So what do May showers bring?
May. 21st, 2014 09:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grammarwoman...Power outages!
We had a massive wind and rainstorm sweep through our town this afternoon. I was glad that I didn't have to be out driving in the worst of it, and gladder still that I had a garage to pull into after picking up the Emperor from his after school program.
But when I arrived home, my husband performed an elaborate pantomime on the front porch, which I finally puzzled out to mean that we had no power. Which meant no garage door opener. It also meant a brimming full sump well in the basement and a lack of all the Emperor's favorite activities. When I called the power company's message line, I was assured that power would be back on within the hour.
Well, the hour came and went. I had much cause to be grateful on several counts: for our gas stove so I could cook hot dogs and mac'n'cheese for dinner; for the fact that we're far enough into the season that it stays light outside pretty late; that the Emperor's DS was battery-powered and charged; that it was not a tremendously hot and muggy day so we weren't braising inside the house; and that the enormous fallen branch bowing the electrical lines halfway to the ground that was the cause of the problem was not in our backyard but the next one over. I felt bad for the neighbors left to clean up the mess, but at least the branch didn't take out their fence when the power company cut it down.
We had an exciting couple of hours, bailing out the sump well into the slop sink and watching a power company tech scramble up the 3-story pole to re-install hardware and the top power line. The Emperor was quite impressed with how fast the guy moved with his spurs. We were very nervous for him and his crew, as lightning started flashing in the distance. But they finished their installation and moved off.
We put the Emperor to bed by flashlight. Just as I was settling down with my book, a light dangling from my shirt, and a distressingly-soggy ice cream sandwich from the freezer, the power thankfully sprang back on and the sump went to work. I'm so glad I don't have to bail any more water, or throw out the contents of my fridge and freezer, or worry about the morning without power.
I love electricity, and all the conveniences it allows, though maybe I'm just a tiny bit disappointed I won't be showering by candlelight. I suppose I could do that anyway, and not have to worry about running out of hot water.
G'night, everyone! May the (electrical) Force be with you!
We had a massive wind and rainstorm sweep through our town this afternoon. I was glad that I didn't have to be out driving in the worst of it, and gladder still that I had a garage to pull into after picking up the Emperor from his after school program.
But when I arrived home, my husband performed an elaborate pantomime on the front porch, which I finally puzzled out to mean that we had no power. Which meant no garage door opener. It also meant a brimming full sump well in the basement and a lack of all the Emperor's favorite activities. When I called the power company's message line, I was assured that power would be back on within the hour.
Well, the hour came and went. I had much cause to be grateful on several counts: for our gas stove so I could cook hot dogs and mac'n'cheese for dinner; for the fact that we're far enough into the season that it stays light outside pretty late; that the Emperor's DS was battery-powered and charged; that it was not a tremendously hot and muggy day so we weren't braising inside the house; and that the enormous fallen branch bowing the electrical lines halfway to the ground that was the cause of the problem was not in our backyard but the next one over. I felt bad for the neighbors left to clean up the mess, but at least the branch didn't take out their fence when the power company cut it down.
We had an exciting couple of hours, bailing out the sump well into the slop sink and watching a power company tech scramble up the 3-story pole to re-install hardware and the top power line. The Emperor was quite impressed with how fast the guy moved with his spurs. We were very nervous for him and his crew, as lightning started flashing in the distance. But they finished their installation and moved off.
We put the Emperor to bed by flashlight. Just as I was settling down with my book, a light dangling from my shirt, and a distressingly-soggy ice cream sandwich from the freezer, the power thankfully sprang back on and the sump went to work. I'm so glad I don't have to bail any more water, or throw out the contents of my fridge and freezer, or worry about the morning without power.
I love electricity, and all the conveniences it allows, though maybe I'm just a tiny bit disappointed I won't be showering by candlelight. I suppose I could do that anyway, and not have to worry about running out of hot water.
G'night, everyone! May the (electrical) Force be with you!
(no subject)
Date: 2014-05-22 11:02 am (UTC)In our house when the power goes out we can't shower -- we have a well, so no power = no water. Having a gas stove is indeed awesome, though; this is our first year with one and I love that it works even when the power is out!
(no subject)
Date: 2014-05-22 01:15 pm (UTC)I will never again be without a gas stove if I can help it, for several reasons. I'm glad, too, that we don't need to worry about our water supply; living with a powered well would definitely make outages pretty dicey.