Water vs Electricity

I recently put it to my facebook friends the good old question of "Which would you prefer to be without .. this or that?" You can often have wonderful debates about which one is better.
Because of how life is here in Quakeville aka Christchurch, I opted to ask between power and water. Which would you prefer to be without? If you were not involved in that discussion, take a moment now to think about it, would life be easier without power? or easier without water?

Due to the unpredictable shaking of Mother Nature, I have experienced both power cuts and water cuts. Sometimes they are at different times and sometimes they are both gone together. In light of these inconveniences, I have firmly determined which out of the two I can be more relaxed about loosing.

The majority vote has said that they would prefer to be without power but still have water. It makes sense right. Our bodies are made up of from what I understand to be around 75% water. Please correct me if I am wrong. We can not survive much long than a week without drinking any form of water. Water is just something we can not live without. Our survival is paramount on consuming some form of water/fluids. If we do not, before we pass on to the next life from dehydration, we will experience skin irritation, to hallucinations, also your tounge will swell and crack. Doesn't sound pleasant in the slightest does it. It is very fair to say that water is vital to our well being. It is so important that ancient civilisations formed cities around a water supply. Watering holes became the social gathering place and for many, it is what life revolves around.

But has today's world changed? Are there now other things that are more important than having water in our homes? How easy do you think it is to live without electricity, especially in a natural disaster when the water (if you get any) in your homes is unsafe to drink?
Lets look at how life is without electricity. Well more along the lines of, how my life is without electricity but with water.

First of all, everything is going to be cooked on a barbecue. My oven uses electricity. We can't have open fires in the city because it is illegal. Barbecue needs gas. So off down to the petrol station to fill up my gas bottle. While I'm there, I'll fill my car as well. Hang on a sec, I need electricity to pump the gas/petrol out of the pump, also I only have eftpos, no one really carries cash anymore and that requires electricity as well. Ok Ok most commercial places will have generators, but if their generator is not working, then neither is anything else.
So I get home, open my freezer to go cook some dinner. Oh no! Everything is defrosting. I'm going to have to cook all of this right now! But first, I need to boil some water so I can drink it. Has anybody tried to boil water on a bbq? I have. It doesn't boil. Even with the bbq on as hot as it can go, for a whole hour, it still doesn't boil. I can not make my own drinkable water at home unless I add chemicals to it. You might then want to go look up on the net how much chemicals to add to how much water. Hang on, I need electricity for that. So you call your mum, mums know a lot of things. Oh dear, my phone is cordless, it needs electricity to work. You look at your cell phone, Battery is dying. Dam. By this time kids are getting cranky. They are missing out on their favourite tv show, or they want to dance around to music.
I need to get some washing done and dishes done. I have to hand wash cloths seen as the washing machine also runs on power. Then I have to hand wring them which takes twice as long to dry outside (no dryer) because you can not get rid of as much water from the cloths as the washing machine can. Dishes also done by hand, the dishwasher needs power. You are now the dishwasher, just what your mum raised you to be.
The sun is setting, the house is getting dark, and cold. You move everyone into one bedroom. Its much warmer everyone snuggling in with each other. You light candles because that is the main thing people have for light when the power is out. But has anyone had kids around candles? I have had a few almost fires due to that. I couldn't even go relieve myself without a mischief placing a candle in an empty draw and closing it. Also if it is earthquakes that took away your power, an earthquake can easily knock a candle over. The kids are now asleep, sigh. You decide now is a good time to risk walking through the cold un-heated home to go have a shower. Hey, you still at lest have running water. But it's a stone cold shower. No power to heat the water. So you opt for a spounge bath from water you heated (not boiled) on the bbq. Then you go to bed early because you can't watch your program and the candle light isn't the easiest to read your book in. The next day you head to the supermarket and buy food for the day (you cooked all your food already because the freezer stopped working) and hope they have what you need in stock. No frozen stuff and limited chilled things. They don't want to over work the generators. Your lucky to find anything more than milk, mince and chicken in the chiller.

