The summer of 2020 was pretty much a dumpster fire all around the globe, and particularly here in America. In case you have managed to block it out, the COVID-19 pandemic was raging out of control, electoral politics were ripping apart the very fabric of society, and then to top it off, a hurricane named Isaias ripped up the east coast, knocking out power to millions in the New York City area as it passed.
That last part? The power outage? That one hit home. My house was without power for more than three days in the midst of a hot, humid August during which we had basically nowhere safe to go, because of that whole pandemic thing. We ended up losing most of the food in our fridge and freezer, the house was almost unbearably warm, and with then six-year-old and two-year-old kids to care for and entertain in the hot, dark home, we were pretty goddamn frazzled, to say the least.
Fortunately, after a couple of days, my resourceful father-in-law secured a solid generator that at least allowed the use of fans in their home, so we transferred there and hunkered down until the power came back. After that mess, I decided we’d be better prepared for emergencies and blackouts going forward. But I didn’t really want a gas-powered generator, nor was I thrilled by the prospect of trying to fit such large, heavy piece of equipment into the already packed and cluttered (and small) garage.
