I really should pay attention to the news more (i.e. at all). Just found out about hurricane Joaquin only ten minutes ago, and apparently it's set to hit us straight on. A category 3 is about to **** our **** up and probably leave us without power for several days (possibly a week) straight.
http://www.weather.com/storms/hurric...ast-coast-2015
Last time this happened a few years ago we went without power for... I don't know, two three days, and while the heat, humidity, and stagnant weather (after the storm, obviously) were killer, not to mention the boredom of not having TV or anything electronic with which to pass the time (which will suck extra balls as I am now accustomed to having 24/7 access to the internet). And I don't believe the last one was a cat 3, or hit us as dead center as this one is likely to.
On the plus side, the last time a hurricane hit, I actually learned to enjoy certain things: when the storm was in full swing I actually sat in a chair on the front porch and just watched (don't know if that will be possible this time, due to its greater strength -- I believe it was hurricane Irene in 2011, which was only a cat 1 when it hit us); I also learned the joy of reading by gas lamp at night and how much I hate the sterile, bleached light of incandescent bulbs; I experienced a refreshing clear-headedness due to the lack of sensory overload from modern mass media and pop culture, which increased my ability to concentrate to the point where I could read all day, whereas my attention span is generally shot after an hour or so; and being able to experience a lifestyle where ignoring the hustle-and-bustle of modern life without the stigma of just being lazy was amazing.
I will need to stock up on cigs when I get paid on Friday, though. And try to track down a fat sack of weed if at all possible.
Edit: Oh, and any tips on conserving power for my two laptops? They probably only have about six hours at most of battery life between them, and will obviously become paperweights pretty early on. They may only have limited use for entertainment without the net (especially the Chromebook, which relies on an internet connection for the vast majority of its functions) but they'll be my only source of music and whatnot for however long they survive.