So that bright light last night that plunged us into darkness was a pole getting too close to a power line. (I won't try to explain how two power companies with supposedly distinct turfs managed to get in each other's way so badly.) Very disconcerting to find oneself in pitch blackness; groped my way down to the kitchen where there are 1) matches (which I couldn't find), 2) a gas stove, whose burners provided enough light to locate 3) the candle on the windowsill. Lit 3 at 2 and went looking for those flashlights that I keep in every room. Keep, yes; keep handy, no. Finally found my little camp lamp in the front room and my portable reading light on the kitchen table. Then looked out at the street. Every house plunged into darkness except next door bro (of course) and Prof&Mrs Islamic Studies from Iraq. The 92 year old en face was lightless, so I took the camp lamp over there and found her sitting philosophically in the dark. 'I expect it'll be back soon.' She too has a sizable camp lamp, bought after I forget which summer outage; but, natch, she couldn't locate it without light.
In the end she was right: our neighbourhood was out for only thirty minutes, unlike some people who were in the dark and cold for two hours, while visions of last December's three day outage undoubtedly fleered and gibbited at them.
On a lighter (ha-ha) note, there was the fortuitous coincidence with Passover seders and a host of twitterers: 'Power goes out across the city, Jews everywhere yell "IT'S ELIJAH!"' I'm with that one poster: "power out through Christmas, power out during Passover. I assume Eid is gonna be the next target, I'm on to this Toronto"
