Tuesday, November 09, 2004

D'oh!

I got home last night to find that my power had been shut off. I'd forgotten to pay the power bill! It was, of course, completely dark aside from the light reflecting off of a waning moon. Inside my house was no better. But the boy scout in me (I never really enjoyed boyscouts and shortly quit; here I'm just referring to the motto: "Always be prepared") had placed a rechargable flashlight in the kitchen by the door, hanging from a wall-socket.

So I turned it on and tried the phones. Dead. Except for the emergency old-school style phone I keep in the living room for such an occasion as this. I used the flashlight to find the disconnect notice I knew was hiding somewhere in the pile of unopened mail I've accumulated in the past few weeks, and sure enough I found it. I called the number and paid the bill, and will contact them today to ensure they turn the power on.

After I took care of that last night, I was pretty much at a loss. What was I supposed to do with myself with no power in the house?! No computer, no TV, no desklamps working. I couldn't cook (though I could grill), my refrigerator was slowly losing it's cool. Outside it was FREAKING COLD so I knew I wasn't going to have a problem with the freezer that's out there (*bonus!*), but inside it was still _relatively_ warm. I moved the ice cream out of the inside freezer and into the standing freezer on the porch.

So what was I to do with myself last night? I could have gone out to get something to eat, gone to a movie, etc. That was a no starter though, I didn't really feel like either of those. So I made myself a bowl of cereal by flashlight illuminescence, took one of my two new issues of "Whistleblower" upstairs, and lit some candles on the lampstand next to my bed.

This didn't really cut it. Who wants to read by the light of 3 weak candles nearly below bed level? Plus I knew I'd hardly be able to see my cereal! I did have other assets available to me, however. I went out on the porch and found a camping lamp that's battery operated (though I myself would have preferred a coleman with those crazy superbright white things inside that you light with fire) and hung it off of a hook right above my head in bed!

I ate my cereal and gave the remaining milk to the cats. Then I settled down to read some of one of the issues of "Whistleblower". I'm not a big fan of magazines, but this is my kind of super conservative anti-big-goverment stuff. I read for a while, and when I felt myself growing sleepy I turned off the light and drifted off.

I woke up feeling quite rested. I didn't have a clock that worked in my bedroom, so I went downstairs to shower (I had ensured I had hot water last night). Every morning when I wake up it's dark, so I was surprised to see that it was actually 2am! I'd probably slept for a good 6 hours, but what the hell was I supposed to do at 2am?! Shower and go to work?

I considered it. But I rejected the idea because I knew I was going to stay until 5 anyway, and I have a monster drive each night and I didn't want to be too sleepy. And that could easily upset my next night's sleep and start a chain of wierdness through the whole week. So I went back to bed, and spent the night in fairly lucid dreams I can hardly remember now.

When I did wake up in the morning, it was right on time: 5:15 or so. I was cold, even under my down comforter. Inside my computer room the temperature was reading about 54 degrees. I had slept in pajamas and a comforatable shirt last night, though without socks. No wonder I was so cold!

These things happen to me. I'm forgetful && a procrastinator, so . . .

D'oh!

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