Naah Susie,
This is one of the greatest adventures of our lifetime. Cheap oil allowed us to build  huge things. Now it is over forever and we need to move beyond oil.

The first thing everyone needs to do is reduce exposure to money bleed at the pump, assuming you even own a car, (I don't).

The next thing, if a home owner, is to make sure you are hyper efficient and add every thing you can to reduce energy cost exposure.

And, finally, you need to stop being feckless idiot consumers and starve the vicious beast that could care less about you, the human. The corporate world views you as walking profit centers.

Oh there are many incremental options. The whole point is like a zen archery exercise. Imagine the point beyond the target. Imagine the loss of lots of ridiculous shit we now care about. Imagine the life of Louise Quattorze, the sun king, and how he would weep at amenities we assume and take for granted.

Of course you can be an idiot and burn your hard earned money into the air in some demented potlatch but reducing your exposure to these inexorable forces protects you. It's all about nimble adaptability, the Ant versus the Grasshopper or Grace Hoper if you ever read Finnigans Wake.
========
He larved ond he larved on he merde such a nauces
The Gracehoper feared he would mixplace his fauces.
I forgive you grondt Ondt said the Gracehoper,weeping,
For their sukes of the sakes you are safe in whose keeping.
Teach Floh and Luse polkas, show Bienie where's sweet
And be sure Vespatilla fines fat ones to heat.
As I once played the piper I must now pay the count
So saida to Moyhammlet and marhaba to your Mount!
Let who likes lump above so what flies be a full'un;
I could not feel moregruggy if this was prompollen.
I pick up your reproof, the horsegift of a friend,
For the prize of your save us the price of my spend.
Can castwhores pulladeftkiss if oldpollacks foresake 'em
Or Culex feel etchy if Pulex don't wake him?
A locus to loue, a term it t'embarass,
These twain are the twins that tick Homo Vulgaris.
Has Aquileone nort winged to go syf
Since the Gwyfyn we were in his farrest drewbryf
And that Accident Man not beseeked where his story ends
Since longsephrying sighs sought heartseast for their orience?
We are Wastenot with Want, precondamned, two and true.
Till Nolans go volants and Bruneyes come blue.
Ere these gidflirts now gadding you quit your mocks for my gropes.
An extense must impull, an elapse must elopse,
Of my tectucs takestock, tinktact, and ail's weal;
As I view by your farlook hale yourself to my heal.
Partiprise my thinwhins whiles my blink points unbroken on
Your whole whercabroads with Tout's trightyright token on.
My in risible universe youdly haud find
Sulch oxtrabeeforness meat soveal behind.
Your feats end enormous,your volumes immense,
(May the Graces I hoped for sing your Ondtship song sense!)
Your genus its worldwide, your spacest sublime!
But, Holy Saltmartin, why can't you beat time?

In the name of the former and of the latter and of their holocaust.
Allmen.
Finnegans Wake pps 363-364

WashStateblue I used to live near White Center in an amazingly well made apartment building, whatta hoot!

Now I'm back in wretched Boston. I already miss Seattle. You all are so ahead of the curve and you have a benign climate to enhance your notable efforts.

Well jolly good for you and go nuts.

Sound like bad wiring. Someone crossed the 'hot' black wires with the 'neutral' whites. Do you live in some moron place where they don't wire to code?

You are at fire risk when cycling appliances like air conditioners or big Televisions are involved. Get a plug tester and see how the polarities run.

You may have been renting badly wired shitholes.