Update on the last couple of days...
Dec. 13th, 2007 12:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
candylandFor those who don't want to listen to my rambling voice posts (one of which was made at five-thirty AM, and thus is sort of hard to understand), here's what's been going on 'round these parts for the last couple of days...
We had a late start for school on Monday because of weather, and everyone was jabbering about the ice-storm that was supposed to be hitting us on Tuesday. Thus, as soon as school was over on Tuesday I jaunted over to the store for a couple of things. Had to make a second run because I forgot to get some candles--I was to be very glad that I took![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jeva_chan's advice on that matter.
On Tuesday morning, I was awakened at five-thirty AM by my phone ringing. It was an automated message, saying that we had no school. Great, I thought. This is lovely. As I went to set my phone down, I realized that there were no numbers on my digital clock. A try of the light-switch confirmed that we had, in fact, lost power. So I did what any sensible girl would do.
I texted my dad (like I'd promised him I would) and I went back to sleep. MOTIVATION!!
Woke up again around nine, and still had no power. I spent most of the day curled up in bed, simply because it was nice and comfortable and warm. I had my sheets, my electric blanket (might not have been electric at the moment, but it was a blanket), my fleece blanket, and my comforter.
I spent my day texting back and forth with various people--including my father, who always swore he would NEVER use text messaging--knitting, reading, playing my Nintendo DS, and writing. Looking back, I consider this a productive, effective use of my day :D
But it was getting sort of depressing as it got darker. I'm not exactly *afraid* of the dark...but I'm not terribly fond of it. So finally, when it got to a point where I couldn't read comfortably, I started to light those candles I'd gone and picked up. I had just gotten myself situated with the candles at the table...when I heard a beep, and then the refrigerator magically stirred to life!
I spent about fifteen seconds clicking lights on and off and reveling in the fact that they, ya know, came on. And then I called my dad (he's something of a worrier) and fixed myself something hot for dinner. And got online to check my email ^^;; Might have scared a couple of people with my all-caps proclamations of "I CAN HAS LIGHTS!" That was all around five-thirty-ish.
Around nine, I got the call that we weren't having school again on Wednesday. I figured this was because things were still so icy. So a bit later, around ten-thirty or thereabouts, I decided to take a shower. We had hot water and everything, so it was quite pleasant.
As I was reaching for the faucet to turn the water off...I suddenly could not see the faucet. In fact, I could not see my hand. Or my pretty dolphin-covered shower curtain. Or ANYTHING. The power had gone out. AGAIN.
So let's recap, shall we? I'm standing in the shower, which is in the bathroom, which is the only room in my apartment that does not have a window. I am naked, I am soaked, and I cannot see a thing. Lovely situation, ne?
The lights actually flickered a couple of times. The last time they came on, they stayed on for maybe...sixty seconds or so? It was long enough for me to wrap myself in my towel, scamper out to the kitchen (nearly slipping on the tile on the way, damn wet feet), and grab my flashlight. By the time I got back to the bathroom, the power had gone out again. And this time it didn't come back on.
So I went and got those candles and situated myself at the table with my cell phone, my notebook, and my mp3 player. And between those three things, I sat there for almost four hours, writing and texting and listening to music. Thanks to the darling people who kept me company! ♥♥♥ I crawled into bed at 1:30 with my trusty flashlight by my side. I played my DS for a little while before I crashed.
The next morning I got the twenty-four hour notice from my landlady that they were coming in for pest control and inspection. So I opened the blinds to let in the natural daylight (it was cloudy, but with the snow and ice it was still very bright outside), and started cleaning up. I'm sort of proud of myself--I got the place fairly clutter-free in a fairly short amount of time.
I also learned a little resourcefulness. Did you know that if you run the hottest possible tap water, you can make ramen noodles with it? Not the best thing imaginable...but edible! :D (I mentioned this to a student today, and his response was, "Eww!")
The power came back on...maybe two-ish in the afternoon? It flickered again a couple of times, but otherwise it stayed on. Home free at last! First thing I did was turn the heat on--it wasn't life or death cold in here, by any means, but the temperature was starting to drop.
I also told Mom and Dad two more things I wouldn't mind getting for Christmas: a hurricane lamp and a small battery-powered radio. The candles really weren't that bad--I had four of them lit on the table, and arranged in a manner that gave me plenty of light. It was more the fact that I had no way of knowing the state of things--another thank you to the people who looked up weather and electrical info for me online and texted it to me! I LUFF YOU!! So the radio is pretty high on my list.
All in all...it really wasn't a bad couple of days. I was going a little bit crazy without internet, but other than that, it was almost sort of fun. I got a lot done, and there was something almost enjoyable about sitting at my kitchen table in my pajamas writing fanfics by candlelight while eating potato chips and jelly beans and drinking Mountain Dew at one AM ^___^
But yes, that's what happened over the last couple of days. The text of this LJ cut is a reference to the fact that the tree outside my office window was creaking something fierce on Tuesday night. When I went outside to chip the ice off my car, I saw two tree branches break under the weight of the ice and fall. Driving to school this morning looked like a battlefield in a lumber yard--branches EVERYWHERE. It was a mess. And I was really worrying as to whether or not the branch closest to my window would be able to actually vault through my window if it fell. As I sit typing this entry, it sounded like it was creaking again--but I think that's more the ice melting and falling off onto the sidewalk.
I should also add that with it being eleven and a half days until Christmas, the fic-post is coming along nicely. I've already decided that I'm going to back-date all of the entries when I post them, and then just do one post with all the links so as not to eat everyone's f-list ^_^
With that, I should probably head off to the middle school by way of the post office--I haven't checked my mail in three days, and visions of BILLS are dancing in my head. I swung back home to grab something I'd forgotten, and thought I'd make this post (and eat a sandwich) while I was here. So off I go, into the wild blue yonder!
