Whoever wrote that song about it not raining in Southern California must have been smoking the wacky-weed. During the fall, winter and spring, it will rain here three or four times per month. But, with the power companies, every year it’s the same. Around September or October when the first few raindrops fall in Southern California, it’s as if there’s been a proverbial seven-year drought. No I’m not referring to the usual spate of vehicular accidents that come with the change of weather, but the electrical grid: brown-outs everywhere, including here in the hood.
I went to bed early last night and was awakened by the *lack* of noise. (I like to sleep with the TV or the radio playing.) I groped for the remote to click on the TV. Nothing. All that could be heard were the heavy raindrops falling outside my window—a pleasant sound, but not enough to lull me back to sleep. So I grabbed a flashlight and my reading glasses—each kept in a handy place—found an old electric bill and made a call to LADWP. Four hours and not a lick of sleep later, the electricity was back on.
I got up, got ready and went to church. On my way there, I found that other neighborhoods were not as fortunate as mine. Traffic signals were out all over the place (and, annoyingly enough, many motorists are unfamiliar with the generally-accepted protocol under such circumstances).
Later, when I came home, I found out that there had been another four-hour brown-out in this neighborhood.
It was the same last year, the year before and as far back as 1994—the year I exited active duty and came home to LA.
It’s not as though there have been hurricanes or big-honkin’ earthquakes around here. It’s just a little rain. Is it too much to ask that the power companies do a little rain-proofing maintenance on their equipment every now and then? I know for a fact that they have plenty of money for it; at least, they have plenty of mine.
Okay, yes, we’re very blessed to live in a country that has regular, affordable and—mostly—reliable power. I just felt that you might enjoy a little whining ranting. It keeps the skills up. ;-)
UPDATE: Duly chastened.
