Time to Back up

We had a scare yesterday. Around noon, as I was sitting at the computer checking blogs, mail, and news, I heard sizzling sounds, saw fire leaping, and smelled the acrid odor of melting electronic equipment. I started ripping cords from the wall, but I couldn't get to everything and the sounds and smells and fire wouldn't stop, so I burst out of the office to find my husband and children who were bursting out of the kitchen. Hubby said I was so freaked out that I didn't recognize him, but that wasn't true. I just wanted him to do something. I started screeching, "Pull the breakers! Pull the breakers!" He did. And the sounds stopped.

Though there was not even a breeze, a limb broke(from a perfectly healthy tree) and fell across the power line. It pulled the neutral wire loose, yet didn't break the positive and negative wires. The electric company man who came to cut power said this was the most damaging sort of situation because breakers can't trip and surge protectors can't trip because there is nothing to ground the raw energy.

The meter base and all those wires were pulled off the house so Mr. Electric Company said that he had to cut the wires and pull the meter, but that he would come back once we had a new meter base installed and inside wiring checked for damage. I did what any self respecting Southern girl would do, I called my Daddy. He swooped in, accessed the situation, and started calling in the troops.

• The limb was sawed and stacked by an employee Daddy had called and told that there was an emergency and that the electric company needed the limb moved immediately to get the truck in the yard. The truck had already come and gone, but who is complaining.
• Hubby and an electrician (who Dad also sent) whose name is Scooter disconnected the old meter base and removed the remaining pieces from the wall.
• Daddy arrived with a new meter base and he and Scooter re-attached the wiring, etc. Dad kept telling me to go call the electric company to get someone on the way to reconnect the power (even though they were not finished).
  
• I drove into town twice to get pieces that were broken or melted. When I got back from town, Mr. Electric Company had arrived even though Daddy and crew were not finished. He was patient.

Electricity was restored by 3:30. We, then, had to go around and check voltage for each breaker in the box and all the plugs and outlets. Once this was done, Daddy started restoring power to each room and I could go around and find out which of my electronics would have to be replaced. Here is the list so far:

• refrigerator
• scanner
  
• television (was not even on)
  
• a USB dock
• charger for my Palm Pilot

Even though this was a very expensive day, I feel so lucky. Our house could have burned, my computer could have fried, the limb or live electric wire could have fallen on one of my children or me, but it didn't. I have a Daddy who knows how to fix things and commandeer troops. We live in a small town where we actually know the people at the power company so power was restored quickly. I have a husband who can laugh at the situation and not be so insecure as to mind my Daddy swooping in to take over when there is a need. I am thankful for all these things.

Last night and this morning, I am backing up the contents of my computer. I do not think I would have panicked as much if I had had a recent back up or any backup. I have on several occasions, recently, clicked "skip backup" even though I know how stupid that can be. I do payroll for a couple of companies (no backup), web site design for 6 companies (no backup), graphic design for several companies (no backup). I teach my children at home and use the computer as a record keeping tool (no backup). I run an almost paperless home office (no backup). After yesterday, I vow never to skip a scheduled backup again.