All Alone in the Dark

 When my workday ended on Tuesday, I did what I usually do.  I packed up my belongings.  I walked to Penn Station (Newark) to the city light rail.  I got on.  I got off at my stop.  For once everything timed well and I had about a 2-minute wait before my bus pulled up.  I got on and in 40 or so minutes got off at my stop.  I crossed the highway (never an easy task) and walked the block and a half to the house.  I grabbed the recycling bin that was sitting outside and the mail from the mailbox.  I unlocked the door and went in.  I put down my stuff.  I put the recycling bin down in the basement (along with the mail because it was all junk).  And then I realized something was not quite right. 

The microwave clock was off.  The coffee maker clock was off.  The clock in the living room was dark.  There was no power.

First thought...is it me or is it everyone?  Looking out the back window I could see traffic flowing.  However, looking out the front I could see a neighbor standing in his driveway.  I opened the door and yelled out "Do you have power?!"  He responded in the negative and told me to call the power company.  I took the easier route, I texted them.

A minute or so later I got a text back thanking me for my report.  Several minutes after that I got a text that they estimated the power would be back on around 8 PM.  It was not yet 5.

Being alone in the house (since hubby stayed in PA), I had planned on making some dinner, taking a hot shower, climbing into bed, turning the TV and falling asleep.  In other words, my normal routine.  Well, maybe not.

While it was light out, I went about doing what I usually would do.  I prepped for the next day.  Boring as it may be, when I get home, I make lunch for the next day and lay out my clothes for the next day.  (This is especially important when I am NOT alone and don't want to disturb others in the house. )  But then what?  I couldn't reheat anything for dinner so...

I had to go out and fill up my tank, so I figured it was a good time.  It also allowed me to see how far reaching the power outage was.  While the traffic was still moving to the east, would it be okay to the north?  The answer was yes.  Traffic lights were working and the gas station was up and running.  I filled my tank because gas is less expensive in NJ than it is in PA.  (Although I did notice that prices were slightly higher than last week.)  I figured I would go to a local pizza place (one that I trust with my food allergies) and get a hoagie (or sub...or whatever you want to call it.)  I didn't mind waiting, as it was warm and the hustle and bustle of the store gave me something to occupy my mind.

My food was ready in 10 minutes and I drove home.  More neighbors were out and about.  Thankfully it had been a warmish (for March day).  So we conversed and then I went in to have dinner.  That's when I realized how quickly darkness sets in. I sat in the kitchen, by the window.  I ate half of my sandwich and read a book from my Nook.  (This is the one time that I must say having an e-book is an advantage.)  By the time I had finished it was quite dark in the room.  I put the remainder of my sandwich in the fridge, which of course was not working, and headed upstairs.

Minute by minute the house got darker.  Even though light came in from the window from the businesses that were not affected, it was still getting dark.  And it was getting cold.  Or at least chilly.  I WAS grateful that although I was cold, it wasn't as cold as it had been the week before.

I sat in the bedroom, afghan over me and tried to read.  What I really wanted was a hot shower and some mindless TV.  (Because that's what I crave after a long day of work).  But that wasn't going to happen.  I kept checking the time on my phone.

When I had called my husband to tell him that the power was out, he said the power company usually overestimates the time that the power would be out.  Thankfully, as usual, he was right.  He thought the power would be back on by 7.  I kept eyeing that clock.  As it got closer to seven (and darker), I waited.  And sure enough, just a few minutes after 7, the lights came on!

I went around the house shutting off lights that were not needed.  And being smart, I reset the clocks that needed to be reset (because some have enough memory to go back to the exact right time) to a few minutes after eight.  No, that isn't a typo.  I specifically set the clocks an hour ahead because (reminder), this Sunday Daylight Saving Time starts and since I won't be around to make the change on a Saturday night/Sunday morning, I thought I would do it now.  Only a few clocks in the house require this; most everything is "smart" and it does it on its own.  I don't even have to remind my son in college; everything he has changed automatically.  (Although I should probably remind him anyway, just for his own sanity.)

I'm happy to say that the heat also came on.  And that hot shower...I was glad to have it.  And to climb into that warm bed to fall asleep watching something silly.  (No, I didn't watch "the address."  I had enough stress in my day with work and the power outage, I didn't need any more by listening to lies and cruelty).

I wasn't alone in the dark for that long, but it DID make me appreciate what I have.  What I take for granted and that so many (including people in this country, in my state and maybe even in my town), don't have. How blessed I truly am to have a home, heat, clothing and POWER. It just took  a few hours alone in the dark to realize how good I have it.  How I should not take it for granted.  How NONE of us should take it for granted.  I don't think I will again.

Remember, even if you don't have "power" you are never powerless!