LAST WEDNESDAY AS I SETTLED ON THE COUCH TO ENJOY THE FINAL PAGES OF A BOOK WHILE THE CHILDREN NAPPED, I SUDDENLY FOUND OUR APARTMENT TO BE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY.
AFTER A QUICK AND UNSUCCESSFUL TRIP TO THE FUSE BOX TO RESTORE POWER, I PUT IN A CALL TO OUR LANDLORD.
2:00PM
2:00PM
AFTER A BRIEF BUT POLITE EXCHANGE, HE POSED THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:
"DID YOU OR YOUR HUSBAND PUT YOUR NAME ON THE ENERGY BILL?"
GULP.
GULP.
I IMMEDIATELY PAGED THE HUSBAND.
APPARENTLY, WE DID NOT.
7:00PM
WITH A POWER CORD RUNNING THE LENGTH OF OUR HALLWAY, UNDER THE DOOR AND INTO THE MAIN HALLWAY OF OUR BUILDING, WE RIGGED OUR APARTMENT WITH ENOUGH JUICE TO GET US THROUGH THE EVENING. WE WERE TOLD WE COULD EXPECT POWER THE FOLLOWING DAY. TIME UNKNOWN.
AT THIS POINT I WAS THANKFUL FOR THE FOLLOWING:
-WE HAD A RECENT BREAK IN THE HUMIDITY, AND THE HIGH OF THE DAY WAS ONLY 78 DEGREES, LEAVING OUR APARTMENT MUCH COOLER THAN USUAL.
- JEFF WAS ABLE TO COME HOME EARLY AND BRAINSTORM OUR STRATEGY FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS. HE ALSO TOOK OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CALLING THE ENERGY COMPANY EVERY FEW HOURS TO GET AN UPDATE ON OUR ACCOUNT.
- OUR LANDLORD GRACIOUSLY OPENED UP A VACANT APARTMENT DIRECTLY ABOVE OUR OWN, SO THAT WE COULD STORE OUR REFRIGERATOR ITEMS OVERNIGHT.
5:15AM
THURSDAY MORNING BEGAN AS USUAL WITH EARLY MORNING SHOWERS AND DEVOTIONS; HOWEVER, EACH WAS DONE BY CANDLE LIGHT. AND, AS I WATCHED MY HUSBAND CREEP AROUND OUR APARTMENT HOLDING A WINE COLORED CANDLE, I SUDDENLY FOUND OUR SITUATION TO BE QUITE HUMOROUS. I ONLY HOPED THAT WE WOULD HAVE POWER BY LATE AFTERNOON, WHEN JEFF'S PARENTS WERE SET TO ARRIVE (ADDING TO THE HUMOR OF IT ALL).
8:00AM
IN AN EFFORT TO FEED OUR CHILDREN MORE THAN DRY CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST, THE KIDS AND I HEADED TO THE NEAREST PANERA ONLY TO BE CAUGHT IN A HEAVY DOWN POUR UPON ARRIVING. SO, WE DROVE TO THE ONLY DRIVE-THRU RESTAURANT I KNEW OF...
CHICK-FIL-A.
CHICKEN AND BISCUITS, ANYONE?
9:00AM
STILL WITHOUT POWER, THE KIDS AND I FOCUSED ALL OF OUR ENERGY ON CREATIVE PROJECTS AROUND THE HOUSE.
WITH A POWER CORD RUNNING THE LENGTH OF OUR HALLWAY, UNDER THE DOOR AND INTO THE MAIN HALLWAY OF OUR BUILDING, WE RIGGED OUR APARTMENT WITH ENOUGH JUICE TO GET US THROUGH THE EVENING. WE WERE TOLD WE COULD EXPECT POWER THE FOLLOWING DAY. TIME UNKNOWN.
AT THIS POINT I WAS THANKFUL FOR THE FOLLOWING:
-WE HAD A RECENT BREAK IN THE HUMIDITY, AND THE HIGH OF THE DAY WAS ONLY 78 DEGREES, LEAVING OUR APARTMENT MUCH COOLER THAN USUAL.
