...So what happened to the snow? Or more to the point, where's the power?

We didn’t have a major outbreak of snow like they predicted we could have. We didn’t have icy streets like they predicted we could have. I’m not sure about the prediction for the tremendous drop in temperature, however. We didn’t have the ice on the power lines. They did predict we wouldn’t. They got that right. I didn’t hear the wind blowing wildly last night like they predicted we would have. But as I mentioned earlier, they did say we wouldn’t have ice on the power lines so we wouldn’t be bothered with power outages like we so often have. And there was no high winds that I could determine.

Promises, promises, promises…At around 5:00 a.m. this morning my husband stumbled back into bed with his ice cold feet thrown against me, laughing, yes I said laughing. He had gotten up earlier to play on the computer since he couldn’t sleep. While he was awake the electricity went off. What the heck? The power was off?

Well, I shouldn’t be too surprised. We never have a winter, and for that matter not too much of a spring, summer or fall that we don’t have a power outage. It used to be just the winter months, but for some reason anything can provoke a power outage. We apparently live in a grid area that covers half the county on the northern side. Every traffic light, every street light and every light bulb goes dead between our house, the nearest little town to us, and the Interstate fartherest away. Obviously it is the power company’s aim to restore power to all the businesses in between and leave us to freeze in the meantime.

It hasn’t always been this bad. It used to be just our subdivision. But for some reason the grid has expanded over the past years. Maybe that’s the problem. It’s expanded too much. Anyway, we can always be assured we will at some point be without power.

Anyhow, upon hearing the news I grunted, turned over and tried to go back to sleep. I didn’t even know what time it was at that point. After all the electricity was off, you know. The 5:00 time came later from my husband when I asked him what time the power had gone off. We normally have plenty of little lights glowing around the room, but not last night. It was pitch dark outside, except for a small gaslight glowing from the back yard of the house behind us.

Around 7:00 I got up and decided since we still had no power I should call the power company and report it. Of course, first of all you need a telephone that still works on battery since your power is off. Secondly, you need to find the power companies emergency number for reporting power outages. Since dear hubby was having no problem sleeping through the power outage, it was my job to find the number and call it in. What do I know about his filing system? Obviously not much. Well, we’ll take care of this. I hate when people wake me up at 5:00 in the morning to tell me the power is off. I.really.don’t. care. Let me figure it out AFTER I’m awake. Don’t wake me to tell me. I also hate his filing system, which I’ve shared this with him on numerous occasions. So, I do the only thing I know to do. Hee, hee, hee. I stand beside the bed of a snoring man, shine my trusty little flashlight in his face and shake him, not so gently, and tell him, “Get up! You need to help me find the telephone number for the power company so I can call them and let them know we’re freezing over here!” (Sometimes revenge is sooo sweet. Remember, he did wake me up this morning to tell me the power was off and to stick his ice cold feet on me.)

Evidently all those other people in the neighborhood were unaware their power was off. Probably a bunch of lazy kids sleeping in. Otherwise, they would have saved me the trouble and I would have awakened to a warm house.

In the meantime I see a big white truck driving slowly up and down the street, stopping here and there and in front of my house, then going back down again and stopping to look back at my house, like I’m the culprit that created all this havoc! Move along, mister, and find out where the outage is. I can’t be the only one without power. And I didn’t do it. Maybe my husband did this morning at 5:00 just so he could laugh about it and wake me up just to stick his old cold feet on them. But it wasn’t me!

I made the call to the power company. I just love those calls! First I get this nice pleasant lady on the other line who tells me to hold on just a moment if I wish to speak in English while she tells all the Spanish people in Spanish to hold on while she’s talking to me in English. First of all, I don’t like talking to a pleasant-speaking lady whose voice is automated asking me if my number is the one the service is for. (Let's just say, I don't like pleasant when I've got a power problem! I just want my power on!) Then she gives me a few options, which I promptly have forgotten by the time I am finally able to speak. When I speak, “Yes” or “No” she can never understand. Must have gotten the Spanish version. So I have to say it all over again. At this point I’m really not feeling especially cordial. All I want is my power back on. I don’t want to give you my life history. You know my phone number, you know my address, you know my name. You know I’m obviously without power! I wouldn’t have called and punched that number if I wasn’t. Just cut my power back on! “Oh,” she says, “There seems to be a problem!” No joke! “What is my problem, no power, need to talk to her about a bill, and whatever else?” No, just put my power on. “Thank you. Would you like for us to call you back when your power is on?” NO, I THINK I’LL KNOW IT’S ON, WHEN IT’S ON! “Thank you, it may be necessary for us to contact you by phone if there is still a problem.” I DON’T WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN. ALL I WANT IS MY POWER BACK ON. CAN’T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?

Just put a live human being on the other end of the phone. One who is answering from my State. One I can understand and who doesn’t argue with me about calling me back!

I guess I should count my blessings. At least I could understand her sweet little automated voice and she obviously hadn't been out-sourced to India. There are a few blessings in disguise.

Now for the rest of the story…I felt it only fair that my husband should get completely dressed just in case that man driving around in the truck decided we really were the culprits and needed to stop in. Just after he got dressed and headed to the kitchen door, I thought he hit a switch. Then the lights miraculously came on. He said he wasn't that powerful. It was just a coincidence.

It’s amazing just how lost you can feel without the luxury or maybe that’s the necessity of good old power. We cranked up the heaters and brought that temperature back up in this house pretty fast…and the sweet little automated lady apparently found other people to keep her company because I never heard from her again.

But, never fear, I’m sure we’ll be talking again before the winter is over. I’ll try to keep your number handy, sweet little automated lady, just for the times I need it. Unless my husband puts it in his no-filing system again. I just hope it doesn’t happen in the middle of the night when my husband’s feet are so darn cold! And he’s so chatty! But if it does happen in the middle of the night, please let it happen when he's fast asleep, and I can be the one to spread the good news that the power has gone off...right after I've made a trip to the bathroom and my feet are nice and cold!