I'm not miserable

Ike blew through on September 12 and we’re going on day 6 without power.  Water was running (and clean) after a day.  We sustained no serious structural damage (there is a roof leak, which may be a serious financial issue/insurance claim) and we had some water trickle into the house during the storm that followed the hurricane, but it wasn’t wide spread, catastrophic flooding.  All in all, my neighborhood fared very, very well.  I know there are others that didn’t fare nearly as well and there are houses that sustained damage that made their houses unlivable—at least for a spell.  And there are also plenty of places that NEED to have their utilities turned back on—apartments, hospitals, hotels, businesses, etc.  Some of those places are made possible only because they have electricity.

 

Meanwhile, despite the fact that everyone tells me I should be miserable without power, and every fiber of my body says I should be miserable without power, I’m thoroughly enjoying not having electricity.  I’ve eaten steak 3 times in 6 days.  I’ve had eggs, chicken, sausages, hamburgers, and even lost 4 pounds since the storm.  The really good food in the freezer is about depleted and I’ll soon be able to forgo the ice-capades all together.  I’ve spent time with my family and neighbors, talking, working, playing games, sharing stories and lies.  All in all, it’s been a rather enjoyable 6 days—even without power.  The last 2 nights our bedtime entertainment for the baby has been “Shadow Puppet Theater”.  I make a bunch of shapes on the wall in the light of a flashlight, and my son calls them all ducks.  It’s great fun.

 

Water is a big deal.  We needed water in a big way, just to get clean and cool off during the hot days of the weekend.  But power?

 

I’m not miserable without power.  Not miserable at all.

 

I appreciate the work the electrician guys are doing.  Seriously, those guys are working hard and doing an awesome job.  Most of the city is supposed to have power again by the middle of next week, which is cool.  But if we don’t have power any time soon (and the Laundromat does) then I may still not be miserable.

 

We’ve got what’s important, and that’s what really matters.  Maybe I’ll go ahead and throw that breaker switch to keep the good times rolling.