Dark out there

Dark and rainy when I woke up at 2 in the afternoon, because the power was out. What awakened me was a guy walking back and forth in the parking lot here pushing an empty shopping cart, yelling a blue streak in Spanish. The guy had some real stamina. I put my bedding away but did not turn on the radio or make coffee since I didn't want him to know I'm in here.

Eventually, I heard him say humbly and a lot more quietly in English, "Thank you sir" and I think someone over at the Mr. Softee (I think at least one person lives in there) either gave him some money or food or something, or told him if he leaves, there won't be repercussions. He walked off, let out one more small burst of cussing, and was gone.

Before his mollification, I'd gone upstairs and gotten down the long fluorescent lamp box that happens to contain the 10/22 rifle I bought back when I thought my biggest worry might be Nazis marching down my street. Not to say that won't turn out to be my biggest problem some time, but the thing is, the day after Heather Heyer was murdered, I was at one of my local sporting goods stores and got this thing along with 1000 rounds of ammo and a scope and an extra magazine or two.

I'd really like to have a few spare parts for it, a folding stock, and a couple more magazines but it seems the time to buy those things has passed. What I've got is what I've got. And I only have that because I "prepped" a few years ago. I only wish I'd bought a spare extractor and spring, since I had that part break on a target pistol that uses the very same parts, but now that I think about it, the extractor on that only broke after many thousands of rounds of target practice. I probably don't need to worry.

Since I still had no power, I got out the tea pot I'd just bought and washed it, and using it on the butane stove, boiled some water in it which I poured out, then boiled up water and made a cup of coffee and had my breakfast of coffee, chocolate, and some raw walnuts. As seems to be happening a lot lately, my getting something because it might be a good idea later, turned out to be a good idea right away.

I read more of the Anatomy Of Paradise book with the door open for light, and eventually some PG&E trucks showed up and they started working on the poles here. According to NPR, it was all done raining so I figured I had the all clear to go out, and I figured I'd go over to Target and get a manual toothbrush since my electric toothbrush is of limited usefulness if the power's going to go out all the time, and a few other things. I even got across Old Bayshore when it started to rain, then dashed to get under the bridge, thinking I'll wait until the shower passes.

So I hung out under the bridge and after a while realized it's not just going to pass any time soon. So I got soaked riding back to the shop, and no doubt provided some amusement for the PG&E guys who were now wearing some really impressive rain gear. I got back in, hung my wet clothes up to dry and got into dry stuff, and relaxed a bit, reading more of the Anatomy Of Paradise book. The thing's a gold mine, really.

I've been thinking I'll read a lot of older books on archive.org but that's hard to do with no power. I really need to hoard some classic books.

I decided to make some use of what was left of daylight and cut some labels for some drawers I had things in but were unlabeled, and labeled and put some parts in a couple of others. And have labels cut for 40(!) drawers I have maybe half filled, and am in the process of making liners for out of political yard signs.

I'd just rolled down the big door here and was having a look outside when I saw a PG&E worker walking from the back of the complex (they'd messed with 3 out of 4 poles here) and Lo and behold the power was back on. I'd even called Ken and told him he might want to check Ebay and take care of anything time - sensitive since I don't have power, and Ken said in a pinch he could bring over a generator (that I sold him about a decade ago!) but I said they'll probably have things fixed tonight or tomorrow at latest, and sure enough they'd fixed it. At one point not only was it raining heavily but there was thunder and lightning out there but they'd kept at it. I guess being a PG&E line worker means knowing the weather will always put on its worse, just for you.

So I fielded a couple of offers on Ebay and all's back to normal for now. What a way to start a day, though. I could have offered Mr. Yelling Bum some money or a stiff drink, but then he'd just come back and bring his friends. I need to come up with a way to have the rifle on hooks or something under my desk here, out of sight but ready to hand if needed.

It's all put me in a bit of a mood. I think tomorrow I'm going to slide by the cop store and see if I can get some pepper spray as the canister I have is something like 10 years old at least, and the little Pepper Blaster thing I have almost as old, and it turns out Amazon doesn't mail pepper spray to California. Oh, and the gun stores area all closed. So the cop store and Big-5 may be closed, but it's worth a try tomorrow.

I also went on Amazon and ordered a radio scanner I'd been thinking about buying for several years. Mainly I just like to listen to weird stuff, like I'll be able to listen to the airport communications. But there are tons of oddball communications to listen to like railroad stuff, the local hams, and some police and sheriff stuff that's not encrypted yet.