(Delayed post - written on Wednesday, posted on Saturday)
Well, we finally got our first legit storm of the year! Ice storm, that is. I’m writing this on my laptop, powered by a small generator that was dropped off today by one of my angel co-workers. I can’t post this to my blog until the power/cable/internet comes back but Cole, JD and I are sitting together writing it anyway. The day came with lots of ice, lots of wind, power outages and lots of time to think…it’s been a long day today with no tv, no lights, no frig, no microwave, no shower, no heat and no running water (we’re on well water, powered by electricity). Here we are, heating up bottles the old fashioned way (thank goodness I had already made bottles for the following day before we lost power).
Well, we finally got our first legit storm of the year! Ice storm, that is. I’m writing this on my laptop, powered by a small generator that was dropped off today by one of my angel co-workers. I can’t post this to my blog until the power/cable/internet comes back but Cole, JD and I are sitting together writing it anyway. The day came with lots of ice, lots of wind, power outages and lots of time to think…it’s been a long day today with no tv, no lights, no frig, no microwave, no shower, no heat and no running water (we’re on well water, powered by electricity). Here we are, heating up bottles the old fashioned way (thank goodness I had already made bottles for the following day before we lost power).
That said, it gave me plenty of time to reflect on how much I take ALL of those things for granted each day. About every other hour I would get frustrated and then I would try to remember that there are people everywhere who don’t have any of these things on a daily basis and they still figure out how to go on, day to day. Days like this truly make you realize how lucky we are to have such cushy lives where we don’t normally need to worry about such things as being cold, or dirty, or hungry. Then I would resent the BG&E workers for not getting OUR power on yet…and suddenly remember the BG&E workers who are out in this blustery weather trying to restore power to over 70,000 customers today; talk about frustrated! They must be cursing mother nature every time they turn around or go up one of those power poles in 40 knot winds.
Just 2 days ago I heard a terrible story about a local family with 8 children that lost their home to a fire. They were left with NOTHING but the clothes on their backs, one of their cars and a few car seats. Some of the kids that were indoors at the time didn’t even have shoes. They are in a hotel, thanks to the Red Cross and lost all of their personal belongings. A day without power and a shower is nothing compared to that! On my agenda today before all of this happened, I was going to drop a bag full of baby clothes off for the 5 week old baby of that family – and I didn’t make it over there because of the weather and the power issues. I couldn’t take the kids out b/c it was much too cold with the wind. And then I would have to load them up in the car, get them bundled up etc. As I called to tell my friend my reasons for not making it over, I realized how stupid that sounds when these people have no clothes, no house, no toys, no food and the list goes on. Further, my extended family out West has been getting hammered with snow for weeks now - stranding them in their homes, on highways and at work. They have been hit a LOT worse than we have this winter! It’s amazing how easily and quickly we get caught up in our own crap isn’t it?
Chuck had to run to the office mid day to pick up some work and get a few things done and it wasn’t until then, as I sat in the house with the boys, in the middle of the floor, in silence, with a roaring fire, that I realized how lucky I have it. We played and chatted for hours. They must think I’m crazy by now with my entertainment gigs; but that’s OK. Hopefully they are too young to remember all of the stupid things that they actually watched me do – and laughed at me while doing them.
I was then reminded again about the good of people around 4pm when another angel helper stopped by (a friend of a friend who knows a lot about generators) to help us get the generator set up and working to our best advantage. We’ve never met this guy but our friend called him to call up a favor and after a 15 hour day of plowing and shoveling, he stopped by our house with a smile on his face when he knocked on the door. He needed a few things to get it to work and we didn’t have what he needed. Would you believe he started walking to my neighbors to try to ask if they had the wire that he needed so he didn’t have to leave us without fixing us up just right? People never cease to amaze me.
So here we are, at the end of the day, still no power but everyone has been fed, everyone is still smiling and we’re nice and toasty in the basement.
Just 2 days ago I heard a terrible story about a local family with 8 children that lost their home to a fire. They were left with NOTHING but the clothes on their backs, one of their cars and a few car seats. Some of the kids that were indoors at the time didn’t even have shoes. They are in a hotel, thanks to the Red Cross and lost all of their personal belongings. A day without power and a shower is nothing compared to that! On my agenda today before all of this happened, I was going to drop a bag full of baby clothes off for the 5 week old baby of that family – and I didn’t make it over there because of the weather and the power issues. I couldn’t take the kids out b/c it was much too cold with the wind. And then I would have to load them up in the car, get them bundled up etc. As I called to tell my friend my reasons for not making it over, I realized how stupid that sounds when these people have no clothes, no house, no toys, no food and the list goes on. Further, my extended family out West has been getting hammered with snow for weeks now - stranding them in their homes, on highways and at work. They have been hit a LOT worse than we have this winter! It’s amazing how easily and quickly we get caught up in our own crap isn’t it?
Chuck had to run to the office mid day to pick up some work and get a few things done and it wasn’t until then, as I sat in the house with the boys, in the middle of the floor, in silence, with a roaring fire, that I realized how lucky I have it. We played and chatted for hours. They must think I’m crazy by now with my entertainment gigs; but that’s OK. Hopefully they are too young to remember all of the stupid things that they actually watched me do – and laughed at me while doing them.
I was then reminded again about the good of people around 4pm when another angel helper stopped by (a friend of a friend who knows a lot about generators) to help us get the generator set up and working to our best advantage. We’ve never met this guy but our friend called him to call up a favor and after a 15 hour day of plowing and shoveling, he stopped by our house with a smile on his face when he knocked on the door. He needed a few things to get it to work and we didn’t have what he needed. Would you believe he started walking to my neighbors to try to ask if they had the wire that he needed so he didn’t have to leave us without fixing us up just right? People never cease to amaze me.
So here we are, at the end of the day, still no power but everyone has been fed, everyone is still smiling and we’re nice and toasty in the basement.
The boys don't know the difference. I’m a bit frazzled trying to figure out how we’ll continue like this if the power doesn’t come back soon. And how I'll deal with work if schools continue to be out and my nanny can't come. But didn’t I learn a few months ago to take it one day/minute at a time? I think I did…how quickly I forget. We have one light and a working computer. Now we just pray that the propane tank holds out until the power comes back on so our heat source stays strong. Maybe we’ll all be sleeping in the basement tonight – won’t THAT be a Valentines Day to remember?
Hope everyone else fared OK in the storm. I know that there were lots of people who also lost power, and lots of trees down too. Thinking of all of you other “Marylanders” as we weather the storm!
Update: power came on at 9:30 pm on Wednesday night, as we were packing to go to Grammy & Grampy's. Needless to say, we were overjoyed and had to fight for who got the first shower :)
Hope everyone else fared OK in the storm. I know that there were lots of people who also lost power, and lots of trees down too. Thinking of all of you other “Marylanders” as we weather the storm!
Update: power came on at 9:30 pm on Wednesday night, as we were packing to go to Grammy & Grampy's. Needless to say, we were overjoyed and had to fight for who got the first shower :)
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