Hello. My name is Steve, and I'm an electricity addict.
You never realize how good you have it until ... you don't have it.
This past Tuesday evening, Pam, Wendy, David and I were sitting in the den watching a DVD ... and BLOOP! the power went out. (Sue was off in New York on a school trip.)
Usually, this would not be a big deal ... but it was cold out. I mean COLD. Like 20 degrees or so. We'd had freezing rain since Monday night, and ice was on everything. And ... when you live in a forest, those pretty trees all around us? Yeah ... they become a real problem when they're covered in ice. They're just not designed to hold all that weight.
Any way ... the power company said they knew about it, and that they were working to restore our power.
Fast forward a day (Wednesday evening), and we're all sitting in the den ... the DARK den ... tending a fire in the fireplace, wrapped in blankets ... no power yet. The power company told me earlier that day that we had lost a main line and a main line fuse. Great. Oh ... and ... BTW ... it might be another 24 hours or more before the power comes back on. Even better.
We cooked meat on the backyard grill ... tried to cook some potatoes in a skillet over the grill (with mixed results) ... and kept tending the fire in the den. We tried to keep ourselves occupied ... you know ... telling silly stories and such. Mostly, we ended up laughing at how we'd look back on that night and how our stories were so silly.
Pam realized that she was born in this century for a good reason. All the romantic notions about how great it might be to travel back in time and live like a pioneer ... no. She assured us (in quite forceful terms) that she would never speak those words again. As if to drive the point home, she casually mentioned needing to bathe to remove all the soot and fire grime from herself. When I reminded her that the water heater ran on electricity, she cried.
Thursday morning ... still no power ... the kids get ready for school and leave. Even sponge baths are miserable when the water is just barely above freezing. Later that morning, the power comes back! YAY!
When I got home that afternoon, Pam has just arrived home from school. She announced that the power was back, and actually did a happy dance. I told her I fully expected to find her soaking in a steaming tub. She assured me it was on her list. But first ... a nice hot bowl of oatmeal. I think addictions mess with your priorities.
It was nice to cook dinner in the kitchen again. I actually enjoyed it.
2 comments:
Hi, my name is Merv and I, too am an electricity addict. Fortunately, however, my supplier has not let me down so far this year. We have an understanding. :)
Glad to hear that the power is back on, Daddy. Hope all is well over there. Love to all. MUAH!!
Wow... I would not have done well back in the day! ha... I am sorry yall had to go through that especially in the COLD...but it may of been a lesson for all of us reading, to not take things for granted and to be prepared. I am not prepared for one day with out power in GOOD weather, much less in the freezing cold. :) Hope yall are doing well. I saw this blogg on my sons site and thought I'd check it out. Looks like the rest of the family is gonna have to catch up...nothing posted yet on their sites. ha... It takes alot of work...or atleast to me it does. I am learning though and think I kinda like this blog thing now. :) I was not sure for a while. I started it last year and couldnt get into it...then my friend came to visit and made me do it and now I like it alot. :) Anyway, yall take care and keep in touch! Gina & Chris...down in TEXAS. :)
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