Blackout stories

[joywitch_m_curmudgeon]

As I mentioned in the previous post, I do research on energy and 
electricity, and I want to find out how people are coping without 
electricity.  My fellow HPfGUers are usually pretty helpful with 
stuff, so I thought I'd ask you guys for the following:

If you have any stories or thoughts about life without electricity, 
send them to me. What I'm looking for is not so much "blackout 
stories" but just what it's like not to have electricity for awhile.  
For example, what did you do about food?  How did your kids cope 
without video games?  What did your family do without the 
television?  Did you go nuts without your computer?

If you know of good websites/groups that people in NYC, Ohio, 
Toronto, Ottawa, or any of the affected areas read, to post a request 
like this, please let me know.

Thanks a million!

--JMC