Your user name tell it like it is.

We kept water the whole time but had to boil. I'll have more of that stored up for next time incase it goes out all together.

We had periods of 3-4 hours w/o electricity. All the pool equipment froze because of that but I don't care. None of that is urgent to get fixed or critical to life (although some time in the hot tub would have been nice.) Had a small 2000W generator that ran a couple of space heaters and lamps and kept us comfortable. Even when we had power, it would flicker every 8 minutes on the dot, so by the time the HVAC rebooted and ran some heat, we'd lose power again. Central heat couldn't keep the heat up.

I've started a list of stuff I'm going to buy and store, most of it already mentioned here.

Also going to have a transfer switch installed and buy a larger generator to run more stuff. Really liking the concept of the dual fuel generators because you can store propane forever and don't have to worry about gas gumming up the carbs. But I can't find anyone that has experience with them so still researching. But definitely want to be able to run the HVAC, one of the fridges and a freezer, and some key outlets in the house powered. Would like to have enough propane to sustain for 5 days.

Right there with you. Only ran the generator sporadically to keep the fridge cold. There was no wifi or cell service to be had even when I plugged stuff into the generator. I have 2 16000 mAh batteries for recharging cell phones and lots of headlamps from deer hunting for light.

I used my coleman lantern for light of the entire room.

You can find these used for $50 - $100 (sometimes less) if you keep your eyes open. Make sure the ones you get have the right setup for NG or propane, depending on how you plan to fuel them.

Firewood is free in my area. I'll be looking a a gas fire started piped into my fireplace. I remember that Kyle tried all the THF advice and still cried.

I scored a new in box Big Buddy heater from a guy on Nextdoor a few days ago for $75.00. Super nice guy from Vermont. He even threw in 2 new 1lb propane bottles. Wish I'd had it for the blackout. I have 2 little Buddies but they were at the lease.

Anyone know how to turn off breaker and plug generator into dryer outlet???

Some guy was talking about it today. Sounded interesting.

Check the post on TFF, lots of info.

Should only do something like this with a Generator Interlock Kit installed on your breaker panel
(to be NEC compliant, and perhaps legal in most municipalities).
The 220 outlet won’t be useable once the main breaker is turned back on
( the interlock is a simple metal slide plate that prevents both from being on at same time).

Whoa whoa whoa I don’t remember crying Mr Bill.

Once I got my bed of coals going I was good to go for the week. My garden torch and some dry 2x4’s did the trick. I was plenty prepared for this little blip.

Only thing we really needed was more water for washing and flushing toilets. Which I’m rectifying this week with 4 55 gallon water drums all piped together.

Just need a cord/plug that matches up. Turn off the main and all breakers, connect generator (*leave main off*) and turn on dryer breaker and then the breakers to the loads you want to run. It's an easy way to connect everything but like said above it creates a huge safety hazard if your generator energizes the lines outside of your house, it could kill a lineman working on lines. It should only be done in an emergency and you know what your doing. I suppose it would mess up your generator if the power came back on and you had the main on.

The whole idea just screams, "HOLD MY BEER!!"

Followed by sirens

Followed by big lips and sad faces.

Just an expression I used to get your attention. Are we square?

"Definition of All's Fair In Love And War by Merriam-Webster
All's fair in love and war definition is - —used to describe a situation in which people do not follow the usual rules of ..."

Lol, I know you didn't mean anything by it.

I saw a adapter plug in Lowes the other day that adapted from 115v plug to a dryer/rv plug. Not sure how that works....will have to study it.

I put Crisco on there. Took off those little bitty strainers to empty the sediment... First I had to figure what tightly righty was upside down. Then I couldn't get the threads to catch. Crisco solved the problem

We did great. It was just like a camping trip. I'm just glad I had brought my buddy heaters home to clean after deer season.

That's just a 30amp to 15amp adapter - 120v - used to plug you RV's 30amp 120v cord into a standard 15amp 120v socket.

Attempting to 'back-feed' a portable generator output into house wiring using only a homemade cord with 'male prongs' on both ends is dangerous and illegal across most of Texas.

To correctly and legally do it requires at least these three things:
1) Generator Interlock / Lockout Kit - installed on main breaker panel (prevents main breaker from being turned on while generator-input-breaker(3) is in ON position).
2) Generator Power Inlet Box - receptacle box with recessed male power prongs - let you use a standard (legal) male-to-female power cord to connect generator to house.
3) Breaker - dedicated & sized for generator input and must work in conjunction with (1) above, so that it can only be turned in ON position when main breaker is in OFF position - usually a standard dp breaker.

sample of Generator Lockout kit - LINK : https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=generator+lockout+kit

Sample of Generator Power Inlet Box -LINK - https://www.lowes.com/pl/Generator-power-inlet-boxes-Generators-Electrical/4294641568

You will also need appropriate dedicated wiring from the Inlet box(2) to the breaker(3) in the Main panel - this can get costly for long distance, as heavy gauge is required.

This is just a summary of the minimums to do it safely/legally, and assumes you have a generator with 240v output plug.
You would also need knowledge/understanding on turning certain other breakers off (to keep from overloading generator),
and to some degree on 'balancing 120v loads' across both legs of the 240v feed.

Just posting this before someone tries to 'hotwire' something and kills somebody!

My neighbors son came to his house to cut down some trees. He was selling a pickup bed load of wood for 275. Told him I thought he was to high on his price. Said he had 6-7 people waiting on a truckload now. As of yesterday he still had people ready to buy wood from him.

30 years ago when we went hunting on the cold mornings we would get a coffee can and put a roll of soaked toilet paper in it and it kept us semi warm. Showed several of my friends this old trick. They thought I was a genius.

alcohol soaked (I presume)

we also used rolled up corrugated cardboard soaked in cooking oil

Yes Sir! When I was growing up that’s the only kind of heaters we had in deer blinds. Dad always had coffee can heaters. Toilet paper soaked in rubbing alcohol.

Remember those too...it was still cold but we were tougher hunters back then...

I will more than likley prepair a little less. I had way to much beer and wine in stock. My head still hurts and I gained a few pounds. But I got to drink a lot of beer!!!!

Lol, yeh roger. I think he only carried those heaters around for me. I would huddle around the coffee can heater on the floor with a thermos of hot chocolate until the deer came out.