Community Corner

No Electricity and Stuck Inside Because of Irene? Entertain Yourself!

The lights are out and the storm is raging. What to do? If you're like me, you have some good old-fashioned fun!

So let’s say the worst happens when the storm hits. 

You're prepared, you've gone through the checklists and you're safe indoors with the necessary supplies. But suddenly, you realize you're stranded at home with nothing to do and no electricity -- and, therefore, no television, no video games, no radio and a limited battery supply for your laptop with no Internet.

Not to fear. Patch is coming to the rescue. 

I have compiled a list of fun and time-consuming activities to help pass the time and keep those kids –- or yourself! -- busy. Check it out so you can be prepared if you find yourself needing to fill some time during the storm.

Trade those video games in for an old-fashioned board game or deck of cards.

Ever play a game of Clue by candlelight? It’s quite an entertaining experience, especially when you're busy trying to figure out just “who-dun-it?” What about a dimly lit round of Battleship to simulate a war atmosphere? 

There are tons of board-game options. Monopoly, Scrabble … maybe even some Hungry, Hungry Hippos.

A deck of cards can also provide an unlimited number of options, whether you're alone playing one of the many versions of Solitaire, playing poker, or partaking in my grandma’s favorite, “Steal the Pack.” The fun never ends with a deck of cards!

Read a book --  or better yet, create you own!

So you can’t watch your favorite movie. But have you read it? 

Books are not only entertaining, but can give you details that a movie never could. If you don’t have a collection of your own, your local public library is likely to have whatever you're looking for – for free. Get in touch with a classic Mark Twain novel (he did grow up here, you know) or explore one of the newest additions on the shelves. 

So what happens when you finish the book? Well, why not begin writing your own? 

Just reading a few chapters of any book, even a few pages of a children’s book, can get those creative juices flowing and who knows? Maybe you’ll be the next writer everyone else is reading when their lights go out.

Make a movie of your own.

In the digital age, here’s a different idea. Write a script. Charge those camera batteries before the storm hits. Take out the old clothes, unused little league bats, etc. and scream “ACTION!”

A little creativity can go a long way – and so can the memories for you and your family. With a well-charged battery, you can shoot the movie now and go back and edit it when the power comes back on. 

What better time to create a horror movie than on a windy, stormy night when the power is already out? Hollywood producers only wish they could have a set like that. You have it!

Build your own tent and survival lounge.

OK, maybe it’s the camp counselor in me, but I swear this one is not just for the kids. I promise you.

You are already “stranded” inside the house. You have no means of communication to the outside, no electricity and absolutely no idea when you will be rescued. Problem? Hardly.

Take a couple of old blankets, your tallest chairs and, of course, the “No Girls Allowed” sign you made back when you were 6 years old (or two weeks ago, in my case) and what do you have? The awesome-est hang-out area ever known to mankind, that’s what!

You could even grab a sleeping bag and sleep in that thing! It’ll make you – and the kids, if you have them – forget the scary stuff going on outside. 

Just do me one favor and keep this a secret between you and me. It might hurt my credibility if everyone knows this is what Local Editor Jason Vallee is doing on a Sunday night.

Create your own Al Yankovic tunes.

Here’s another fun activity we used to do in thunderstorms in the middle of summer. Take your favorite songs and make them your own. 

Have you ever heard Sublime’s hit song 'What I Got?' Being a 24-year diabetic myself, I worked with my campers and fellow counselors to take the song, flip the lyrics and make it ours. The end result: "(Diabetes is) What I’ve Got."

“Early in the morning, get myself out of bed/
Check myself for ketones, I hope they’ll all be dead/
Got to find the reason my blood sugar’s high/
Got to find that reason cause I don’t want to die.”

I think you get the point. 

I do hope that you won’t have to use these entertainment techniques this weekend, but if you do then you’ll be prepared. If not, then you are well-prepared the next time the lights go out. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go stock up on “Uh-oh Spaghetti-O’s” and retire to my “Fortress of Solitude” tent for the weekend.


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