Somewhere in the midst of watching Super Storm Sandy survivors without power for over 2 weeks and channel surfing into a Doomsday Preppers show last night I think I’ve made a decision. It’s time for our family to get a generator for our home.
I’m sure many of you are thinking the same thing, so I thought I’d share a few resources with you. I came across an article on a site called The Money Pit that I have frequented a lot for story ideas for my work at TDS. The article is titled How to Pick the Perfect Home Standby Generator
I’ve learned a lot from dealing with crisis’ at TDS over the years, one thing I’ve learned is that no matter how much you prepare the unexpected always happens. So, while your preparations might not be perfect they will at least get you a few steps closer to your goals when the time comes to put your plans in to action.
I will admit that when the Year 2000 hype happened, I was all in— buying water, charcoal and other baby stuff for my very young family at the time. It took us a while to get through those supplies, but it did provide some comfort in the days leading up to that clock-ticking time bomb we all knew as Y2K. Now, the threats seem to be more long term vs. sporadic — call it Global warming, weather pattern shifts and an aging power grid.
Since I’ve lived in my newly built home over the past 8 years (which just happens to be in a 100 year old flood plain fringe area) we’ve had 2 – 100 year flood events. Thankfully our home was built safely and up and out of the area, so we’ve had no home damage, but sometimes I wonder what that 500 year flood will look like? At the time I was building and dealing with zoning administrators and the Army Corp. of Engineers I didn’t think it was possible, but now I’m glad we planned for it. When you live in an area that has potential for hazards you really do need to think ahead.
When I watch the people of New York and New Jersey dealing with their disaster I wonder if I would rebuild if I was them? I think I’d move up and out of the region. Heck, maybe they should relocate to Detroit or someplace that has lot of open housing. (just a thought – but Detroit as the next Jersey Shore is an interesting concept to be sure.)
So, the time has come for me to put a new plan in place and save up for that generator. Maybe we’ll cut back on Christmas gifts and put away a few dollars to buy one next year.
In my research I did come across a cool new more affordable gadget that just might help you keep connected too – it’s from BioLite you can charge your cell phone or Kindle with a few wood scraps. Hint: that would make a good gift at just around $129.00.
As a Wisconsin based company ourselves, I think it’s only fitting for me to share with you a company that has recently received Wisconsin’s Manufacturer of the Year award – Generac Power Systems. They are a major employer who can hardly keep up with the many demands Mother Nature has been placing on our customers nationwide.
