A dump truck collided with a high-voltage power line this morning, causing power outages reaching all the way to Wyoming.

The outage caused a great deal of excitement for the day. So much that a news helicopter felt the need to continually fly back and forth above the valley. What they were doing I’m not sure. It remains a mystery to me what news they could be able to gather from their vantage point, but I must confess, if I had a helicopter, I wouldn’t need much of an excuse to take it up for a spin. (No pun intended).

The power outage taught me some important lessons. First, the bathroom is very dark when there is no power. Second, a digital piano is a great alternative to a real piano, except when you don’t have power. Third, traffic signals are far superior to four-way stops. Fourth, many people don’t know what to do at a four-way stop. Lastly, when the power goes out, the combined sound of each computer’s UPS creates a beeping symphony that would rival a clone army of beakers.