I cannae do it, cap'n! I dinna have the power!
Or, in fact, any power. As I was walking home last night, having an odd religious meditation on the word "should" and how it compares to my philosophy, I noticed all the traffic lights were out. "That's odd," I thought. "Maybe I should call 3-11 and report it? I'm sure someone already has. Hey, all the street lights are out too! Come to think of it, I don't see any lights in any of the building around here... oh HELL NO."
Yes.
I got home and there was, in fact, no power. So I tripped into my windowless room and found some tea lights, lit one, went upstairs, found my citronella candle, lit that, called Papa John's and spent 10 minutes on hold so I assumed their power was out as well, checked on the pot roast in the crockpot and discovered that the power went out around 7:30, according to my christmas tree light timer. Called various people - stentoriansista, goingdriftless and my parents for sympathy. The pot roast was still steaming hot so I had that (and it was delicious - recipe here), polished off the last of my strawberries, a couple of popsicles and the rest of a bottle of red wine. What? It's not like there was anything better to do. Read by flickering candle light?
My dad called back about 15 minutes after I called him and we commiserated for about half an hour, at which point the wine was gone, so I set a cell phone alarm and staggered into bed. Before 11. The last time this happened was Hurricane Isabel, when we didn't have power for 3 days.
Despite my mantra of "there will be power when I wake up," there was not. Around 5 am, I had some freaktastic dream where my mom's friend Elise came into my room and told me that I didn't have power and she didn't either, therefore she was moving. I got all up in arms because I didn't want her to move and that would make this area even more yuppified and I didn't want that. Woke up, realized that I needed a visit to the bathroom, stumbled out as far as the hallway when I heard a male voice say "Hel-lo."
I proceded to then flip the fuck out. Now, quite likely it was just sleepy, sorta hung over me still kind of dreaming, or I could have an early riser neighbor, or it could have been a ghost or it could have been ZOMG KNIFE WIELDING SERIAL KILLER. I go upstairs to the bathroom (it's still dark out, btw), wander downstairs spending a lot of time in the hallway making sure that there was not, in fact, a neighborly serial killer ghost hanging out in my hallway. I don't see any. Perhaps an invisible serial killer ghost? Anyway, my room gets illuminated every couple of seconds by the sleep button on my computer, so I definitely spent a few minutes watching the room to see if there was a scary, scary man wanting to eat my liver. There wasn't, but I didn't get to sleep easily for a while.
My roommate got up at 7, and let me tell you, the girl delights in clanging around the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning when I am trying to sleep. I reset my alarm from 8:15 to 8:50, because why the hell do I want to get to work at 9:30 if I have no staff here and we open at 10? Got up, dressed myself in the dark, went upstairs to the BLINDING LIGHT that is 9 am, brushed teeth, inserted contacts, got food veryquickly from the fridge and trooped off to work.
I'm going to the gym after work today (I think it's open... I hope it's open) and if there is not power when I get back, I will throw the mother of all hissy fits and then try to throw myself on the mercy of one of my friends who have power. Because I could really use a shower.
Also, now I have a red wine hangover. Happy Monday.
ETA Just got a call from Dominion Virginia saying that they believe the power is back on. Hooray! I won't have to throw out everything in my fridge and freezer!
Yes.
I got home and there was, in fact, no power. So I tripped into my windowless room and found some tea lights, lit one, went upstairs, found my citronella candle, lit that, called Papa John's and spent 10 minutes on hold so I assumed their power was out as well, checked on the pot roast in the crockpot and discovered that the power went out around 7:30, according to my christmas tree light timer. Called various people - stentoriansista, goingdriftless and my parents for sympathy. The pot roast was still steaming hot so I had that (and it was delicious - recipe here), polished off the last of my strawberries, a couple of popsicles and the rest of a bottle of red wine. What? It's not like there was anything better to do. Read by flickering candle light?
My dad called back about 15 minutes after I called him and we commiserated for about half an hour, at which point the wine was gone, so I set a cell phone alarm and staggered into bed. Before 11. The last time this happened was Hurricane Isabel, when we didn't have power for 3 days.
Despite my mantra of "there will be power when I wake up," there was not. Around 5 am, I had some freaktastic dream where my mom's friend Elise came into my room and told me that I didn't have power and she didn't either, therefore she was moving. I got all up in arms because I didn't want her to move and that would make this area even more yuppified and I didn't want that. Woke up, realized that I needed a visit to the bathroom, stumbled out as far as the hallway when I heard a male voice say "Hel-lo."
I proceded to then flip the fuck out. Now, quite likely it was just sleepy, sorta hung over me still kind of dreaming, or I could have an early riser neighbor, or it could have been a ghost or it could have been ZOMG KNIFE WIELDING SERIAL KILLER. I go upstairs to the bathroom (it's still dark out, btw), wander downstairs spending a lot of time in the hallway making sure that there was not, in fact, a neighborly serial killer ghost hanging out in my hallway. I don't see any. Perhaps an invisible serial killer ghost? Anyway, my room gets illuminated every couple of seconds by the sleep button on my computer, so I definitely spent a few minutes watching the room to see if there was a scary, scary man wanting to eat my liver. There wasn't, but I didn't get to sleep easily for a while.
My roommate got up at 7, and let me tell you, the girl delights in clanging around the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning when I am trying to sleep. I reset my alarm from 8:15 to 8:50, because why the hell do I want to get to work at 9:30 if I have no staff here and we open at 10? Got up, dressed myself in the dark, went upstairs to the BLINDING LIGHT that is 9 am, brushed teeth, inserted contacts, got food veryquickly from the fridge and trooped off to work.
I'm going to the gym after work today (I think it's open... I hope it's open) and if there is not power when I get back, I will throw the mother of all hissy fits and then try to throw myself on the mercy of one of my friends who have power. Because I could really use a shower.
Also, now I have a red wine hangover. Happy Monday.
ETA Just got a call from Dominion Virginia saying that they believe the power is back on. Hooray! I won't have to throw out everything in my fridge and freezer!