Out of Sync

Possibly your bedroom is like mine, not all that dark at night. I have led lights from 2 computers, in fact, the desk top lights are so bright that I have to cover them when I go to bed. I also have a clock with led numbers that are also projected on the ceiling. Usually when the nieghbor leaves for work around 5 am, he leaves his back porch light on as well.

This morning, somewhere after 3 am, I awoke to almost complete darkness. Something was missing! Besides being almost pitch dark, it was really quiet too. My foggy brain finally concluded that there was no electric power. I got up to visit the bathroom, and I remember thinking how grateful I was that toilets don't need electricity to flush. Since March had decided to both arrive and leave like a lion, it was cold as well. I went back to bed, thinking that the power would be back on by the time I would need to arise.

My expectations were dashed, however, when by somewhere around 6:30 am, It was still dark and cold. Notice how imprecise my idea of the time was. I had only my past bladder habits to go on. It finally started growing lighter, so we could see to get up and dressed, the dog out, then fed. It was really quite cold. There was a new layer of snow on the ground, but at least, it seemed to be finished. My Aunt called the power company, and recieved a recording with an estimate for the time the power would be back on----2:30 pm!

Now reality was beginning to set in. How would I get my caffiene fix? I couldn't heat water! How could I toast my bagel? I could at least read the paper, as there was ample light from the window. I settled for a coke for my fix and settled down with the daily Tribune. Soon, I put on a sweater, then got a blanket. I even put on gloves, as my hands were so cold to be painful, at least the one with arthritis. About 9am, we could hear the sound of furnace fans, and other machines coming back to life. Oh Joy! Now I could get back to my routine, but mainly, I could get warm and have my coffee.