Ok, so now how is life like without water but with electricity? First port of call, collect water. There are a number of ways in which you can do this. Find someone who has running water and are willing to share, If your council is nice they provide tankers full of water, go to the supermarket and buy some safe to drink water. If it was raining that night, you would have been smart enough to put a barrel or wheelie bin or other large container under a drain pipe from the roof to collect all the water that fell on the roof. You will need to boil this water, but that is easily done on the oven seen as you have power. You are still able to use all the mod-cons of this day in age, the kids are amused, you can still keep in contact with people on the other side of town. You can access information so much easier about what you need to be doing and what exactly is going on around town. There are still some things that you will have to put up with like having a spounge bath. But hey, at lest your doing it in a warm bathroom! Also flushing the toilet is a lot harder, but that's when a bucket of collected water can come in handy, or the strong stomach to handle going in the garden with the cat. Its actually not that bad. When you have to go, you have to go!!! And making a toilet can be fun to do. A great way to get the imagination working.
When it comes to doing laundry and dishes, its still a hand wash job, but at lest with the clothing you can spin it in the machine, and dry it in the tumble dryer if needs be. But it still gets dryer faster with power.

My opinion from experience, Is that life seems to be a lot easier without water. Even tho it is such a vital component to our survival, with a little bit of imagination and clever thinking, you can collect water. But you can not collect electricity. You can go down to the supermarket and use your eftpos to buy a few bottles of water, but you can not go down to the supermarket and buy x amounts of power and carry it home in a bag. Unless you have a generator sitting in your shed, life now days is very hard when the power is cut. Our modern way of living just doesn't allow us to still have all our luxuries without power.

Before all of this shaking, my first thought was I would prefer to be without power than water but .....

You can take my water, I will just get my own, But I will scream if you take my power!

A Sence of Humor is a Must!

My Dad works for one of Christchurch News Papers - The Press. He sent me an email with a comic attached that had been going around his work and obviously done by someone who works there. So for all those in Christchurch, I'm sure you will relate and hopefully laugh as much as I did!

My mind is playing tricks.

"Mischief 2 asleep on the living room floor"

Day 6 and exhaustion has long set in. Last night was a miracle, not only did I end up falling asleep on the couch, but I got to sleep before 2am (which is the standard at this present time), and it was also before midnight. It was only a nap on the couch until the earth decided to dance a little jig again, and even with that nap, I still got to sleep before midnight. Admittedly I did lay in bed for almost an hour before my eyes would stay shut.

Yesterday was twirled with a lot of emotions. I woke up tiered and grumpy - The lack of sleep is turning me into the grump monster I really don't want to be. I snapped at the mischiefs, left them in the lounge and went and lay in my bed and started feeling horrible for snapping at them. Just then, another aftershock. It was only a small jolt and I still herd the mischiefs playing babies in the lounge with that horrible voice they put on. I let out a big sigh, then I hear rumbling. Is it a truck? Is it a bus? No, yet another aftershock and a rather bouncy one at that. I have never jumped out of bed as fast as I did. Who needs alarm clocks when earthquakes get you out of bed faster! I ran into the lounge and pushed the mischiefs under the table. Mischief 3 started crying the moment the house started to bounce.

Later that day I ventured out to the supermarket to do my shopping. The city is falling down but life still goes on, still need to keep going. I enlisted the help of my mum with the shopping because school is still out. My house looks like an earthquake hit, and not because of the 100's of aftershocks (I think the total is somewhere in the 200's but only just over 100 have been felt in Christchurch), but because the mischiefs are at home not at school. There were 2 things that the supermarket seemed to be lacking in; Bottled water and rice.

Boiling your water is a pain. Mischief 3 got into the clean cooled down boiled water and tipped soap, food and anything else she could find into it. I had to boil more. I also don't like the idea that I'm showering in water that im not aloud to drink because it may make me sick. That thought proves for very quick showers indeed.

