Monday. I was either asleep or not paying attention when the power went off in my local neighborhood before nine last night, but did notice when I either awoke or turned over to find the clock was dark. OK, turn on the lights. No lights. Awoke at various times as it approached six, having gotten up to put on my wrist watch to check the time in bed when I'd learned the power was gone. Super dark in the bedroom, black in the bathroom, the batteries were dead in the one flashlight I could find.

OK, finally out the door to walk to breakfast, the lights out along Grand from Euclid to the Highway 580 overpass, the fitness club dark, folding signs set up at the junction with Grand warning people to stop and give way as the traffic lights were dark. Arrived at the restaurant before seven to find it open and so settled in with the papers.

Finished up before nine to walk home, take a picture of the Ford Go-bike rack, if only because it was empty, on to the flower growing below the Lakeview school and another of the fence that had been tipped over onto the sidewalk day before yesterday, now leaned up against the wall. The picture up above was taken when the runner suddenly appeared running toward me as I was walking up my hill.

Later. Still no power. Figured out how to check the PG&E web site on the phone to learn they were saying the power had been lost by 400 plus clients and they were estimating they would finish repairs by eleven this evening. Running into the apartment manager later on the stairs he mentioned he'd been talking with a firefighter who said a vehicle had knocked over a power pole, cutting off the power to the neighborhood. OK.

Now much do we/I depend on electricity? No computer, no television, no tablet and, once we got into the evening, no lights. I did have a small portable radio that allowed me to listen to the local NPR radio stations through most of the afternoon, but its battery died around four. I'd say more than a little, um, jittery wondering what in the hell to do with myself without outside noise to focus on/distract me. Did some reading during the day, but wondered at how much I depended on radio/television/Netflix to fill the time. Evidently a lot. Not a good sign.

Evening. Lighted candles when it got dark after borrowing a match from my next door neighbor when I learned all my strike on the box and strike anywhere matches wouldn't light. Evidently they deteriorate over time. I once burned tee-lights and small candles in the evenings, but for some reason haven't done so now in months and the many matches I have around lost their gas.

To bed before eight in the dark, still antsy waiting on the power to come back. It came on not long after eight and so got up to catch up on the tasks I'd had to put off until I went back to bed at nine and pulled the covers up. One day without power was enough. More than enough.