Let’s face it. Unless you live in an underground bunker, you’ve probably heard something about the blizzard that is rapidly approaching the northeastern section of the United States. In fact, the first wave of snow that signals the beginning of the oncoming mess that many forecasters are calling a “historic storm” is falling from the sky right now. As a result, most of the government offices, major airlines, public transportation, private employers, schools, and other similar institutions in the area have already decided to close their doors for the day. This means that it’s not only pretty hard to get anything done but also pretty hard to get anywhere.
Unfortunately, getting stuff done and getting somewhere are not the only problems that many New Englanders are about to face this weekend, as there is another even more pressing issue that many people are concerned about — losing power. Now, losing power may not sound like a big deal, but it can be a problem when you don’t know when you’re going to lose it and, more importantly, when you’re going to get it back. As such, this week’s post will discuss some of the things that you can do to make sure that your weekend is still entertaining even when the power is out.
First, take a lesson from the Girl Scouts (or the Boy Scouts for that matter) and make sure that you’re prepared for the storm. There’s no question that one of the easiest ways to make your weekend miserable is to forget some of the simple things that you may need like a flashlight, extra batteries, nonperishable food, bottled water, a first aid kit, and some of the other basic necessities that you should always have in case of an emergency.
Secondly, go wireless and make sure that all of your wireless stuff is charged. Cell phones, e-readers like the Nook or the Kindle, handheld video games systems like the Nintendo 3DS, laptops, portable DVD players, tablet computers like an iPad or a Kindle Fire, and other similar electronic devices that run on battery power can be an excellent way to keep yourself entertained when you don’t have power.
Finally, if all else fails, go low tech. Some of the tried and true pastimes that don’t require power like board games, books, card games, darts, games that you can play with a piece of paper like hangman, and/or any other similar games can be a good way to make your powerless weekend a little less boring and bleak.