Day Without Electricity (Again)

We'd gotten out of the Day Without Electricity habit, and I realized a few things:

• If I let them, Twitter and Facebook will swallow up my entire life
  
• I get more done when I'm unable to distract myself with SHINY, BLINKY LIGHTS


• The kinds of things I do without electricity are fundamentally more satisfying to my soul than the ones I do with it

"Wait!" I hear you cry. "What about writing?" I would remind you that I have been capable of writing without electricity since before home computers were a thing. I have a wide variety of writable surfaces and writing instruments. I'm set, thanks.

Someone asked me what the "rules" were for Day Without Electricity, and while I hadn't really codified any, now might be a good time:

1. Day Without Electricity extends from sundown of one day to sundown of the next day (much like a Jewish holiday). This means that it spans 24 hours, ~9 of which are nighttime, but doesn't require staying up unreasonably late (and in fact encourages getting to bed early)


2. It means turning off the breakers to the house. This means that any critical system (like the heater for the hen house in winter) can stay on, while the rest of it goes. Yes, even the fridge. If you don't open it overmuch, your food will stay perfectly well in the fridge for 24 hours. As we observed before, though, if you have an icemaker, empty it first. You'll be glad you did.


3. You can use your gas stove if it doesn't have an electric ignition system. Same for your water heater.


4. You can use your car. Make "Day Without Gasoline" some other day.


5. Consider this as a drill for a future time when electricity is not guaranteed. Take notes of things you might change. (Would you buy an older, corded phone? A rotary egg beater? Learn to play ukulele?)


6. You MUST spend some of Day Without Electricity at home. Enjoy the quiet. Get to know your family. Play a board game or read to one another. Merely leaving home for 24 hours really doesn't count.

I'm sure there are more rules, but I don't think this is about rules. I don't want to be the kind of person who insists she's more "authentic" than someone else. This is about cutting back a little on your carbon footprint. About acknowleging that at any time, your lifestyle might change drastically. About being more present in your life. It would be cool if more people could do it and post about their experiences!