I usually enjoy power outages. There's something romantic about a storm brewing outside and being tucked inside with candlelight and a radio. Of course, I'd never gone without power for more than a handful of hours. Yesterday, I learned that 21 hours without electricity is anything but romantic.
It didn't start well. The tv flickered during the Colts game and finally gave out during the end of the third quarter. (Given how the Colts played, it would have been an act of mercy to block the signal during the first half. Just sayin'.) I got out the trusty hand crank radio and managed to hear the end of the game and Vinatieri's fabulous game saving kick. Sports on the radio usually don't get me going, but at least the Colts have Bob Lamey to inject some excitement into things.
Post-game, I read, did yoga, meditated on the ol' cosmic cushion, read more, and did still more yoga. I didn't want to open to fridge, so I was making do with peanut-sunflower granola bars (too salty - thumbs down), baked tortilla chips in desperate need of salsa, and a Mr. Goodbar. The refrigerator became an ongoing obsession as the night went on. It turns out that everything remotely tasty in my house is locked inside. Once I realized that I couldn't open the door, I became obsessed with thoughts of raspberry lemonade, pimento cheese, and smoothies. Even the green beans were calling my name, but I resisted. I mean really, the power was going to come on any moment, right?
Things took a turn for the worse when the sun set and it became too dark to read. I lit a candle, cranked up the radio, and settled in for a few HOURS of turning the dial in search of something inoffensive. None of the music was consistently decent, so I ended up with talk radio on 1430 AM. Sometimes entertaining, often offensive, and occasionally bewildering, at least it held my interest. Did you know that Glenn Beck has the third most popular radio show in the country? Apparently so, since he informed me of this at least twice an hour. Mind-boggling.
I fell asleep around midnight assured that I'd wake up and everything would be back to normal. Yeah right. Only at 12:30pm did the power finally come back on (just as I was loading up the items in my fridge to take elsewhere). By that time, all I wanted was a shower (no windows in the bathroom means no shower without power - bah!), food, and never to listen to talk radio again.
The upside is that I have a new found appreciation for the many small things I take for granted everyday. I only had 21 hours of frustration which is nothing compared to the challenges of those in Texas this weekend. My thoughts are with all of you! (Especially Jan and Angela!)
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3 comments:
Not only is there something romantic about sitting in candlelight, it makes even the ugliest person in the world look great.
When it comes to small pleasures that we take for grated, we find out quickly just how spoiled we really are.
This reminds me of several day+long outages we've had. One of the worst came in 1984 (the result of Hurricane Iwa) that went on and on and on. That's when I first heard the term "rolling blackout." They told us when our area would be blacked out, but that didn't help much. When you need power, you need power!
Blackouts give me a chance to read by flashlight if it's night, and to do a dozen or more of those big crossword puzzles. But I gotta tell you, I hate those cold bucket baths!
Thanks for reminding me of these memories, Rebecca!
There's nothing like a hot shower on a cold night! It's always more desireable when out of reach~like the food in the refrigerator. We are all quite spoiled and take our comforts for granted, but then hey, why shouldn't we?
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