From one crisis to another, and then there was hope!
Well, the power has been off for a week and 2 days now. My sisters check cleared, so she could pay her mortgage payment, but then I couldn't pay the electric bill, so here we are. Stuck until 10/31, when I get paid and can pony up the dough to bring us back into civilization.
It hasn't been as bad as it could be, I guess. The kids have been good about sleeping in our room at night. I've spent more time with them in the last week than I have in a while. Meghan and I made up a new "patty-cake" type game, in which we each sing something about the other that we like. The littler girls inevitably want to join in, so it becomes a confused tangle of big hands, little hands, and giggles. We're all getting to bed at a decent hour, and getting up at a decent hour. I'm not sleeping well, but I think it's the stress.
In better news, I got a new job. It's a Team Lead position for a HD based in Des Peres. The hours are 7-4, and it was a pretty good raise. Enough to cover all of my utilities on a monthly basis, at the very least. Morale is pretty low on the team that I was leaving, and I left in the middle of what looks to be a pretty ugly internal row of strife. I put in my notice to leave on 10/31, and they escorted me out a couple of days later. The rest of my notice period is paid, so it's like a vacation, except for the lack of power.
My oldest daughter expressed frustration last night in the usual melodramatic 9 year old fashion. As we were getting ready for bed, in candlelight, she stated with great and solemn conviction, "I'm tired of all of these problems in my life." Granted, this is probably the worst thing that we've gone through so far in her life, but I thought that discussion was necessary. We talked about how our power outage is temporary, and that in some places in the world there are kids who don't have power at all. Kids who barely have clothes. Kids who have no shelter, or tall candles and candlesticks.
Even though we have no power, we're fortunate. The wind doesn't come through cracks in our walls. It actually gets kind of warm at night, with the candles burning and the door to our room closed, with 6 people inside. Of course, after the candles are out it gets a little chilly, but it could be far worse. I've also found that I no longer care what people in our neighborhood think. So we have no power. My kids still go to school in clean clothes, and eat. Sure, it might be soup and PB&J's, but it's something.
On my way home yesterday morning from a walk to the local Catholic church, (It turns out, right now is a really bad time to ask just about any charity organization for utility assistance. Noone has any money, evidently.) I was tempted to stop into the chapel, and look for hope. I didn't, because I reasoned with myself that, as I'm not a follower of Christ, we don't really have that kind of relationship. Instead, I found my hope in the sound of the rain on my hoodie, and the smell of wet vegetation. It'll get better, somehow. If not, it's only another week before I get paid.
My wife has been my strength through this. We started off a little rough, because I always jump straight to blame, but once I stopped looking for the "how", and looked at the "why", I realized that by refusing to help my wife balance the checkbook and look over finances, I've been leaving her with no support. I need to get involved, and stay involved. And I will. Really, this time I mean it.
Now, while I have power and an internet connection, I need to start looking into an awesome site that my friend Amanda sent me. I also feel driven to write a Haiku, thanks to her influence.
Candlelight is soft
Like snores of sleeping children
Hope has not died yet
Amanda's blog, by the way, is here. She's a great source of wisdom, writes like I wish I could, and makes me wish that more friends and their spouses like hers lived nearby. As it is, I just need to get Dan and Ryan to move about 30 miles north, and I'd be set for regular company for life.
UPDATE: My sister in law is going to help us out with our power situation tonight when she gets off of work, so we should have power by tomorrow night. I was really ready for that to happen.
It hasn't been as bad as it could be, I guess. The kids have been good about sleeping in our room at night. I've spent more time with them in the last week than I have in a while. Meghan and I made up a new "patty-cake" type game, in which we each sing something about the other that we like. The littler girls inevitably want to join in, so it becomes a confused tangle of big hands, little hands, and giggles. We're all getting to bed at a decent hour, and getting up at a decent hour. I'm not sleeping well, but I think it's the stress.
In better news, I got a new job. It's a Team Lead position for a HD based in Des Peres. The hours are 7-4, and it was a pretty good raise. Enough to cover all of my utilities on a monthly basis, at the very least. Morale is pretty low on the team that I was leaving, and I left in the middle of what looks to be a pretty ugly internal row of strife. I put in my notice to leave on 10/31, and they escorted me out a couple of days later. The rest of my notice period is paid, so it's like a vacation, except for the lack of power.
My oldest daughter expressed frustration last night in the usual melodramatic 9 year old fashion. As we were getting ready for bed, in candlelight, she stated with great and solemn conviction, "I'm tired of all of these problems in my life." Granted, this is probably the worst thing that we've gone through so far in her life, but I thought that discussion was necessary. We talked about how our power outage is temporary, and that in some places in the world there are kids who don't have power at all. Kids who barely have clothes. Kids who have no shelter, or tall candles and candlesticks.
Even though we have no power, we're fortunate. The wind doesn't come through cracks in our walls. It actually gets kind of warm at night, with the candles burning and the door to our room closed, with 6 people inside. Of course, after the candles are out it gets a little chilly, but it could be far worse. I've also found that I no longer care what people in our neighborhood think. So we have no power. My kids still go to school in clean clothes, and eat. Sure, it might be soup and PB&J's, but it's something.
On my way home yesterday morning from a walk to the local Catholic church, (It turns out, right now is a really bad time to ask just about any charity organization for utility assistance. Noone has any money, evidently.) I was tempted to stop into the chapel, and look for hope. I didn't, because I reasoned with myself that, as I'm not a follower of Christ, we don't really have that kind of relationship. Instead, I found my hope in the sound of the rain on my hoodie, and the smell of wet vegetation. It'll get better, somehow. If not, it's only another week before I get paid.
My wife has been my strength through this. We started off a little rough, because I always jump straight to blame, but once I stopped looking for the "how", and looked at the "why", I realized that by refusing to help my wife balance the checkbook and look over finances, I've been leaving her with no support. I need to get involved, and stay involved. And I will. Really, this time I mean it.
Now, while I have power and an internet connection, I need to start looking into an awesome site that my friend Amanda sent me. I also feel driven to write a Haiku, thanks to her influence.
Candlelight is soft
Like snores of sleeping children
Hope has not died yet
Amanda's blog, by the way, is here. She's a great source of wisdom, writes like I wish I could, and makes me wish that more friends and their spouses like hers lived nearby. As it is, I just need to get Dan and Ryan to move about 30 miles north, and I'd be set for regular company for life.
UPDATE: My sister in law is going to help us out with our power situation tonight when she gets off of work, so we should have power by tomorrow night. I was really ready for that to happen.