"The basic right of all human beings is the right to choose what to learn and think." ~John Holt



Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The Power Outage.

This past Friday the Harry Potter movie came out in theaters. It was the second half of the seventh book. My daughter Autumn had challenged me with reading all seven books before viewing this final movie. Not only did I complete the challenge, but I found book seven to be very good. At least the last few chapters anyway. Some interesting and philosophical words in those last few pages. I actually loved them.  But more importantly with this fun filled Harry Potter movie Friday, our power bill was due. Since I could not get a good signal on my cell phone, partly because we live in a swamp on a dried up fortress of a lake, I had asked my husband Donald to call the information in .  So, the story unveils.

Living out in the middle of nowhere and also close to everything, does have its benefits, but getting a signal on my iphone is not one of those pluses . Sometimes I have to lay on the floor, stand in the kitchen like I am some kind of contortionist, and even go outside in the blazing heat to get a signal. (I don't do heat real well by the way as you will soon find out.) Sometimes the signal works and sometimes it doesn't. After three failed attempts to speak with customer service regarding our late power bill, and several unsuccessful attempts to pay this bill online, I got a text through to my husband at work with the information to go ahead and pay this monstrous bill.  All was good, he was on it. Or so I thought.

The day went by in a flash. The girls and I had left the house around noon. We did not arrive home until after 10pm. I had to pick Donald up from work and did I mention that we are only using one car these days? (The stresses are mounting.) When we all walked into the house, the quiet heat wave was stifling. Nothing was working.  I freaked!  How long had the power been out? Was the food spoiled? I thought we paid the power. Anger, confusion, and bickering began to take place. Each of us with our own negative words slinging. "It's the weekend, they are not going to come turn our power back on until Monday! What about the freezer?" I continued, I was pissed.  My husband chimed in, "Damn that power company, someone at work told me they sucked!  Kim, I paid the power bill, you can see where they sent me the confirmation in my email."  Great!  " I can't check the email because the power is out!"  Then the kids started. "I hate this house!"  And finally,  "Why is it always us !"  It has been a hard year I might add.

As the rant continued, Donald proceeded to go outside in the heatwave with the mosquitoes, pig, chickens and other farm critters to call the power company. Thank goodness he had the number already set in his 'recent' calls section on his cell phone. He received a recording. Just peachy.....  Thankfully, he did leave our address and phone number on the power companies message recording. But, how would that help us now?

Back inside the house the kids had started playing word games while sitting on the couches.  Chloe was walking around the house filming all of us with the computer that did maintain a battery charge.  She was having a blast. I on the other hand was having a personal battle with all the sand on the floor. We do not have carpet, we have cement, and sand was everywhere. Ears, toes, fingernails, and other uncomfortable bodily places.  We didn't clean the house before we left for the movies, for we wanted to get there and avoid the huge lines and be on our way. We had waited so long for it's release. I could chime in that we were bonding, but at this point, we were doing whatever we could to exist in the moment. Bitching at one another was at the top of our list. This had to someone's fault.  And I wasn't taking the blame.But we were over the heat and it was time for plan B.

Since Donald does work for a hotel he could get us a room, an adjoining one too! Awesome!  Now it was time to find our belongings in the pitch black, hot smelly house.  This takes another thirty minutes. I collapse at one point and find a quiet spot on the bed in my room. I can't take it! I need to find Chloe's insulin kit.... where the heck is it?  Did I mention it is pitch dark and hot? Lord only knows where all of her supplies are located, and will I find them in the house? Where is she? I begin to panic.  Why haven't I put together a emergency kit for moments like this. Where is Autumn? What is Donald doing? It sure is dark out there, in here, and everywhere. I can't see my hands!!!  I begin to move myself down the hot hallway. I hear voices. It's Donald and the kids playing yet another word game. They haven't even begun to start locating their belongings, they are having fun. Yes, fun!  I'm panicking that we don't have Chloe's insulin supplies, who knows what her glucose is at this point, and they are playing games.  Autumn is throwing out words like its magic and I am sweating. It's hot as hell!  I want a/c, and now!  Donald yells out to me, "Lets just give it 15 more minutes and if the power company doesn't call, then we'll go to the hotel!"  So, I dive onto the bed again and sprawl out. Gosh, I hate Florida sometimes.

Suddenly, I see a flash outside. Is it head lights?  I grab the side of the bed, shimmy over to the nearest wall and guide myself down the hall, stumble across the living room, slide through sand and reach a window. It's the power company!!  Hurray!  The kids are now pissed. They wanted to go to the hotel and stay in the swanky room. They couldn't wait to rid themselves of all the sand and sweat.  Neither could I for that matter. What about all the animals?  We have a zillion, not to mention a pot bellied pig, that if left alone, would eat our front door! How'd we think we were going to be able to leave the house and go to the hotel? I would have stayed in the heat invested filth pit, I guess.

The power guy finally fixed our power poll. Apparently, a limb or something, had fallen on it during the afternoon and knocked out our main line.  The power outage had nothing to do with Donald paying the power bill late in the afternoon on the phone. Our food wasn't going to spoil and the animals were not going to be left for the coyotes, or eat the house. Thank goodness!

Everyone finally fell asleep around 2am. All was good in the farm house, along with the sand, the smelly dishes, and the sweltering heat.  It was home and we weren't leaving.  At least not this night anyway.

More family stories to continue in the near future. Here's our next event:  "Kim, go get some rope so you can pull me in the Volvo with the Jeep! This way we will make it to the mechanics and save money!"  Lol.....I'm serious!

2 comments:

Big G said...

Funny how the family caretaker is the one worried about what may or maynot happen and the rest of the family is living in the moment. Your dramatization and spitited reaction to the whole ordeal is consistant with the same Kim i knew in our teens and early 20's.
I would recommend getting that emergency kit put together for cloe at least even though you didin't need it this time.

Anonymous said...

kim, you are killing me, now i understand why i love you, our families have similar vibrations......lol. this blog post made me so much laugh. i just could picture all so well. we have to get in contact sometimes.