Velogirl--yes, I absolutely remember the brown-out and black-out days. I worry a whole lot about what's happening in Queens right now. Big cities are tough places to live in this heat when the power goes out.

Crazycanuck--Seattleites tend to not water their lawns in the summer, so watering restrictions are usually not necessary here. They will use 'em during a serious drought, but most people just voluntarily let their lawns go brown till the fall rains.