With the recent number of storms in my area, occasionally I have had to make do without power. Sometimes I am lucky and it’s in the middle of the night when I am asleep. However, there are times when the power fails and I just have to deal with it. Here is a list of things to do the next time you find yourself wandering around in the dark.

10: Call your friends
The power is out, but you (may) still have access to use your land-line phone. If not, pick up the cell phone and call a friend. I am sure they will be glad to hear from you. Heck, they might even have power and invite you over to play video games or something.

9: Do some paper craft or other project
Paper craft is quickly gaining popularity. It’s really fun, but you will need to access the internet to download some of the patterns and the PePaKuRa software. If you did not plan ahead for this one, you might want to purchase a book and try some origami.




Wes has a great article posted on the Chatsquatch.net site:
There are more fun projects over at Instructables.

8: Read a book
I’ll admit, I am not much of a reader. However, you can read magazines, comic books, or whatever you can get your hands on that will entertain you.

If you do not have anything that you would like to read, take some time and prepare now. Use the link below and purchase some books from Amazon.com




7: Play a musical instrument (sorry Guitar Heroes)
Play that acoustic guitar that has been sitting in the closet for so long. If you don’t have an instrument to play, now is the time to purchase one.

6: Play a board game or card games
Invite some friends over and play Texas Hold’em. If you do not like playing card games, pull out a board game. A game of Monopoly will last for hours. Some of my favorite games are:

5. Go out
If your power is out because there is a storm outside, you might want to skip this one and go on to the next. Just because you do not have power may not mean that the whole city has lost power. Go out to see a movie or stop by your local gaming store to see if you can join in on the LAN party action.

4. Watch a movie or listen to music on your portable player
Let’s hope you left your iPod, Zune, or even your laptop on the charger. If so, then fire that bad-boy up for some movie viewing or music listening pleasure. If you do not have a portable media player get one now! They are inexpensive and very user friendly these days.

3. Break out the GameBoy or PSP
Again, I hope they are charged. If so, you are good to go. True, you cannot play multiplayer over the net, but there are games out there that do not need multiplayer to be fun. Brain Age, Castlevania, and New Super Mario Bros. just to name a few.

2. Drink
It’s so obvious. The power is out, which means the fridge is out. You better not let that beer get warm! Start drinking now! In fact, this one is so good that you can do it along with most of the other items on the list. I would not tell you to drink and drive (#5) unless you have a DD. Also, I don’t recommend drinking and reading… it just sucks.

1. Have sex
You were thinking it, but I said it. Have fun with your significant other. The power is out, so have lots and LOTS of fun. Take your time, the lights might not come back on for a while. For an added bonus, keep the light switch turned on so you get a surprise when the power comes back on.

So there is the list. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them. Please post comments below and tell me what you like doing when the power is out.