The heatwave is putting some serious stress on the New York City grid.

All of the East Village, Union Square and Gramercy Park, including Peter-Cooper and Stuyvesant Town, have been browned out. We just had someone from the administration knock on our doors to alert us that there may indeed be a blackout in our area.

I live two blocks away from the 14th Street ConEdison plant. I just saw a note posted next to our elevators that MetLife is shutting down one elevator in all their buildings and are denying people access to the laundry rooms in order to limit energy consumption within their properties.

I would not mind if this meant that we'd need to go up and down the stairs. Unfortunately, we live on a 12th floor.

If brownouts and blackouts only meant disruptions in electricity, I would not have a problem. I mean, I have a gas stove. The fridge, as long as it's closed, can ride out a few days of no wattage.

The problem we have in New York City is that brownouts and blackouts also mean potential water supply disruption. I learned this in 2002 during the blackout. I was out at a playground relatively close to Avenue D and from there we heard the boom and saw the plume of steam that signaled when the turbines screeched to a halt during during the blackout. We ran home and found almost a dozen elderly neighbors waiting to be helped up to their apartments. Since ours is the last floor, we helped them all. Once up, one of my next door neighbors and a native New Yorker commanded me to immediately fill up every pot and pan available as well as the tub. "In two more ours, the water will be off too." And what do you know, she was right.

So here are Liza's to-do's during a brown/blackout :

1. Take a shower or a bath and fill up your tub with water immediately.
   Once the electricity is gone and you're apartment starts to heat up, you will scream to the high heavens for relief. Better ride out the blackout all cooled-off and fresh smelling than pissed-off and stinky. And doing this serves the important purpose of filling up your tub with water you will use to flush your toilet(s). Believe me, you will thank me for not having an apartment smelling of urine and feces in 100°F weather.

2. Stash as many bottles of water in your still working freezer as you can.
   It goes without saying that once the electricity is gone, you'll be smacked by how hot it really is inside of your apartment. Keep those bottles stashed in there for future relief. They will also serve the purpose later of keeping your refrigerator cool.

3. Cook up any all meats and perishables you have around.
   Raw meat spoils in an instant but cooked meats and vegetables, not only last longer but, in the event of a blackout, you'll be prepared with extra food to give out to any neighbors in need; especially if they are elderly or disabled. And honey, you'll be the supersheroe of your neighborhood.

4. If there are any medications you ought to have refilled, this is the time to do so.
   You have no idea when you're pharmacy will be be open in the event of a complete blackout. The last thing you want to do is end up in an emergency room, battling for attention, in the dark, and against hundreds of other people in worse condition than you. Remember the rule of emergency rooms : unless you are bleeding, unconscious or having a seizure/asthma attack, you can wait.

5. While you're out, get some batteries too. Like 5 or 6 dozens.
   Yeah, that would be 72 batteries but, trust me; you'll understand the importance of the bartering economy once the electricity is gone and all the stores have been boarded up. Buy as many batteries as you can humanly carry back to your apartment and, if you don't have it, then get yourself a transistor radio. With no electricity, you're access to the internet is all but moot. Which reminds me, if your livelihood does depend on being online, then it's time for you to get an emergency generator; preferably a green one.

6. This is the time to dust-off your analog phone.
   When I heard many people had no phone connection in Queens I was baffled. I thought, phone service was down too. No, it wasn't. Unfortunately too many people rely on electronic phones for their day to day communications. During the blackout we were one of the few apartments in the building that had access to phone service because we had an analog phone. And yes, we had people lined out our door asking to use it. Don't be a fool and don't depend on your cell phone alone. While you're at it, recharge those cell phones. Just in case.

7. Last but not least, do a full backup of your computer.
   Yup. There is nothing like losing data during a blackout. Urgh. And by the way, just to put the fear of blog in you, if you have access to your servers and databases, this is also a fantastic moment to backup those suckers.

Now it's your turn to add to the list.