Sorry to hear about the problems the power outage are causing you, Irene. I think that's one side of disasters like this that many people don't think about immediately.
This past winter most of the Carolinas lost power due to a horrible ice storm. Personally, I was without power for five days and nearly froze to death in my 36 degree apartment. On top of losing a week's salary (Barnes and Noble was without power that whole week too and the head honchos in New York decided it wasn't worth paying us a week's worth of lost wages even though we didn't choose to have a power outage) I also incurred all kinds of costs - candles, flashlights, extra blankets, and replacing all the food we lost. That was probably the worst week of my life - I've never been so cold, hungry or uncomfortable before or since - but my friends and I pooled our resources and managed to get by. It definitely made me more sensitive to what other people go through though. It made me worry about the people, like single moms, who really couldn't afford the added expenses of the power outage and the homeless people who routinely have to live in those kinds of elements.
Annie