Last night, about 2am, I woke up because something was tickling my face. I look up to see a hand. It was far to big to be a mischief hand and i don't shear my bed with anyone else. Dubiously I picked up the arm to find where it was coming from. The moment I began to move the arm away from me, my right arm starts to feel tingly as blood rushes back into it. It was my own arm that was tickling me. My mind really is playing tricks on me now! Then just after that, I felt another shock. GRRRRRR when are they going to end???

I have no idea how this post is going to sound, and I've noticed that my spelling and grammar is more shocking than ever! I'm rather bad in that area, but anyone following me on Facebook would see that it's gotten so bad since Saturday.
The upscale of anxiety, and general on edge has really frayed a lot of nerves here. Even tho my house is still standing and I have all the facilities one needs, there is still a lot going on around us that can send people to the breaking point. Last night as I lay in bed, I was coming close to that point. But this morning I woke determined not to let this drag me down. I wish right now that I could get out there and help clean up. If the Mischiefs were older, that's exactly what we would all be doing. It does not surprise me that a lot of people are out there helping clean up, its a great way to loose your worries.

"Fire Crew pulling down a chimney on the corner of my street"

Metallica were right to come here ... Christchurch sure knows how to rock!

State of Emergency

I woke up at about 3am Saturday morning. I have a mild cold and woke with my nose completely blocked and feeling like I had been punched in the face. My broken tooth also ached and I stressed about how I would find a cheep dentist to fix my tooth. One of the negatives from having children is that my teeth have become considerably weaker. I stressed for about half an hour before sleep once again graced me with her presents. That was the last time that I've been awake and not been on edge, not jumped at every rumbling sound or every rattle of my windows. Only an hour after my eyes closed that morning, the city of Chirstchurch was violently rocked awake.
At approximately 4.30am, I woke to being violently tossed about in my bed, a split second later sound registered in my mind as a loud crack vibrated the air. My large tv that once sat on my draws, was now face down on the wooden floor. I herd my Mischiefs scream through the ever so loud rumbling. The sound was like 100 Jet Planes flying low over head. I tried to get to them but the constant shaking made it next to impossible. When the earth calmed down a little, I went to go check on them. Mischief 1 was awake and sitting in his bed. "what was that mummy?" "An earthquake honey" "What?" "An earthquake, go back to sleep if you can". The girls door had been slammed shut while the earth heaved our house around. I opened it to find them crying in the dark. I turned their bedside light on and calmed them down. When everyone was settled, I went and sat on my bed. I saw my phone and contemplated calling my mum. It was 5am and I did not want to wake her. What if she had slept through it? Next thing my phone starts ringing and it was my mum. I told her that we are fine and the kids are settled again and that yes, I still have power. My sister and brother were both out of power and my sisters house was a mess. I got off the phone to mum and went back to check on the mischiefs, as I stood in my hall way, I herd only what I can explain as a freight train heading right past an open door. Then the ground began to heave again. More screams from the mischief girls. Mischief 1 however had I think actually gone back to sleep. Like his father, can pretty much sleep through anything at night.
Once again when the girls were settled, I came back to my room, sat on my bed, replied to txts friends had sent and sent some off to others I had not herd from. Friends from Dunedin started txting after they to had been woken up and learned that the epicenter was focused near Christchurch. My Bestie from the middle of the north island also started txting me because she too had been shunned awake by the quake. Every half an hour at the latest, the ground would quiver and mischief 3 would moan. I gave up on sleep at about 6am and came onto my computer to see what I could find out. I listened to the radio as I browsed the net and came across a site I'm now addicted to. GeoNet. There I discovered what scientists at that time said was a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit just outside of Christchurch. I knew we had an earthquake but had no idea it was that big. Although as the day progressed, further study of the information now states that is was a 7.1 magnitude but much shallower than originally thought.
During the morning, friends who were out and about would show up to see if my mischiefs and I were alright. Sometime during the later part of the morning, I decided to take a "tiki tour" to my parents place. I came across a scene just meters from my old High School. It was by the Avon river and a lot of the urban mess can be found by the beautiful Avon river that runs through the City. The road was torn apart, crossing islands ripped by gaping holes. Gutters and drains torn from the road and some crumbled like yesterdays newspaper. Pot holes in the grass with the river now flowing beneath them, coupled with silt covering the once were foot paths. Many people were awestruck, and I herd a fair amount of impressive slang that would not be appropriate to repeat.
In true Cantabrian teenage form, young boys were out jumping over/off the jagged cracks on their skateboards, all across this section. I had a little giggle and took a photo of them.
I then continued the journey to my parents house, and moving away from the river, the damage that could be seem was minimal. The odd chimney had fallen down and some looked like they were about to topple at the slightest breeze. I arrived at my parents to find a driveway full of bricks. Bricks! Mum said nothing about anything falling down when she had rung me numerous times that morning. Upon entering the house and greeting My parents and a frazzled sister who's house was a mess and had been cut off from power and maybe water, I then learned that the piles of bricks were the once old chimney that Dad has been meaning to dismantle for some time. He said it was a miracle it didn't fall down in the quake. With no effort at all, he was able to just pick up the bricks, one by one, and drop them on the drive.
That seems to be the general feel for everyone at the moment. "Its a miracle that ...." Everyone has a story, and everyone feels it could have been worse and are thankful it was not.

