... and there was this fantastic flash of light and a popping sound. (The power strip was turned off when I did this, by the way.)
I had counted on basically two possibilities: Either the thing would work or it wouldn't (which could involve nailing some of the stuff I was plugging in). I discussed the different voltage with people at some length before I left and I figured that trying with something cheap like a power strip and an alarm clock wouldn't kill anything I cared about. So I definitely would not have been surprised by things not working. What I didn't count on was a third possibility --- that this whole thing would cause some sort of flip somewhere to switch in some cupboard that would turn off all the power to all the sockets in my apartment. (I still have power for things, such as internet, that don't need sockets.) Then I started wondering if I took down anybody else in the building with me. I really hope not (although I have to admit that part of me would be extremely amused by having that story to tell).
Of course, I can solve my problem by flipping the switch back on. I don't know where it is, of course. I went down to the Porter's Lodge to let him know what was going on. It turns out that for insurance reasons, they're not allowed to turn these things back on. Oh, and the people who come to do this don't come on weekends unless it's an emergency (flooding, gas leaks, and what not). Bloody Hell!
Now, I can plug my computer and so on elsewhere to get power to use in the apartment, but this will make it hard for me to listen to baseball games and music (which I like to have on when I go to bed). I'll be able to get some, but only as long as power lasts.
I am such a champ. (And I can't say that I wasn't warned.)
40 minutes ago
2 comments:
Yeah, I would strongly recommend the "read the voltage rating on the case" method rather than the "plug it in and see if it catches fire" method.
I didn't actually do any damage, but I did cause myself an unnecessary inconvenience. I could go to the SCR (= Senior Common Room, which refers both to an actual room and a group of people that includes me) or elsewhere in the College and plug my computer in to get more juice, but I'm not in the mood to hear a louder version of the drunken revelery from the costume party (or "bop") that's currently going on. (It's quite muted from my apartment and is actually not so difficult to navigate outside --- one student kindly offered me a bottle of vodka [which I declined] --- but I don't think I want to stay in the SCR for too long while my computer recharges anyway. I'll just do this tomorrow.)
Apparently, they have costume parties twice a term. (I don't know if that's a Somerville custom or if it's a broader thing around here or in the UK or wherever. Travis, can you shed some insight on that? Were costume parties routine in Cambridge?) I overheard someone says "I hate my life" and the term doesn't even start until tomorrow... (Actually, I have noticed several parallels to Caltech. It's funny how it's the 'I hate my life' comment that reminded me to write that.)
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