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That’d be the current in a lightning bolt. We been discovering exactly what that does to stuff in your house.

OK, we didn’t get hit directly — as there is no evidence of a strike on or near our home — however Tuesday night there was the flash and thunder at the same time. Essentially a strike right on top of us.

The results? Well, it tripped one of the breakers in the house; burned out the LED nightlight in Olivia’s room; took out the garage door opener; and took out our internet connection.

Luckily this is mostly trivial. I need to continue the computer diagnosis. (The cable modem is fine, as is evidenced by this posting. I’ve got my work laptop tethered to the modem at the moment.) So, either the wireless router is dead or the network card in the desktop PC. We shall have to see. It’s not that big of a deal as the computer still works.

And yes, all of the pieces are plugged into surge protectors. With one exception: the coax cable going into the modem. (Hmm, maybe it is. The entertainment system in the basement is complete protected, including the cable. I can’t remember is the split coming up to the computer is before or after that surge protector.)

As for the garage, well that’s a funny story.

We haven’t been out there in a couple of days. So today I decided to go out and do a little work, including installing a keyed cable release to disconnect the garage door opener in case of power outages. See, we don’t have a service door. Or any windows. And the door wouldn’t open.

I am irony’s bitch.

So, how do you open a garage door that is held closed by an opener when there is no power? You go in through the wall of course. Yup, peeled back some of my new siding, punched through part of the wall and presto!, we’re in.

The good news, the garage door opener wasn’t fried, just the GFCI popped. One reset button later and all is well. Well, except for the siding.

Actually that is OK too. I was careful in prying and removing nails so that nothing was damaged. It all went back together quite nicely.

And yes, the keyed opener has been installed. Take that irony.