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1. Keep Calm but assume the worst (that power is off indefinitely)

2. Don’t believe the estimated fix time on the website. It will only upset you more when it’s pushed back repeatedly.

3. Even if it’s still light out and the house is warm, your battle against the cold starts now. Begin lighting candles to produce heat and maintain house’s warmth. More comfortable for you, safer for your pipes.

4. Make sure candles have nothing that the flame can catch nearby–give them lots of free space around flame width and height.

5. One flame produces a small amount of heat; a dozen is like a mini-fire. Safest way to do this? Get a glass bowl and fill it half-way with water, then light 10-12 tea light candles and let them float in the water. Serious heat safely delivered. I had 4 set up to keep downstairs warm late into the night.

6. Use computer, iPad, and Iphone sparingly. Once the battery is dead, it’s dead.

7. Accept that your plans for the day are derailed.

8. Realize that time moves so much slower without technology. Read. Do exercises for spine. Realize only an hour has passed. Read some more.

9. Make sure to check the candles often. At least every 20-30 minutes. Only keep candles burning on the floor of the house you are on.

10. To keep light and heat in the bathroom and kitchen safely, burn a votive candle in a holder inside the sink. No way that flame is going anywhere.

11. Don’t open the fridge or the freezer. Even to get your frozen bread–because the toaster doesn’t work. Food should stay for 24 hours if you avoid the fridge.

12. Pray the power comes on in 24 hours so you don’t burn through all your candles and lose hundreds of dollars in food.

13. Be grateful for electricity.

14. When the power comes on after midnight, cheer and then clean up all the candles.

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