: 'Stairway to Heaven' by Led Zeppelin, 'Black Jack Blues' by Fleetwood Mac
: Mellow (see abovementioned song) :)
Till I get my electric back on. This is the longest I've ever been without electricity, including storms, cutoffs, and camping. Some things I've learnt from roughing it:
- I could tell even from outside the apartment when the electric went off. It's actually somewhat soothing, as being around electricity there's always a little hum or whine I just get used to, and it was totally still. Those big transformers make me positively jumpy.
- Sleeping is still hard without a CPAP, but your body does eventually adjust, especially if you banish all animals out of the bedroom. (I'm allergic to them, and Spock has an annoying habit of trying to sleep on my face. Not bad when I have a mask and fresh air (it's like SCUBA for your bed), but not good otherwise. Of course, this means they're all pining, because they can't cuddle up with mom.
- You can sit in the bathroom (no windows) and just imagine being in a cave, it's that dark, without even light coming under the door. But there must have been infinitesmal bits, because I could just make out the corners. Having been down in Mammoth Cave when they turned the lights out, it's quite different, really. The cave is almost...thick, sliceable darkness, and you can feel the weight of the earth above you. But sitting in the bathroom, I could be in the dark and contemplating for longer than they kept us in the dark at the cave.
- The worst thing is the cold water in the shower. But, on the other hand, you're more likely to be to work on time because there's no reason to linger.
- Cell phones are excellent for alarms. Even if it goes off to conserve power, it will come back on to give you the alarm. And if your cell phone runs down, a PDA is a great back-up.
- I love listening to music in my car. The sound system is better than at the house, and of course I can't listen at home anyway at the moment.
- I discovered cats can be afraid of the dark. I couldn't figure out why Darius was going on the kitchen floor (very difficult to clean by flashlight) even though I gave him brand-new (albeit cheap clay) litter. Then it occurred to me that even cats need a little light to work by, and I moved one of the boxes out to the kitchen. Problem solved. Good boy!
- It is really hard to study by flashlight. And even more than the computer, I miss being able to read, and candlelight just isn't enough. I have a greater appreciation for pioneers and people away from electric grids. Plus, I'm getting all synchronised to the sun, which is a sort of added benefit when you're Pagan.
- I also have a much greater appreciation for my apartment, and once I get the power back on, I plan to finish unpacking and get everything in order.
- It's amazing what a treat television elsewhere can be when you don't have TV or electricity. And how much it can let you down that nothing's on. Still, I got sucked into a 'what happened to the kids from 'Diff'rent Strokes?' show. Sad.
All in all it hasn't been that bad. The lack of phone has actually been worse, because people can't reach me when their work schedule changes, or to check up on me, or to chat. I can at least get a little money on my cell phone this week, although I think it'll be awhile till I can get the phone back on at the house.
But, there's a lot worse out there, and it'll just mean I'll appreciate it more when things are better, right? :)
Meanwhile, I'm off to the station for more work and then to the exciting fun of traffic school (although I feel a lot better about it now than I did last month, when I had to reschedule. Of course, I'm also not puking my guts out.)
Ta!
No comments:
Post a Comment