What I Learned from the Winter Storm/Power Outage

• Sometimes the news exaggerates, but sometimes it doesn't.
• The next time there is a "Storm Warning," realize it may mean a power outage as well.
• Have a variety of batteries on hand.  Especially for the flashlights and radio.
• Have plenty of eat-cold friendly food on hand.  Unless you have an aunt who lives nearby, has gas heat, who can serve you delicious things like salmon omelets and homemade chicken noodle soup, because she does not want the things in her fridge to go bad.  You can also have warm baths and sit by a fire to keep warm if she has a fireplace.
• If aunt moves, you have to depend mainly on yourself.  Remember, you don't have gas heat, or a fireplace.  Have plenty of blankets on hand.  Have something like a campfire stove, a barbecue, or a Sterno candle or something to heat food.  Otherwise, prepare to eat cold food for the duration of the power outage.
• Some cold-friendly foods are, but not limited to: bread, peanut butter, overpriced chips (because you had to walk to the store to get them), applesauce cups, artificial cherry flavored M&Ms (they are soooo good!), and regular M&Ms.  The cherry flavored M&Ms will only last the day, unless you are careful.
• If you don't have a 4-Wheel Drive, and the roads are snowy and icy, you probably are not going to be able to drive around, even if you are originally from the Eastern side of the state, and know how to drive in snow.
• Your portable radio that you only use during power outages takes 6 C-size batteries, not 3.  If you forget this, you are walking back to the store.
• That woman using a fire-poker as an ice-pick on her car was not crazy.  Remember, the next day you had to use the stick of your scraper to do the same thing.  That is what happens when you get a ton of snow with a thick layer of ice built up on your car.
• Just because your mom was able to call you earlier on the older phone you had to plug in, because your cell phone is dead, doesn't mean that the phone line will always be on.  Phone lines can die too.
• It is nice to have a good, or never read book on hand, that is not digital, to read so you won't get bored.
• Use every blanket you own to keep warm, perhaps wear everything in your closet as well.
• Trying to cook water for cocoa in a small pot (or in my case, a section of a muffin tin), is not very effective.  It takes forever, and gets to lukewarm, at best.  No matter what your friend said she used to do.
• Light candles for a half-hour in room, looks pretty.  Keep them on for an hour or two and the stupid fire alarm goes off, even though there is no fire, and the candles are totally supervised.
• The fly swatter method works better on the kitchen fire alarm that goes off every Thanksgiving, despite no fire.  Since it has only removable wires, that is the only way to stop it.  The bedroom fire alarm has a battery.  If you take the battery out, to stop it from screaming, make sure you put it back in when the not-so-obvious smoke has disappeared. 
• Your parents are going to warn you not to fall asleep while the candles are lit, even if you know better.
• Despite the fact that you have a book to read, a radio to listen to, a Nintendo DS to play with, you may get bored.
• Make sure you keep everything digital well charged, in case of emergencies.
•  When bored during a power outage, write a rough draft on paper, the blog you intend to post about the event.

Another thing I learned (and luckily I am fine), is to remember not all things in the fridge may be safe to eat after a day long or more power outage.  I found this site to be helpful:  Power Outage! What food can I save?