Well it happened again, for the third time this year, someone took out a power pole close to where we live plunging half of our town into darkness.

This time it was at 3:35am, how do I know the exact time you might ask? Well whenever the power is cut the backup power supplies for my computers emit a blood curdling squeal loud enough to wake you up from the soundest sleep.

A quick call to Duke power confirmed that we'd be digging out the flashlights and candles, oh joy! And once again it was time for the gathering of the "Condo Zombies" in the courtyard.

Maybe this happens at other condo developments, or maybe its unique to our corner of the world, but when the lights go out....the neighbors come out to stumble around in the dark. Little clusters of semi-awake people gathering about someone with a candle or flashlight all wondering if this is just a blackout, or a meteor, or a "Guv'mint Conspiracy" requiring the immediate deployment of more tinfoil hats.

The juice came back eventually, now I'm just starting to get the clocks in everything reset, except for the microwave...that thing hates me...only my wife can comprehend the mangled English of the Sharp owners manual enough to get it to stop flashing 12:00, 12:00, 12:00..........

 

Being targeted there Mike? You have had an inordinate amount of those of late.

 

You should pick up an old air raid siren and sound it off next time it happens......

 

Not being targeted Doc, just a typical Saturday night in a small Southern town, when light poles tend to jump out in front of F-150's occupied by tipsy rednecks.

You'd be amazed at how "mobile" light poles, houses, parked cars, trees, shrubs, mailboxes, dumpsters, and guardrails can be.

 

Sounds like it's time to protect or reposition that pole.

 

They'd just hit another one, not sure even burying the lines underground would help, because then you'd have to deal with "Mr. Redneck on a Backhoe".