- JEFF WAS ABLE TO COME HOME EARLY AND BRAINSTORM OUR STRATEGY FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS. HE ALSO TOOK OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CALLING THE ENERGY COMPANY EVERY FEW HOURS TO GET AN UPDATE ON OUR ACCOUNT.
- OUR LANDLORD GRACIOUSLY OPENED UP A VACANT APARTMENT DIRECTLY ABOVE OUR OWN, SO THAT WE COULD STORE OUR REFRIGERATOR ITEMS OVERNIGHT.
5:15AM
THURSDAY MORNING BEGAN AS USUAL WITH EARLY MORNING SHOWERS AND DEVOTIONS; HOWEVER, EACH WAS DONE BY CANDLE LIGHT. AND, AS I WATCHED MY HUSBAND CREEP AROUND OUR APARTMENT HOLDING A WINE COLORED CANDLE, I SUDDENLY FOUND OUR SITUATION TO BE QUITE HUMOROUS. I ONLY HOPED THAT WE WOULD HAVE POWER BY LATE AFTERNOON, WHEN JEFF'S PARENTS WERE SET TO ARRIVE (ADDING TO THE HUMOR OF IT ALL).
8:00AM
IN AN EFFORT TO FEED OUR CHILDREN MORE THAN DRY CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST, THE KIDS AND I HEADED TO THE NEAREST PANERA ONLY TO BE CAUGHT IN A HEAVY DOWN POUR UPON ARRIVING. SO, WE DROVE TO THE ONLY DRIVE-THRU RESTAURANT I KNEW OF...
CHICK-FIL-A.
CHICKEN AND BISCUITS, ANYONE?
9:00AM
STILL WITHOUT POWER, THE KIDS AND I FOCUSED ALL OF OUR ENERGY ON CREATIVE PROJECTS AROUND THE HOUSE.
11:00AM
THE LITTLE LADY'S ROOM PROVED TO BE THE COOLEST AS IT WAS CLOSEST TO THE SURGE PROTECTOR, AND WE WERE ABLE TO RUN TWO FANS. BY LATE MORNING, WE WERE HUNGRY, BALMY, AND A LITTLE EDGY. WE ENJOYED A PICNIC LUNCH (USING PANTRY ITEMS FOR INSPIRATION) WHILE THE KIDS HUDDLED AROUND A TRAVEL DVD SYSTEM FOR A TINY-SCREENED VIEWING OF MAX AND RUBY.
CLEARLY EXASPERATED.
11:30AM
I PUT OUR SWEATY SWEET ONES DOWN EARLY, AND FOCUSED MY ATTENTION (ONCE AGAIN) ON MY BOOK WHILE WAITING, PRAYING, AND LONGING FOR THE POWER TO RETURN.
AND, WAIT. WE. DID
THE UTILITY MEN ARRIVED JUST BEFORE 9PM, AND JEFF EAGERLY MET THEM AT THE DOOR. IRONICALLY, THEY WERE THERE TO TURN ON POWER FOR APARTMENT 202 NOT 106. (ADDING TO THE HUMOR?) JEFF QUICKLY IDENTIFIED THE MISTAKE, AND BRISKLY WALKED THE GENTLEMAN TO THE METERS.
OUR POWER FINALLY CAME ON AT 9:15PM, APPROXIMATELY 31 HOURS AFTER IT WENT OUT IN SPITE OF BEING "AN EMERGENCY" SITUATION. THANKFULLY, WE WERE NOT A TRUE EMERGENCY, JUST A SWEATY MOTHER AND HER TWO KIDS HOSTING A MELTING GRANDMOTHER.
WE WILL JUST GO AHEAD AND CHALK THIS UP AS ANOTHER CLEVELAND ADVENTURE.
WE MIGHT NEED A RESPITE FROM UNPLANNED ADVENTURES, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING.
oh, b - how misreable! love that you documented it though - you're going to start scrapbooking now, right? ;)
ReplyDeleteit makes my two hours without power for some unknown reason a week or so ago in 115 degree heat index seem so trivial!
You should have called my parents and gone to their house...no central air but at least one ac unit and some power!!! Plus, they would love to take the kids to the farm for some play time!!!
ReplyDelete