Last night we were eating dinner with some friends when a huge storm blew in. Their electricity went out and we decided we better get in our car and head home before the hail kicked in. I’d hate to get a dent in my brand new radiator.
As we drove the three blocks home there were huge limbs down everywhere, the rain was pouring and everything was dark. Caroline said, “THIS IS THE SCARIEST NIGHT EVER.”
But it was about to get worse because we arrived home to discover our power was out. Which means our air-conditioning was out. I’ve spent a lot of time this year trying to grow as a person and make myself do things that are a little out of my comfort zone, but sleeping without air-conditioning on June 2 in South Texas is really beyond what I am equipped to handle.
(It’s always seemed like it wouldn’t be so bad to be without power in the middle of winter. It always looked so cozy on Little House on The Prairie except for that time they were all stuck in the schoolhouse during that blizzard. Of course I live in a city where the winter temperatures rarely get below thirty degrees so I’m probably not an authority on the subject.)
I put Caroline in my bed and laid down with her until she fell asleep. Then I got up and went into the living room to sit in the dark with P and watch the lightning. Fortunately P had equipped us for an occasion such as this so we had plenty of flashlights, candles and glo-sticks. Sadly, none of those things provide cold air.
Around 10:15 our lights flickered on and I was all HOORAY FOR BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, but my excitement was short-lived because they went right back out. And by 11:00 p.m. I began to accept that I was going to have to attempt to sleep without air-conditioning. Like a real pioneer.
I told P I was heading to bed and he said, “Don’t go in there if all you’re going to do is toss and turn and complain about how hot you are and that you can’t sleep.”
“Umm. Have we met? Of course that’s what I’m going to do.”
I threw back the bedding and tried to get as comfortable as possible considering that I was about to attempt to sleep next to a forty-two pound heater that was snoring in a not so delicate manner. P walked by my bedside table and placed a headlamp and a flashlight on it and said, “I’m putting these here for you in case something happens tonight.”
I wasn’t sure what might happen that would require a headlamp. Was there going to be trouble in the coal mines? Maybe an impromptu skit that would require me to play the part of DooLittle Lynn from Coalminer’s Daughter?
I fell asleep in the midst of thinking about my favorite scenes from Coalminer’s Daughter and feeling unbelievable sympathy for everyone who lived before air-conditioning was invented. Finally around 4:30 a.m. the fan clicked on and I knew everything was back up and running.
Needless to say, three hours of good sleep have left me feeling refreshed and rested and totally ready for all the end-of-the-school-year activities that are taking place later today.
Which is why I’m off to take a nap.
Under a blanket.
With the thermostat pushed down all the way to YOU DON’T EVEN WANT TO KNOW.
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One time our air went out and we were waiting for what felt like a week to get it fixed. I got a huge bowl of water, set it next to our tall fan, and turned on the fan. The fan then blew across the surface of the water. It was my personal makeshift air conditioning unit and it totally worked. As long as I sat about 3 inches in front of it all day.
I am trying to work up some sympathy for you, but we live up yonder. In the North. Where June 2nd is still sort of considered “winter,” and we actually had to turn the heat on last night, because…well…it was a powerful-bit chilly. We had been all excited, because Hubs turned the heat off a couple of weeks ago, and we’ve been existing on NOTHING, which makes for a terrific utility bill at the end of the month. But finally, after some rain and some cloudy skies and some temperatures down to YOU DON’T EVEN WANT TO KNOW WHERE, I pleaded for some gas-powered heat last night, and I got it. And everyone slept like stones.
)
The air in our office building (in Beaumont) went out over the weekend. I came in Tuesday to a thermostat that had maxed out at over 90. It has taken two days to get it back under 75. It was horrible.
I felt like I had a pioneer moment or more like an hour last night. My car overheated, husband gone on business trip, smart son that can fix anything not answering cell phone, I was on a back road by Medina Lake about 7 miles from our house. Finally got my husband on the phone. I thought here I am a bright gal, can fix most stuff at home and at work but when it comes to cars I’m hopeless. My husband, bless him, always keeps gallon jugs of water in the trunks of all our vehicles, he told me to get it out, open the hood (I had to ask him how to do that) unscrew the overflow bottle (I said you mean the clear thingy on the left) and put water in it. I got home just in time before it overheated again (need new radiator). I was so shakey when I finally got home and I thought man I can’t believe I let that little incident whip me so much. I also just had the wrong shoes on to work on a work, know what I mean!
