This time last year...

Remember last year? Remember the strong winds and what we thought was just a fall stormelectricity shut off and you were wondering when it would finally come back on?

It was during a Bengals game out of all things and maybe it was good that the electricity shut off because if I remember right I think they lost. Anyhow, Hurricane Ike decided to rip through Ohio because it wasn't finished after it hit the coast and we all remember last year's crazy event!!

I thought it was going to be just a few hours because isn't that normal? Electricity goes off and will come back on in a few hours. That is what we told our kids, anyway. But as we sat there minutes turned into hours and hours turned into days and days turned into weeks for some. It is definitely the most remembered event of 2008.

Hurricane Ike took out the entire Miami Valley and surrounding areas, especially south. It caused much damage across its path. Many were forced in Carlisle to have no water, no air conditioning, and no refrigerator power to store food. The storm also took away our comforts, all of us didn't know what to do with ourselves without the luxury of lights, television, and dare I say INTERNET!

I remember Ameristop/Marathon was open. They had no lights but was trying to help the community. I remember seeing neighbors running cords from generators into their house to keep things running like their refrigerators and other items. It was a wild time!

In all reality though, it was humbling. I could not go to work because our power was down in Loveland. I remember doing things with the kids to pass by time. Constructive things like playing games, talking, and spending valuable time together as a family. It was a teaching moment to let the kids know how lucky we are to have luxuries like television, X-Box, computers, and even as far as running water. It was a time as a family to creatively come up with ways to kill time, find ways to entertain, and to find ways to survive without the everyday luxuries that we take for granted.

Hurricane Ike was very horrible to do to the aspect of damaged homes, property damage from trees blown down, and the loss of electricity was unbearable at times. But the bright light was living in simplicity though for just a short time and the moments spent with your families making the best of a very terrible situation.

What were you doing when the storm hit? How long did it take you to get your electric back? How do you pass the time? How did you do without the individual luxuries that come with electricity? We want to know!! Comment on this article by clicking comments or simply post below.

Take a look back with this video that Jeff Oaks of Video Oaks Production company put together last year during the storm and some of the damage it left us.

blowing through? Remember, when the