6 nerdy ways to pass time during a power outage
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Early Monday afternoon, I was sitting in my reading room (aka The bathroom) revisiting an old interview with Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine when the lights flickered. They flashed on and off a couple times. Then they completely died. I sat in the darkness, worried that I wasn’t going to be able get any work done, and wondering how prudent flushing the toilet would be when the pump doesn’t have power.
What followed was at least five hours of listlessly trying to figure out how to pass the time. I went for a walk, but the chilling wind killed my motivation pretty quick. I strummed some chords on my electric guitar, but I couldn’t find inspiration without amplification. I played on my tablet, but I put that down after my head started aching. Clearly, I needed to come up with some new ways to deal with not having power.
After a bit of brainstorming, I came up with a few ideas that might make those dark hours during a power outage pass a little faster. Note: If some of these activities sound cool, you can also shut off the lights at night and do them then, too!
Ghost hunting
When the lights go out, the spirits come out to play! So grab your salt, your iron and your proton pack (you actually have one?) and go look for the source of those weird noises coming from your basement. You might not find actual ghosts, but you may find out why you hear a constant eerie moaning in your fruit room.
Dungeons & Dragons by candlelight
How do you make your role-playing quest even more epic? Go questing by the flickering light of candles. The air will be thick with mood and atmosphere. You may feel like you’re poking around an actual medieval castle. And if you have a friend who can play the lute, you can even have an appropriate soundtrack! I would recommend using glow-in-the-dark dice. It’s hard to roll for damage or initiative if you if your dice go missing.
Acoustic music jam
Break out the grandpa’s guitars (that’s acoustic guitars for those not in the know) and have a sing-along. “Horse with No Name” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” sound great unplugged, and few things pass the time faster than singing.
Movie quote-off
Who knows the most obscure quote from “The Big Lebowski”? How much of V’s introductory speech from “V for Vendetta” can you quote word-for-word? Can you quote Yoda in a Russian accent? There’s a lot of room for creativity here, so go nuts!
Meditate
Okay, so maybe clearing your mind and concentrating mindfulness may not sound nerdy. But then I’m reminded of that scene in “Samurai Jack” where Jack meditates, concentrating on the sounds of his environment. He was so meditating to defeat a trio of blind archers. And, BOOM! Meditation becomes nerdy.
Glow-in-the-dark fashion show
I’d wager that most nerds have at least one article of glow-in-the-dark clothing. So gather your friends and show off. Bonus points if you can strut and spin like a fashion model.
Keep these ideas in mind for the next time the power goes out and leaves you in the dark. The time will fly by, and the lights will be back on before you know. Or you could just take a nap. That will work, too.