I mean wrong shoes to work on a car, doh!
I sympathize, but let me tell you, after experiencing power outages in both winter and summer, I think winter is worse. In the summer we can always float in the pool and sleep in the basement (ours is finished) at night. BUT, winter!!!! Brrrrr. We had an ice storm a few years back with temps way below zero and no power for 4 days. We kept filling the bathtub with hot water just so we could go to the bathroom without freezing our you-know-what off. we played so much gin rummy by candlelight that I haven’t wanted to play it since. only advantage in winter is we didn’t lose the food in the freezer–I just put it outside on the deck.
Seriously, what did they do without air back in the day? I hate to even think of such. Glad it kicked back on for you. There is nothing worse than trying to get a good night’s sleep with no AC. Just ain’t going to happen!
YOU POOR THING!!! I’m pretty sure I would cry and not be able to sleep without A/C or a fan!! I can barely get comfortable now and I have a fan AND a/c on every night! And I don’t live in South Texas! So glad things are back up and working today! (At least during the day you can just go sit in a pool to stay cool.)
I’m new to your place, found ya via Momma Made It Look Easy! I’m in Southeast Texas and OMG I hate it when the electricity goes out in the summer time…it’s so hot and humd and it’s just to miserable to sleep!!! Glad yours is back on now!
Well, I’ll just tell you that you are totally right- being without heat is much better than being without air. I know- we have had both happen- lost the air a couple of weeks ago over the weekend when it reached mid-90′s with 5000% humidity outside. MISERABLE. I cannot believe C is still in school- that has to be torturous for her.
Melanie, We are kindrid spirits who married kindred spirits, right down to the headlamp in case something happens in the night. I’m laughing myself silly.
Sister, I am SOOO with you! I live in Dallas and a few years ago I lived in an apartment that EITHER had heat or A/C because with was on a boiler system or something (different from Central A/C). Perhaps this wouldn’t have been so bad had not 95% of the apartments’ residents been above the age of 70, therefore wanting the heat on as long as possible, (through April at least!) As you know, it can be VERY hot in April…in addition, said apartment was so old if there was a stiff wind we lost power (i.e., frequently). So there were MANY a night that I had a hard time sleeping because I was so hot. I am not a person who enjoys hot and I would love to always have my A/C on so cold at night I had to have blankets on.
My Dad grew up in TX on a farm without A/C for the longest time–even without electricity for a while! and I frequently ask him in the summer how they survived. He said of course that they didn’t know any different and you were just hot–sometimes they pulled their mattresses outside on the porch where they could feel a breeze.
All that to say, I THANK ALMIGHTY GOD for A/C! I’m a HUGE fan!
I was driving home after church last night during that storm. I was seriously worried my SUV would blow right off I-35. I watched lightning strike and then saw power go out-thankfully the power at our house was still on. Glad you made it through the night!!
I tried to send you a lifeline via twitter. Benadryl. The induced coma will surely make you forget your sleeping conditions.
I live in upstate NY. I can only remember ONE time we lost power in the summer. WOW, what a huuuuge difference!! We could SEE!! It was light out until 9:00! It was WARM enough, we weren’t FREEZING! The kids could play outside and not even realize we had no power!! But in the winter….oh the horror! It’s dark at 4:00, it’s bone chillingly cold, and you’re stuck INside in the dark, with NOTHING to do except freeze and complain. I’ll take summer power outages anyday!
And yet, you never shared the actual temperature with any of us!
I literally laid in bed last night thinking, “Please God. No! Please don’t let the power go out. I can’t handle it. YOU KNOW I CAN’T HANDLE IT! I’m whiny and uncomfortable and I have 21 pounds of extra weight on my front. I can’t handle the heat. Don’t do this to me… don’t do this to my husband… he can’t handle me like this!” —over and over.. The good Lord listened!! I had AC, a ceiling fan, and two floor fans alllllll night!
You might be unhappy to know that our night of power outage was accompanied by a beautiful, cool breeze wafting through our windows.
And we may only own one flashlight (with dead batteries), but the flashlight app on Gabe’s iPhone worked like a charm.
Oh that stinks! I love my air conditioner, despite only needing it maybe one or two months of the year up here in Vermont
We lose power all the time here too. My husband also has given me a headlamp “just in case” during an outage. Its apparently a male thing.
