Last week they poured the slab.
This week they actually installed the generator and associated electrical connections.
Last Week
This Week
Next week the gas company will run a second natural gas line with second meter to the generator, after which the final installation, testing, and handover will be completed. Barring anything that knocks out the gas mains, I will have electric power regardless of hurricane, ice storm, grid failure, or Zombie Apocalypse.
The purchase of this standby generator is somewhere between an extravagance and necessity. It is comforting to know that I won’t loose power in all but the most extreme system failures. The Mrs has Multiple Sclerosis and no tolerance for the summer heat of South Texas. A day or two without air conditioning would precipitate a medical emergency. It is an insurance policy that I don’t mind having to use. My neighbors are already trying to figure out how to run extension cords to my house. 🙂
Contrafactual 
The generator came on tonight following a power failure during a rain storm (see Haiku #14). Based on email alerts from the power company, I think that the power was only out for about 10 minutes. But I don’t really know because my power was only out about 10 seconds (until the generator kicked on).
I still need to get a UPS for my son’s computer and the cable modem though.
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