me and power outages: not a cute couple
For those of you who do not live in the Seattle area or have otherwise been oblivious to our situation, *news flash* we had a major wind storm blow through here last week. Reports were of 60 - 70 MPH winds in the city, 90 out by the coast. Trees were felled, power lines were severed, millions were left without electricity. Well, A million, not millions, but still: it was HUGE. Several neighborhoods remain in the dark a week later, some with no estimate of when power might be restored. Freaky.
Here's how it went for us:
Thursday night (December 14) around midnight, the lights started flickering, sometimes just a blink, then enough to make the clocks flash 12:00, then these mini-blackouts, then that weird transformer-blowing noise, then it was pitch black. The wind was loud, the stuff blowing down our street was louder, the Christmas lights slapping against the house, the deck furniture and trashcans blowing over, it was a symphony, a cacophony rather, of weird sounds. The one noise we somehow slept through was the wind blowing the skylight off our roof. Missed that. Instead woke up at 3 a.m. shivering. We (translation: my husband) were able to reattach it, but not before the house was filled with freezing cold air.
So I went off to work that day (WITHOUT A SHOWER mind you) and my family went to stay with my parents, who were also without power but with two fireplaces. We thought that would keep everyone nice and toasty. It did not. Also remember, my people are from California; we are not a "camping" "REI" "outdoorsy" sort of people. We do not own a generator. The only time I use open flame to cook my food is in a nice cozy booth at a fondue restaurant. By day 3, we said this is bunk and went to a hotel.
What I wore, generally:
Shirt, shirt, sweater, coat, gloves, polypropylene leggings, pants, long socks, fleece socks, boots, gloves, scarf. The variation for sleeping was flannel PJs instead of pants, and 3 blankets instead of coat. Imagine wearing all that and still being cold! It was 25 degrees at night, 33 in the daytime. It was between 45 and 50 degrees indoors. I could see my breath indoors.
We were without power at work as well, so while I did leave the family compound for several hours a day, I was no warmer than they were, and plus I had to be "together" at work, and not "whine" and curl up in my down comforter and pout like I maybe could have at home.
The best ones through all this were the babies: my daughters were serious troopers. They kept their spirits up. They are brave little people. I whined a whole lot more than they did.
i.e.:
Things I was miserable having to go without:
1. Heat
2. A shower (from -- brace yourself -- Wednesday to Sunday).
Subset: blow dryer, flat iron, hot water
3. Starbucks
4. The Internet
5. Light
6. My cell phone (it ran out of battery on Saturday)
I mean -- really now. Puh-leese. None of us got frostbite, hypothermia, or -- as apparently lots of dimwits did -- carbon monoxide poisoning from running generators, BBQs, etc. indoors. We were not out in the wilderness, trapped in a Saab like the Kim family or in an ice cave like the Mt. Hood climbers. We were a little chilly and didn't see home from Friday to Tuesday -- but we are fine. We were fine all along. We were superfically not fine, and I did feel like a petulant little brat a few times, but we were never in any real danger. We were simply very, very uncomfortable.
Things I really appreciated during our ordeal:
1. My family
2. Fire
3. The Holiday Inn
4. Laughter
5. AM 710 news radio
6. These really cool crank/rechargeable radio/flashlights my dad gave us
7. My car heater
8. The Outback Steak House
9. My big thick wooly J. Crew mens sweater
Coming home on Tuesday, turning on the Christmas tree lights, starting to clean out the refrigerator, doing laundry, listening to the stereo, standing by the heater -- things that had always seemed so routine were now luxurious. I will never ever ever take this stuff for granted again. It's so good to be home, to be warm, to have warm babies, one layer of clothes, light to read by.
Not to mention the computer, my blow dryer and the drive-thru Starbucks.
Here's how it went for us:
Thursday night (December 14) around midnight, the lights started flickering, sometimes just a blink, then enough to make the clocks flash 12:00, then these mini-blackouts, then that weird transformer-blowing noise, then it was pitch black. The wind was loud, the stuff blowing down our street was louder, the Christmas lights slapping against the house, the deck furniture and trashcans blowing over, it was a symphony, a cacophony rather, of weird sounds. The one noise we somehow slept through was the wind blowing the skylight off our roof. Missed that. Instead woke up at 3 a.m. shivering. We (translation: my husband) were able to reattach it, but not before the house was filled with freezing cold air.
So I went off to work that day (WITHOUT A SHOWER mind you) and my family went to stay with my parents, who were also without power but with two fireplaces. We thought that would keep everyone nice and toasty. It did not. Also remember, my people are from California; we are not a "camping" "REI" "outdoorsy" sort of people. We do not own a generator. The only time I use open flame to cook my food is in a nice cozy booth at a fondue restaurant. By day 3, we said this is bunk and went to a hotel.
What I wore, generally:
Shirt, shirt, sweater, coat, gloves, polypropylene leggings, pants, long socks, fleece socks, boots, gloves, scarf. The variation for sleeping was flannel PJs instead of pants, and 3 blankets instead of coat. Imagine wearing all that and still being cold! It was 25 degrees at night, 33 in the daytime. It was between 45 and 50 degrees indoors. I could see my breath indoors.
We were without power at work as well, so while I did leave the family compound for several hours a day, I was no warmer than they were, and plus I had to be "together" at work, and not "whine" and curl up in my down comforter and pout like I maybe could have at home.
The best ones through all this were the babies: my daughters were serious troopers. They kept their spirits up. They are brave little people. I whined a whole lot more than they did.
i.e.:
Things I was miserable having to go without:
1. Heat
2. A shower (from -- brace yourself -- Wednesday to Sunday).
Subset: blow dryer, flat iron, hot water
3. Starbucks
4. The Internet
5. Light
6. My cell phone (it ran out of battery on Saturday)
I mean -- really now. Puh-leese. None of us got frostbite, hypothermia, or -- as apparently lots of dimwits did -- carbon monoxide poisoning from running generators, BBQs, etc. indoors. We were not out in the wilderness, trapped in a Saab like the Kim family or in an ice cave like the Mt. Hood climbers. We were a little chilly and didn't see home from Friday to Tuesday -- but we are fine. We were fine all along. We were superfically not fine, and I did feel like a petulant little brat a few times, but we were never in any real danger. We were simply very, very uncomfortable.
Things I really appreciated during our ordeal:
1. My family
2. Fire
3. The Holiday Inn
4. Laughter
5. AM 710 news radio
6. These really cool crank/rechargeable radio/flashlights my dad gave us
7. My car heater
8. The Outback Steak House
9. My big thick wooly J. Crew mens sweater
Coming home on Tuesday, turning on the Christmas tree lights, starting to clean out the refrigerator, doing laundry, listening to the stereo, standing by the heater -- things that had always seemed so routine were now luxurious. I will never ever ever take this stuff for granted again. It's so good to be home, to be warm, to have warm babies, one layer of clothes, light to read by.
Not to mention the computer, my blow dryer and the drive-thru Starbucks.
posted by wendy at 7:12 PM
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