Lacking electrical supplies

If It was today our electrical equipment would come to a screeching halt.  I don't yet have solar or a generator.  Today wasn't the day, so what about now?  We still use electric items.  After today I realize that I have a major issue that needs immediate attention.

I needed a light bulb.  I have changed out most of our light bulbs to compact fluorescent and led.  This wasn't because they are supposed to be better for the environment (although I’m not sure how a mercury filled bulb that we have to dispose of as toxic waste is better) but because overall they are cheaper to run.  They use less electricity and they last a long time, especially the led bulbs.  I thought I had a bunch of light bulbs in storage.  Today I went looking for a fluorescent bulb for the dining room.  I found many chandelier bulbs for the three hall light fixtures.  I found the circular fluorescent bulbs for the closets and laundry room.  I have the standard incandescent bulbs that I now only use in the reflector to keep the chicks warm.  I have the tube fluorescent bulbs for the garage.  I even have extra appliance bulbs.  What about the regular fluorescent bulbs that I have in the dining room, bedrooms, living room, outside lamps? I had one.  It’s a good thing that I noticed.   

Son-in-law headed out to the garden early this morning.  He was going to drill holes in my landscape timbers so I could attach them together.  I don’t have a cordless drill so he went into the garage to get my extension cords.  I have three heavy duty outdoor extension cords.  Two are fifty feet and one is over 100 feet.  This is long enough to get out to the garden.  As he was plugging the cords in to each other he noticed that the plug for the 100 foot cord was broken.  One of the metal prongs was snapped off. 

Hey kids/grandkids…you break my stuff I’d appreciate it if you’d tell me!  Don’t put it back broken!  Son-in-law was ready to throw the cord away.  Wait.  Don’t throw it out.  I’ll repair it.  I didn’t have an extra end for it so I couldn’t repair it right away.  So much for getting the garden beds completed.  I had to make a trip in to town to get the part. 

Since I was going to Lowe’s, with a 10% off coupon, I wrote up a good list.  Buy light bulbs.  I needed chicken wire because we didn’t have enough.  I also got several bags of cement for posts for the coop extension.  We got more landscape timbers because I decided to landscape the front yard since I’m going to town on the outdoor improvements.  I also picked up spare ends for the extension cords if I have to rebuild any of the others, and I bought electrical tape.   

I don’t have enough light bulbs.  We have about 10 different kinds of bulbs for our wide variety of lights.  This won't do.  I need to standardize what we are using.  I do have spare light switches and plugs.  I do own a good set of wire strippers.  I have an extra roll of the wire if anything needs rewiring.  I don’t have parts to build or repair lamps.  I don’t have spare circuit breakers. 

I need to get a list together and see what I have and what I don’t.  Right now I have a couple of boxes of stuff in the barn that fits into the electric group.  It was left over from the house remodel.  I don’t know what half of it is.  I didn’t like needing to repair something and not having the parts on hand.  Another project…