Enjoy your subartic nap!
Cabin Fever in Vermont
Our power was out last night, too. Fortunately, we live in Illinois and not south Texas. It started to get a little stuffy but the power came back on about 5:00 AM. Glad you survived… hope you got a nap!
“Hooray for Benjamin Franklin” and “trouble in the coal mines”—-I am literally laughing out loud!
since I have experienced power outages in the winter in New England suffice it to say, if you do not have a wood burning stove, there are not enough blankets to keep you warm especially if SOMEONE wrapped your pipes with said blankets to avoid them bursting from the cold…so not sure which is worse…I always say I would rather be cold than hot but of course that is only when I have the MEANS to become warm inside (vs having central air to stay cool).
I love how DRAMATIC Caroline is! That girl cracks me up!
We live in Indiana……when our grandchildren were 3 and 5 we had a terrible
ice storm…..a limb came down and pulled the electric box off their house….
We were all without power in Jan for 3 days…..my daughter (a teacher) told
the kids they were going to be pioneers…..they moved mattresses in the fireplace
room….brought some toys in…..and kept the french doors closed…..made samoors, hot dogs, popcorn in the fireplace…….on the third day my grandson said “Mom, I’m tired of playing pioneer…..can we go back to being regular people?” God Bless, Pam, South Bend
Oh, I’m so glad your power came back on. I saw your tweet last night. Bless your heart. I just couldn’t even stay in my house if the power went out. I can’t take the heat and humidity. Fortunately my kids are still little so I can use them as the reason. “The babies” can’t take it. LOL
Here in VA they had tax exempt for hurricane preparedness and that is when some folks buy generators. I’m thinking an inexpensive one sounds like a good idea. It would be for the babies of course.
“You don’t want to know” is where I have mine set as a rule – in Indiana. I would perish in Texas, even with air.
your man’s got enough flashlights, headlamps, candles and lanterns to get y’all through armageddon, too?! every time my husband comes home with more portable lighting devices, i just shake my head. but i sure do appreciate his obsession a little more with each power outage! :0)
by the way…our favorite power outage activity? scrabble by candlelight. :0)
You’ve obviously never USED a headlamp! I used to make fun of them too, but then used my brother’s quite a bit as we stripped wallpaper and then painted in my kitchen and pantry – and now I LOVE it! Very useful what with the beam going right where you’re looking.
So. All I’m saying is, don’t knock it ’til you try it!
That was a humdinger of a storm, wasn’t it? We only lost power for a short while but half my roof is in my back yard. We had no power at work so we had a free day off. Crazy South Texas weather! I NEVER get nervous in storms but last night I was ALMOST there.
Me again! I forgot to mention that some of my friends out by Helotes still don’t have power. Now, THAT is not right!
Such a funny post, this is just the laugh I needed!! Of course, if I didn’t have a super sore throat from strep, I would be laughing a lot louder.
Yeah I’ve done both no a/c (in 100-degree Oklahoma humidity) and no heat (in subfreezing Oklahoma ice storm… went a WEEK without power then), and I can tell you I can live with no a/c but give me the danged heat!!! I can open windows and go outside or live in the pool/lake/river when it’s 100 degrees, but I can’t stand being stuck in a 42-degree house with nowhere to go because the roads are ice slicks.
Reminds me of that time I was 8 months pregnant in Florida and we had no power and it was really hot and I was 8 months pregnant and I slept on the living room floor on some couch cushions because I was pretending there was a breeze coming in but lets not kid ourselves because no breeze comes in when the power is out and I was 8 months pregnant.
“was there going to be trouble in the coal mines?” made me laugh til my stomach hurt. Thank you ever so much!
Oh my word! That was laugh out loud hillarious! ” I’m putting these here for you in case something happens tonight”. Classic P
I would love to see a Fashion Friday based around a head lamp as an accessory! Glad you are safe and “cool”.
It never occurred to me that anyone BESIDES a coal miner would have a headlamp. But I’ve been following long enough to know that if P has them, they MUST be essential.
I love it when you say to P “Have we met?” And this post is full of some classic (already) one-liners, as has previously been attested to. I could try to make that sentence gramatically correct (and they are telling me that gramatically is not a word…what?!) Wait. It’s grammatically. Grammatically correct, but then it would sound AWFUL. And I know you care. Does this even make any sense? I need to go to bed.
In the coal mines. ahahahahaha
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