet.  And because no internet, none of the various half-dozen pieces of software I deal with dozens of times a day to do my job.

I had a new hire in the building filling out start-up forms.  So I went downstairs and sat with him near some bright windows.  Did the interview and orientation and all that fun stuff, but couldn’t finish the on-boarding process (those aforementioned internet software thingies).  That’ll have to be one more thing for me to do Monday.  Plus, what a fine introduction of our company to this eager young man.  I made sure to work in the downed telephone pole and brush fire several times in our conversation.

So I’m writing this here at work (to be printed out and posted later) because there is really nothing else I can do, until we get lights and connectivity back.  Maybe I’ll head out early.  It’s Little One’s birthday weekend celebration.  My wife is taking her and her friends out to Shake Shack and a movie (Dolphin Tale Two), along with Patch, so I’ll have the evening to myself.  Might hit B&N.  Might just go home and read, enjoying the blissful silence. 

In any event, technological breakdown just extended my weekend by 90 minutes or so.  Unfortunately, that’s on my dime.