It is now Monday morning, and I am still on edge. We have felt countless aftershocks, and every truck rumble or plane over head brings a slight skip of the heart and a split second surge of adrenaline wondering if diving for the nearest table or door frame is needed. Going to sleep is hard. Both nights I've left it until I am exhausted to crawl into my bed, for I know any attempts to sleep prior to that, would be fruitless. When I am at that point, and I close my eyes, I feel as tho my bed is shaking. Sometimes I'm right, and sometimes it's just my mind playing tricks. Last night however, there was another shake as I was drifting off to sleep.
School is out until Wednesday. Now is not a time I feel good about being away from my Mischiefs, But i would be lying if i said part of me wants to be able to clean my house without them around.
I am thankful that not only is my shopping day Wednesday and that when I go shopping, I buy for the week, but also for those years of marriage to a man who would never let our cupboards go empty. I have kept that up since our separation, and at a quick estimation, I could stretch the food I have to last about 2-3 weeks. My milk goes off on the 12th, so hopefully by then I will be able to get more. From what I understand, Supermarkets are open and getting things in, but things like bread and bottled water are flying off the shelves. I'm Thankful that my car also has nasty but safe to drink Dunedin water rolling around in bottles. I have them there just in case there are any unfortunate circumstances during long distance trips.
My power never went out and neither did my water which I am also thankful for. I'm also thankful that I have so many containers full of kids toys, that when I found out that water may be cut (at first my parents had water, then they didn't), I started filling them with water.

This has been a massive shock to the system. Even tho the only damage my house took was my tv, the destruction around the City has brought me to tears. Right now I'm trying to hold them back. Opawa Chapel is still standing, no damage. The Stake Center has huge cracks up the walls, and Avonside Chapel has a crack from Pulpit to Rec hall, with bricks fallen in the hall ways. I have not herd about Cashmere Chapel, but it is also by a river, so it wouldn't surprise me to find that's cracked to the nines as well.

I have a collection of photos and a video that I have taken so that you all out there may see what I have seen. I have seen houses that have been destroyed but out of respect for the owners, I did not want to exploit their sufferings. Photos however never capture the full beauty of all nature has to offer. I find myself using words such as "Amazing", "Spectacular", "Incredible" because there are no others large enough to describe fully and give mother nature the reverence she deserves.
This has been a humbling experience to realize that we can do what we want, build what we want, but both Mother Nature and God Rule Supreme.

The Girls helping move the old chimney bricks off the dive

Please excuse the long pauses and the constant saying of "just". I was lost for words. You can also tell that my cold is still hanging around.