WHO WOULDA THUNK IT...

That a little storm like this....

Would cause a total power outage lasting five nights and six days.

The police were out in full force collecting gobs of overtime, oh and watching for miscreants, while the Governor basically cancelled All Hallows Eve.

There were no stores open, two hour lines for gasoline where there was power until the tanks went dry, all the while the son was packing sealed bags of snow into the refrigerator.   Luckily we had tanks for the camp stove and cooked on the porch.  His booster pack lasted the entire outage to recharge phones, which allowed us to watch NETFLIX on his fancy phone.  I should not fail to mention our coldest night was 29 degrees.  The warmest 42.  Inside.   Um, hullo?  Texas? Are you there?

Yes, we have two types of stoves. When the supply of canned propane ran out, with no place to buy more, we switched to liquid fuel.

Luckily we had a friend who did not lose power a hundred miles away, and who was the recipient of this Thank You gift, for a chance to warm up.

We spent most of our time snuggling with cats, they with us, and each other...

The Great Gatsby with his charge.

The son's friend showed up two days ago with a care package.  Chicken cutlets and toilet paper.  Which reminded me of the day before tropical storm IRENE hit.  I was walking into the grocery store while people in full panic mode were marching out with carriages loaded with groceries, but the best was a middle aged guy with a cart full of beer and toilet paper, a big grin plastered across his face.    Evidently this is a guy thing, like putting the roll so that the toilet paper flows over the top and not from beneath.  I may have to seriously research this oddity now.  Well anyway,  we apologized for the messy place, they said theirs was worse.   Halfway through the outage the main drag had power partially restored.  A grocery store, Dunkin' Donuts and the Post Office opened.    Everyone was polite waiting in line forever for coffee, and plugs were made available at all locations for phone charging and warming up.   While cooking on the back porch the day after the Post Office opened,  we heard not one disparaging word from the normally cranky postal workers.  In fact one jovial sort was heard shouting to his buddy, " I waited in line for forty minutes, got a tankful of gas for the car and a pack of cigarettes.  I'm good."     Well okay then.

All in all it was a humbling experience, while bringing to light...

How much we rely on electricity.

Now, more than ever, I want a shack in the woods with a wood stove, oh yeah, and a chain saw.

How many people did not fare well due to lack of being prepared.

My NORTH FACE  jacket is warmer than the COLUMBIA.

How genuinely afraid people become when the entire city is without power.

Now that life is a bit warmer it's time to start cleaning house.  We are back to normal, the dishwasher is running a load, our near-frozen joints are thawing out, while people are out on the sidewalk in the sun laughing. 

The only problem left to solve is the one involving Elliot - The Worrier - A.K.A. The Musical Cat.  He is not trusting this for it must seem to him by now, a temporary thing.

He remains a basket case.....     :}