Good fundamental concept Brian. Let's extend it. Maybe President Barack "return all calls in 15 minutes" Obama should have the power turned off in the family residence of the White House until power is restored to all of America hit by Sandy.

Grow up!

Boo Hoo. If this is what you have to complain about after a storm that left millions without power,and dozens dead, then your life is truly blessed. If this is your best idea, then please, let me offer another: buy yourself a small generator.

So, the spouse was onery but I'll bet Buddy was nicer (because he felt right at home).

So, one of the reasons corruption, manipulation, "mistakes", and, basically, yes, government "help" in providing the politically correct result, all in spite of the "situation" and the evidence is that there is usually little public response to problems that only affect the 5% (and do not affect the 95%). So, as long as the manipulated drug test is mostly a few here and there, or as long as the property tax assessment is off by 10% in only a small number of cases, or as long as the renewal notification for your gun permit never arrives for only some, or as long as that father who can only see is kids every other weekend only loses to that infrequent spouse who is controlling and willing to fund "the game", or as long as your insurance company refuses to cancel your car insurance because it is "confused", or as long as your previous insurance company drops your business because they don't make enough profit on you, or as long as your cable company shuts off your TV, Internet, and phone service because they were "uncertain" but yet a claimed notice was never sent, and as long as the deaths from contaminated drugs are few. and as long as the kids molested at any one time are few -- as long as the numbers are kept modest, the public will not be aroused, and the "mistakes" will continue. And are they really mistakes or are they intentional? Here's the beauty of it: who can tell. Because "close enough for government work" allows liberally for both. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So, Brian, welcome to the "feeling" of being in the 5%. Do you live in a lower class area? Just a thought, I'm sure your outage was unavoidable. But, remember, we are a "village", a small town, and mistakes happen, and it could have been a much bigger one...

This would have been an interesting story if the author hadn't fallen to juvenile blaming the governor for the tree falling on his power line. Instead, he comes across as a whining school kid. We had a similar thing happen with a large oak falling on our power line, and likewise we had to improvise without power for a couple of days. The last thing I would have thought of, as the National Grid workers struggled into the night to get to get us electricity again, would to get angry at the governor or the CEO of National Grid. I think the difference is that one understand there *are* things in life beyond our control, and to learn to positively adapt to those changes.

Looked at another way, just think if mistakes were almost never made how tense our village public servants would be all the time, how many might even lose their jobs, and how much harder it would be to get the "right" result when you need it.

Great piece Brian, even if some of the grumpy Guss's below can't appreciate it.  Good lord people, get a life.

I get the point of the article.  Some personal venting mixed in with observational humor.  One thing that strikes me over and over is how unprepared most people are for this or many other type of events.  Yes, I'm a big flag-waving "personal responsibility" guy but I'm also happy to help out other people in need.  No, you don't need to be a contestant for the show "Preppers" to get through these storms but you do need to be prepared to not just endure the event but you must also be committed to accept what's happening and prepared to change your lifestyle to whatever extent needed for as long as takes.  The worst of times can bring out the best in people.

Brian, Spend 5 or 6 hundred bucks and get a generator. Youg will never have to worry about you current situation again. Anyone can plug in an extension cord to run the heat, refrigerator and even a TV and computer. I depend on only myself to be self sufficient. You don't need the expensive automatic hookup costing thousands for possibly one use a year...You must know someone who is an electrican that can advise you. Good luck

you nailed it my friend. we must live in the same neighborhood. two years in a row of days on end with no power, no running water, coupled with the kids, no school, and trying to maintain a job that doesn't stop for anybody -- makes for a high stress situation.

Please tell your woes to my 80-year-old mother in NY who has a hole in her roof and no power expected until November 9.

I second the motion, just add Marcy Reed, President of National Grid in MA to your list, Brian! 7:40 PM? Try 3 AM Friday! Worse than the October Snow Storm and the December Ice Storm for service recovery.

Just deduct the cost of the ruined food from the next couple of bills. A few hundred other powerless cutomers doing the same may get their attention.

Matbe NSTAR should provide you with a personal concierge, and have a crew at the standby to cater to your personal needs? Not sure you realize, Brian, but this was a widespread outage that had thousands of repair points needed. They can't be everywhere at once, and it's not exaclty esy to get on a ladder or up in a bucket with 75 MPH wind gusts.

better you than me

Oh heavens to ditzy, McGrory - the preeminent Bopston Glob columnist (next to Venocchi of course) - had to join the rest of a lot of the real world residents of Greater Boston: he lost his home power.  Oh woe is him!!!  This prince of hackdom really should say prayer of thanks that he has Tom May, and not a buster through the glass ceiling named Marcy Reed, as his electric utility chief.  I don't know what Reed gets paid compared to May, but I do know that her public appearances to uphold National Grid's public images need a lot of retraining.  She appeared on WBZ radio's 'Nightside' program with Dan Rea Tuesday or Wednesday (my mind wants to block her out) and listed to four or five callers talk about experiences with National Grid's lights out fixing efforts.  Marcy made it seem as if talking to her was the only way those four or five folks would get reasonably fast service.  She did make a sort of commitment that National Grid customers might all have their power back by Thursday, the operable word was MAYBE.  And she seemed awfully perturbed to be taking addresses and plain, every day drivel from users of National Grid electricity, though she soldiered on, a bit less than admirably. One thing that has been little discussed is that Marcy Reed and, maybe even Tom May, have a sneaky policy at the utility companies: it might take their line crews two or three or four days to get to the single house customers who have been without power that long. Then, those last homeowners might be told by a National Grid, or N-Star line crew chief that no way hosay is the line crew going to fix the outage. The wiring fault is on the homeowner's side of the light pole-house line link, so it is up to the homeowner to call an electrician and be prepared to fork over the hundeds of dollars needed to do the repair.

Just because they (Patrick and May) say they've improved this process doesn't make it true.

Cut the power of The State House until all power is restored. That will give us Legislative POWER to restore our power.

What drivel.  The area gets hit by a rainstorm with high winds that fell a few trees and poles, inconveniencing people and McGrory thinks it is the end of the world because it happened to him.  One does not have to think too long to realize that what happened a few driveable hours away was a real catastrophic hurricane and that's where the resources went.  I would imagine that power companies pooled some resources to take care of the worst first, leaving the less serious for later.  Everyone's power is on in MA.  Take a look at the TV screen and see what you are missing!  War zones are the only image I can remember.  Need something to do besides complain, McGrory?  Take out your checkbook and send a donation to The American Red Cross.  You'll feel better.  Trust me.

You are only powerless because you are either too cheap or too big of a WUSS to get a generator.  I am (gasp) a woman who's husband has taught how to move the generator outside, start it, turn off the main and VOILA...live with hot water, heat. fridge and some lights...no worries!! Oh...and we have a large gas tank for reserve that will keep us in power for days/weeks.

YOU ARE AN UNPREPARED PANSY!