I sometimes find it darkly funny that even though you can never know what problems you'll encounter in a natural or unnatural disaster, a lot of people are very precise in their preparations for that unknown apocalyptic moment. One of my friends has lined his garage walls with cases of water, another is buying a scooter so she can make her way out of town without having to line up behind miles of traffic, still another has devised a plan to head for the hills by way of small roads carefully mapped out. To each his own nightmare scenario, I guess.

My worst fear is losing touch with people and not knowing where they are. My second worst fear is losing power and not being able to see in the dark (I keep rechargeable flashlights in outlets all over my house). I just ordered this Dynamo Flashlight, a 5-LED light which is charged by a hand-crank that also charges your cell phone (fits Samsung, Motorola, Nokia and Ericsson phones). It sells for $29.95 at Sahalie. I'm also getting this as a stocking stuffer for every member of my family.

I always find myself looking for things like this after watching episodes of Lost. My addiction to that show probably also explains my sudden need to hoard monstrous jars of peanut butter.