Power, no power, power, no power

I think I could live without power if I HAD TO. I think I could live without always having tv and computer and stuff at home..... as long as I still had access at work. :) What I cannot live without is air conditioning in the city of Houston in a home that has windows painted shut, and even if they weren't, has no screens to keep out the scores of bugs trying to take up residence with us. Sharing a bed upstairs with a big guy when the temp is 85 degrees inside doesn't lead to a restful nights sleep.

We made the most of our situation. Lots of eating out, lots of drinking red wine outside until it became dark, playing cards, taking baths by candle/flashlight, counting change (yes, we actually counted and rolled tons and tons of change), hanging out with neighbors (one of the best parts of having no power-- new friends who don't have power either!), and talking. We live in a world where we are so distracted by technology that we can forget the simple pleasures of conversation with loved ones.

Well, even though I think I could live without power, I definitely didn't mind when it came back on Saturday afternoon. D and I had taken adorable niece Ann-Marie out to lunch and to play for the afternoon to get out of the sweltering house. We got the phone call around 3pm that the power had returned, and it was awesome, awesome news. D told me that if I chose to be more excited about that announcement than our engagement, it was okay. He would understand.

We celebrated by buying several bottles of champagne and drinking in our air conditioned home. I wish I could have physically hugged my power. I will never take it for granted again. Saturday night, I shot straight up in bed while sleeping, because I had a nightmare the power went out again. I kept looking up to see if the ceiling fan was still spinning, and I was able to release a sigh of relief when I saw it was. Sunday and Monday were spent relishing our once-again pleasant home, doing laundry, cleaning.... all those thing you neglect during a power outage. I was getting used to being back to normal again when tragedy struck.

We lost power on Tuesday afternoon. I literally felt like I had been punched in the gut, dumped, spat on, and then rolled in dirt. I almost cried. I was sure that since we lost it after getting it back, it would be months before it was restored again. They are projecting some people without power now won't get it back until NOVEMBER. Wow. It just felt so cruel to give it back to us for a couple of days and then take it away. Everyone I have spoken to has agreed that is worse than never getting it back at all.

Well, this story has a happy ending. Apparently, the AT&T guys were working on some telephone poles and accidentally knocked out the power to our block. My very..... feisty neighbor saw them out here window and went out to give them a piece of her mind. They assured her it would be fixed before the evening was over, and sure enough, it was. Power, I will never, ever take you for granted, I will love you and hug you, and treat you like the glorious being that you are forever!

So, that's the power situation. I still have some friends without power, and I openly welcome them to use our home to their hearts' content.

So, in running news, our Saturday run went on. We did 5.5 miles, and it was really strange showing up at 6:30am when it was still dark, and having Memorial Park be almost completely dark since power had not been restored to the street lamps. We left the park for our run, and I am excited that I was able to do the first almost 3 miles without stopping. We took a water break, and the rest of the run back was a bit harder for me. I struggle after the first time I walk in a run, and I need to work on that. I am also having terrible lower back pain. It's just on my left side, but it really got to me by the second half of the run. I did a walk/jog, but I did jog more than I walked, which felt good. Next up is 6 miles, and I'm curious to see how I can do. I've been giving my back a few days rest, because the last thing I want is any injury getting in the way of me completing this event!

Fundraising has been going awesome, so many thanks to everyone that has donated, and much time is left for anyone who still wants to!