As the power went out and Ike roared through Houston last week I quickly learned the value of "crank" power. A month or so ago I put together a hurricane kit for us and included in it several crank products. If you have never owned a crank powered flashlight or radio, let me be the first to tell you that I would now consider them to be an indispensable part of any disaster kit. Flashlights and radios that are crank powered are both affordable and easy to maintain. Plus you never have to worry about having batteries on hand and that means one less thing that you to worry about "refreshing" in your kit each year. Here are the two main crank products that we used during Ike:
1. Energizer Crank Flashlight
I bought two of these at Target. I think I paid around $16 dollars for each one. They quickly became the family's favorite flashlights. They were light in weight, have bright LED lights and they run for a long time on a few cranks.
2. American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (Red) by Eton
By chance I ordered this crank radio off of amazon.com the Monday before Ike hit. At that point I didn't even know that Houston was a sure target. Neil and I LOVED this little crank radio/flashlight. Neil held this in his hands throughout the night when Ike hit just in case a tree cam crashing through the roof (what a guy!). It got great reception, even during the hurricane, and it also has a bright LED light. Plus it was only $30. It became a lifeline of sorts for us after the hurricane; providing the only link we had to information since we didn't have power.
I was pleasantly surprised by the lasting power of each of these products. When I bought the flashlights I had visions of Neil and I taking turns throughout the night cranking so that we could have brief moments of light. Not so. We barely had to crank these puppies. It was great. Of course, I'm sure that if we had kept them going non-stop we would have needed to crank a bit more. We used candles for constant light and the flashlights for supplemental purposes. If you do not have these items in your home or disaster kit I would strongly encourage you to have them. Come earthquake, blizzard, hurricane or any other disaster I promise you that these items will quickly become a part of your family!
About a billion days ago (ok, maybe slightly less) I was "tagged" by my UH pal Steph. For all of you blogging world newbies "tagging" is akin to the chain letters of yesteryear. I have never been tagged before, so you can imagine my delight when I read my name at the bottom of Steph's tag post. What fun! Then the reality hit me...I don't know anyone to tag at the bottom of my post! I know, take a moment to shed a tear or play a note or two on your violin for me. Most of my friends post on myspace or facebook. So, if you are reading this and I don't know you, let me know that you exist and then consider yourself tagged! Again, the chances of someone reading my blog who doesn't know me are fairly slim. I mean, I think my husband and my family read this. Oh and Steph! :-) Here we go...
The tagging rules: 1. Post the rules on your blog 2. Write 6 random things about yourself 3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post 4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag
Random Facts About Courtney
1. I have very tricky big toes. I get them from my Dad, so I can't take complete credit. I can pick things up very easily with my toes (which I realize is not so amazing because many people can that), but most importantly, I can pinch really hard with my toes. Ask anyone who has ever slept in the same bed with me. If I get a wild hair I can slowly reach my foot over to the person next to me and grab on to a piece of their flesh and pinch with my toes. I know...it's amazing...doesn't it just make you want to keep reading?!
2. When i was in 6th grade I auditioned for the Disney Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. I honestly don't know what I was thinking. I saw a show about it on the Disney channel and suddenly I had the genius idea that I was a candidate for the group. You should know that I had been playing the flute for one year and had not had any private lessons whatsoever. I really thought though that my second chair position in my 6th grade junior high band was a strong indicator of my raw talent! I had to fill out a long application and get a letter of recommendation from my band instructor. I seriously don't know how people kept from laughing when I told them of my plan to audition. I lived in Northern CA at the time and the audition was in L.A. My dad sweetly volunteered to drive me to the audition and back (about a 7 hour drive each way). I had worked diligently on my two audition pieces...I know that one of them was actually a song from the Phantom of the Opera (a very professional selection). Needless to say, I was in way over my head. I went into the audition and played my two pieces (both of which they stopped me from playing to the end...never a good sign) and then they asked me to sightread a piece. I actually had to get out my fingering chart to figure out how to finger some of the notes before I played it! Even after all of that I remained ignorantly hopeful and thought that I might actually have a chance. Poor girl. I'm sure that the producers spent many hours in debate over my name, but in the end I was not selected to join the orchestra. Did I mention that the show required that, if selected, I had to go to orchestra camp for two weeks and that I couldn't even handle spending one night at a friends house due to homesickness? Ha!
3. I have never broken a bone or had stitches. I have never had a cavity (I actually went to the dentist yesterday for my six month cleaning and I am still cavity free!). I have also never had Chicken Pox. Don't worry, when the vaccine came out I had a blood test done that showed I had the antibodies for it, so apparently at some point I had the virus, but it didn't show itself. Knock on wood.
4. When I was little I really, really wanted to be on the show Kids Incorporated. I never missed an episode!
5. I am totally grossed out by hair in the sink in public restrooms. I try to avoid using a sink with hair in it at all times. When I come out of the stall to wash my hands I quickly scan the sinks and try to find the one without a strand of hair in it. I also check the sink after I wash my hands to make sure that I didn't leave any strands in it for the next person. Please check your sinks ladies and wash any strays down the drain before you leave. Don't even get me started on strands of hair in restaurants!
6. I love to play games. Card games, trivia games, board games, drawing games...you name it I love to play it. Some favorites are Scattergories, Backgammon, Uno, Monopoly, Life, Rummikub, Scene It!, Trivial Pursuit...and who can forget Mall Madness!
Well there it is. That took me a while. I'm sorry Steph that this was a dead-end road. Thanks for tagging me...I really was excited when I saw my name on your list!
My name is Courtney and I've been married to my husband Neil for 3 years. I graduated from the University of Houston in 2005 and taught second grade for two years. I currently spend my time loving my husband, my golden retriever Holly, and my home. I've also recently gone back to school to get a master's degree in School Library and Information Science.
