In The Dark

Windblown and scattered. It is amazing that one tree can bring down a whole town's electrical grid.

Finally after packing boxes and cleaning up the kitchen I stepped into the shower. The water was warm and soothing and I had just poured a cup full of vinegar in my hair when everything went black. I stood there frozen for a moment waiting for the light. Nothing. Not a sound, not a glimmer just darkness. I finished rinsing my hair and grabbed a towel. Then I heard a pop and the whir of the printer and the television trying to start up again. Out of the bath I ran toward the kitchen table where our make-shift work area is set up. Then pop out it went again. I started unplugging appliances one by one frantic to make sure they did not receive a power spike.

It's dark and I'm scared.

Vuuum, whirr, the printer tried to start up once again before I grabbed the plug then it stopped. I ran to the window and looked out over the neighbor’s ginormous house that is normally lit up like a Christmas tree. It too was dark. There are no lights in the bathroom so I scrounged for a candle and a lighter which I found one but not the other. The candle did me no good without fire. I am not survivor man. I am not able to rub two sticks together and produce a roaring fire and cook cat poop tea. I am at a loss. I returned to a dark shower and felt my way through the rest of my morning routine.

The wind was whipping outside and the tall pines were swaying dangerously to and fro. I sat wet headed and impotent. I could not run my computer and peruse the web. I could not watch one of the five million news channels and find out if the swine flu had reached the moon yet. I grabbed my coffee and took a sip only to swallow room temperature café au lait.

This is the repair crew.

What is a mountain woman to do? I am sure a REAL mountain woman would have gathered enough pine straw and deer poop to get a flame going. She would have built a roaring fire in the fireplace and then lit her candles from there. Then she would have roasted her freshly obtained 50 lb trout that she had caught with her bare hands from the frozen lake.

Could you reach in and grab one for me?

I am no mountain woman. I am a survivor. I drove to the next town and got a coffee and spent my time in the book store.

That is how I survive.

Did I mention it was daytime?