Just before 5am this morning, I awoke to the sound of my UPS going off. That can only mean one thing--a power outage! For once, it wasn't caused by wind, but rather a failed insulator on a transmission line. Whatever the cause, power outages suck for many reasons. Not the least of which is the possibility of one or more electronic devices not surviving the experience. Thus why I have a few things on a UPS, namely the cable modem, router, and my backup hard drives. Laptops have their own built-in battery, so they don't require a UPS. While we used to keep flashlights near our beds in case this happens, the mobile phone has become the universal flashlight. At night, at least, it's next to my bed on the charger, thus it's ready to go when I need it. It's also almost always on my person, thus always handy.
Meanwhile, the early wake-up did give me a chance to get a jump-start on the day. Given the time difference between here and Israel, an extra hour can be real handy.