I have no idea if this is on topic. I just got an e-mail from my agency's HQ in McLean, that the power went off about an hour ago and everybody was heading home. Anybody in the area know what's up? The satellite maps don't show a severe storm overhead.

(yes, I'm typing this during lunch! :-) )

-- Margaret J (janssm@aol.com), February 08, 2000

Answers

All is well at this end of Fairfax County. VA.

-- Meg Moss (meg@y2k.am), February 08, 2000.

No news on D.C. outages here in Oregon.. But I was homing tappign out a letter to a freidn in Saudi and the lights were flickering constantly 5-10 times/minute, depsite the mild, calm weather. Have noticed this more and more over the last few weeks -- we are constantly re-setting the digital clocks: morning after mornign and again during the day, they flick off and flash 12:00 -- 12:00 -- 12:00. Also I can hear the motors on the laptop and the printer drone down a few frequencies and the hum back to normal levels. this is with no one in the house but me and no other draws on our line ....

Ice cream softer in the freezer!

Global/Local Y2K!!!

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 08, 2000.

Squirrel Hunter, that is bad news. Hope your icecream is safe. We (N.Calif.) get some of our power from up your way and from Canada. Scary if you are having power problems, and it seems Canadian gas is having some problems, too (read it on Downstreamer's energy board). So far, no flickering at home.

-- Margaret J (janssm@aol.com), February 08, 2000.

Squirrel Hunter,

Right before the rollover I spent about $ 20 at Radio Shack on a little volt-amp, one of the idiotproof ones with just one switch and a digital readout.

It's come in handy several times since 1-1 here at work when the UPSes start chirping away.

-- Redeye in Ohio (cannot@work.com), February 08, 2000.

Margaret, We have had more than the normal Brownouts these last 40 days... a lot of strange electrical problems in my neighborhood... I don't notice them but hear about them...my home is run on our own system of inverters and it is hard to notice the grid is down unless we have the radio on and it ceases to broadcast. Where abouts are you in N. CA , ...I am in Crescent City... I guess someday those of us that have our heads out of the sand should meet...as long as we don't have to fly to get there!

I think we should expect more of the same... coal and oil to produce electricity is becoming more of a problem... Soon they will start restricting consumers... I believe! but what do I know... there are no y2k problems? :) BRyan

-- S BRyan G III (sbrg3@juno.com), February 09, 2000.