…and there I sat, ready to hit publish when [plop] - all the lights went out. No lights, no internet. Also? No wind. No snow. No rain. WTF? Whose idea of a joke is this?
Have I mentioned that when our lights go out, we have no water either? Because the well pump runs on electricity. And the heat? also electric. All appliances? you got it.
We got out the candles, lit everything up, and gathered blankets. We called the power company, and were told (by an electronic voice) that they were so busy, they would need to call us back. The Voice recited the phone number, and asked for an alternate phone number. I gave her/him my cell.
Then, after staring at each other for about 3 minutes, Mr. Hot, Shortman and I decided to give up and head up to bed. I slept with both phones on the table next to the bed. No phone calls.
My toes were freakin’ cold in the morning. Even with socks on and between flannel sheets and two blankets. When I got downstairs, Mr. Hot said “Eleven o’clock.” It was 7:30. Eleven o’clock came. And went. Another phone call to DTE. “Between now and 2 o’clock.”
Shortman woke up about 11:30. Mr. Hot yelled up at him,“Get dressed, we’re going someplace.” And so we did. Brunch (ahhhhh, coffee, finally!). Met a neighbor eating in the same diner (She had been told 4 o’clock. Sigh.). Then to see “I Am Legend” with Will Smith. Once again, I walked how of a theatre with swollen eyes. Why does the dog have to die?
We got home about 2:30 and lo - there was light. And heat. And it was good.
And yet? No internet. No cable television. More phone calls - this time to Comcant. (No, that was soooo not a typo.) Yes, the outage was reported. No, they didn’t know how long it would take to get it back on.
Five hours later, I called them back. “About an hour or so. They’re working in your neighborhood even as we speak.” My neighborhood? Have I mentioned we live in nowhere-land? I didn’t know I had a neighborhood.
Once again, I called it a night and went up to bed, with my book.
Finally, this morning, we’re back up and running. Everything electric. Everything cable-y. And we’re leaving in about an hour to head up to our local dump-turned-ski-hill so that Shortman can snowboard and Mr. Hot and I can curl up in chairs in the lounge and drink coffee and read.
I just wanted to check in and tell y’all that I miss you and will be getting to your sweet emails soon - later this evening when we get back. I did pull a bunch of old pictures to get scanned in for your amusement (I swear, even Shortman said “Mom, what’s with the glasses that cover your whole face?”). Oh, and Santa brought me this. I love it. It’s much easier to use than I ever dreamed.
—- Okay, now I must go get dressed. We’re on a tight timeline. Out of here by 10:30, back by 5. There must be a football game on. Later babes! —-