We had a late start for school on Monday because of weather, and everyone was jabbering about the ice-storm that was supposed to be hitting us on Tuesday. Thus, as soon as school was over on Tuesday I jaunted over to the store for a couple of things. Had to make a second run because I forgot to get some candles--I was to be very glad that I took
jeva_chan's advice on that matter.On Tuesday morning, I was awakened at five-thirty AM by my phone ringing. It was an automated message, saying that we had no school. Great, I thought. This is lovely. As I went to set my phone down, I realized that there were no numbers on my digital clock. A try of the light-switch confirmed that we had, in fact, lost power. So I did what any sensible girl would do.
I texted my dad (like I'd promised him I would) and I went back to sleep. MOTIVATION!!
Woke up again around nine, and still had no power. I spent most of the day curled up in bed, simply because it was nice and comfortable and warm. I had my sheets, my electric blanket (might not have been electric at the moment, but it was a blanket), my fleece blanket, and my comforter.
I spent my day texting back and forth with various people--including my father, who always swore he would NEVER use text messaging--knitting, reading, playing my Nintendo DS, and writing. Looking back, I consider this a productive, effective use of my day :D
But it was getting sort of depressing as it got darker. I'm not exactly *afraid* of the dark...but I'm not terribly fond of it. So finally, when it got to a point where I couldn't read comfortably, I started to light those candles I'd gone and picked up. I had just gotten myself situated with the candles at the table...when I heard a beep, and then the refrigerator magically stirred to life!
I spent about fifteen seconds clicking lights on and off and reveling in the fact that they, ya know, came on. And then I called my dad (he's something of a worrier) and fixed myself something hot for dinner. And got online to check my email ^^;; Might have scared a couple of people with my all-caps proclamations of "I CAN HAS LIGHTS!" That was all around five-thirty-ish.
Around nine, I got the call that we weren't having school again on Wednesday. I figured this was because things were still so icy. So a bit later, around ten-thirty or thereabouts, I decided to take a shower. We had hot water and everything, so it was quite pleasant.
As I was reaching for the faucet to turn the water off...I suddenly could not see the faucet. In fact, I could not see my hand. Or my pretty dolphin-covered shower curtain. Or ANYTHING. The power had gone out. AGAIN.
So let's recap, shall we? I'm standing in the shower, which is in the bathroom, which is the only room in my apartment that does not have a window. I am naked, I am soaked, and I cannot see a thing. Lovely situation, ne?
The lights actually flickered a couple of times. The last time they came on, they stayed on for maybe...sixty seconds or so? It was long enough for me to wrap myself in my towel, scamper out to the kitchen (nearly slipping on the tile on the way, damn wet feet), and grab my flashlight. By the time I got back to the bathroom, the power had gone out again. And this time it didn't come back on.
So I went and got those candles and situated myself at the table with my cell phone, my notebook, and my mp3 player. And between those three things, I sat there for almost four hours, writing and texting and listening to music. Thanks to the darling people who kept me company! ♥♥♥ I crawled into bed at 1:30 with my trusty flashlight by my side. I played my DS for a little while before I crashed.
The next morning I got the twenty-four hour notice from my landlady that they were coming in for pest control and inspection. So I opened the blinds to let in the natural daylight (it was cloudy, but with the snow and ice it was still very bright outside), and started cleaning up. I'm sort of proud of myself--I got the place fairly clutter-free in a fairly short amount of time.
I also learned a little resourcefulness. Did you know that if you run the hottest possible tap water, you can make ramen noodles with it? Not the best thing imaginable...but edible! :D (I mentioned this to a student today, and his response was, "Eww!")
The power came back on...maybe two-ish in the afternoon? It flickered again a couple of times, but otherwise it stayed on. Home free at last! First thing I did was turn the heat on--it wasn't life or death cold in here, by any means, but the temperature was starting to drop.
I also told Mom and Dad two more things I wouldn't mind getting for Christmas: a hurricane lamp and a small battery-powered radio. The candles really weren't that bad--I had four of them lit on the table, and arranged in a manner that gave me plenty of light. It was more the fact that I had no way of knowing the state of things--another thank you to the people who looked up weather and electrical info for me online and texted it to me! I LUFF YOU!! So the radio is pretty high on my list.
All in all...it really wasn't a bad couple of days. I was going a little bit crazy without internet, but other than that, it was almost sort of fun. I got a lot done, and there was something almost enjoyable about sitting at my kitchen table in my pajamas writing fanfics by candlelight while eating potato chips and jelly beans and drinking Mountain Dew at one AM ^___^
But yes, that's what happened over the last couple of days. The text of this LJ cut is a reference to the fact that the tree outside my office window was creaking something fierce on Tuesday night. When I went outside to chip the ice off my car, I saw two tree branches break under the weight of the ice and fall. Driving to school this morning looked like a battlefield in a lumber yard--branches EVERYWHERE. It was a mess. And I was really worrying as to whether or not the branch closest to my window would be able to actually vault through my window if it fell. As I sit typing this entry, it sounded like it was creaking again--but I think that's more the ice melting and falling off onto the sidewalk.
I should also add that with it being eleven and a half days until Christmas, the fic-post is coming along nicely. I've already decided that I'm going to back-date all of the entries when I post them, and then just do one post with all the links so as not to eat everyone's f-list ^_^
With that, I should probably head off to the middle school by way of the post office--I haven't checked my mail in three days, and visions of BILLS are dancing in my head. I swung back home to grab something I'd forgotten, and thought I'd make this post (and eat a sandwich) while I was here. So off I go, into the wild blue yonder!