In the Dark

So last night on my way home from work, I was driving through Wyanet and noticed that the bank sign was not lit up. Thought that was strange. Then I went by the café, and there were three OPEN signs on display, but it was entirely dark, and when I turned the corner I could see all the staff hovering inside by the kitchen, in the light of the doorway. Strange. I figured they were closed but hadn’t flipped the signs yet or something.

So I get home, and the garage door won’t open. I was like “hmmm. Is the power out?” and then I go in the house and try the lights. Nothing. So I try the lights in another room (how much proof do I NEED that we don’t have electricity, eh?) and then I rack my brain for the power bill stats- CHECK, it’s been paid. So I think “I’ll call Brad and Anya and see if they have power across town (our side of town is always the one out, and they have power 90% of the time) and so I pick up the PHONE which is CORDLESS and on VONAGE so double whammy there. Then I go to pick up my cell phone, and realize the battery is about dead, so I go into the living room to plug it in and charge it. Yeah. And before I can even get that far, I try to turn the lamp on so I can see where to plug it in. No lights. Yeah. No power, can’t charge the phone. After about 10 minutes I think that I can charge it in my car, so I run outside, plug in the phone, and make my phone calls. The whole town is out of power!

So I call Evan to tell him that I can’t cook our pizza so would he get something for supper? Then I light every candle in the house and settle down on the couch with a book and a flashlight. The dogs are sitting there looking at me like “why are we in the dark??” So I feed them. I have a flashlight sitting on the table, and it is off. About 15 minutes into reading my book, the flashlight on the table TURNS ITSELF ON and scares the crap out of me.

Of course, right before Evan comes home, about two hours after I get there, the power comes on. I was glad, because it was 58 degrees in the house and I was getting COLD.

This morning I had to go to training in Peoria and I had a heckuva morning. I had to get up at 5:50am, which is about 3.5 hours earlier than normal. I was still awake at 1:30 am so that means about 4 hours of sleep that I got. So I busted ass and got all cute and presentable and got my coffee mug and my lunch money and my warm coat, gloves, and scarf. Of course I had to cut all the tags off my scarves and gloves because I haven’t worn them yet this year. Then I went to work and picked up the company car, which ended up being an ordeal because I had to SCRAPE THE WINDSHIELD and when I got to the car, there was no ice scraper, and I had to pop the trunk and crawl INTO the trunk in my pink peacoat and get the ice scraper that had slid all the way to the back of the trunk. So I am already behind schedule.

Then I proceed to get behind a loaded semi AND then a school bus. Christ. And it’s snowing. And there is a jackass that flies up behind me and rides my ass and drives 2 foot over the center line and I can TELL that he is totally going to cock-block me from passing the semi when the no passing zone ends.

So I do the customary “get off my ass” brake check and get over in the other lane, proceeding to give him some yelling and facial expressions in my rearview mirror.

So classes went well, I ate an Arby’s Chicken Salad Wrap for lunch and went to Dots- THE GREATEST Store on earth. Shit’s so cheap there, it puts Wal-Mart to shame, with clothes that are fashionable (or more so) than those I can find in the mall. I got a bunch of new shirts, and two of them are SUPER awesome. Red. A tight ruched bust area and flowy bottom. Matching Red and Silver necklace and earrings. HOT! I love when I get a good deal and clothes that fit good. The best part, I was in a dressing room, put on a shirt, and was like WHOA that looks AWESOME and actually sucked in my breath, and then when I put my clothes back on and walked out of the room, there was another girl, probably 16, standing outside her dressing room, wearing the same shirt and looking HORRIBLE in it. Her mom said “is it too tight?” and she said “no” and the mom said “it looks great on you.” And I almost choked. She wasn’t a small girl, but she was smaller than me, but her shirt was literally TWO sizes too small. And her mom said it looked GOOD? Oh lord. Who can we count on to tell us the truth if not our own Mothers? I was horrified. I wouldn’t have even been caught dead by my husband in a shirt that looked like that on me. It was silly. And it made me feel bad for her, and GOOD for me. Almost 30 (okay, almost 28) and looking better than a 16 year old?

Well, that’s all for now. I had better just post this!