It is around 9 PM on Tuesday, February 16th. The day has been anything but ordinary. We have been without water and power for 27 hours and counting. Over the weekend, temperatures dropped dramatically, and this was followed by a winter storm on Sunday night. The storm brought sleet and snow. We woke up on Monday morning to a beautiful snowy landscape.
Monday was already a school holiday, and they announced that students would do virtual learning from home on Tuesday. On Monday, a second announcement came out that virtual learning was also cancelled because of widespread power outages. Most of the neighborhoods in our area woke up to no power Monday morning. I feel like we took our power for granted on Monday. If I had realized that power would be out that evening, there is a great deal that I would have done during the day on Monday.
Brainy Bird and I both had super productive days on Monday, but it would have been great if we had turned the heater up, charged our cell phones, cell batteries, laptops, run the dishwasher, washed towels and run Roomba. Our failure to do so was in part that we were too busy with our workdays to consider the ramifications of losing power and secondly the fact that we were conscious about conserving power. The power outages are a result of there being way more demand for power than supply.
Back to today (Tuesday), I woke up this morning to a beautiful, albeit cold sunny day. I cannot remember the last time that I was still asleep past sunrise. For just a moment, I saw the light coming in, and I though that the power was back on. I got up to find it was the sunshine. Despite having slept later than normal, Potatoe did not want to get out of bed. I think he liked his warm spot. I put on several layers of clothes, and then went to check on the rest of the family. The boys were still fast asleep. Storme was asleep next to Little Chirp, and Pumpkine was running around the house playing with one of Potatoe’s favorite toys that is actually hers. Trooper stood on the fireplace mantle next to the cold fireplace and cried as if demanding that I light a fire.
I lit the fire, and then I fed the fur kids, and I went to make coffee. I found that there was no water. I remembered that the previous week when we packed for our trip that Brainy Bird commented the suitcases were in the closet where he stashes all the stuff we might need in case of an emergency. This included a large bottle of water. I boiled the water and made my beloved French press coffee. It had been a while since I did the French press coffee. It was delicious. I then went to check in on my coworkers and I found that my cell service was on the blink, and that my cell battery was almost dead. I decided to go for a drive to see if I could find more bottled water, get gas, and charge my cell phone. I managed to get my phone halfway charged and fill my car with gas, and then I headed back to the house.
Brainy Bird was awake by the time that I returned, and he sat in my car in the driveway for awhile charging his phone. I continued to have issues with my cell service, and I really needed to make a call for work, and I was starting to wonder how long our power and water would be out. I really felt like we needed more than the large jug of water. I asked Brainy Bird if he wanted his first lesson in driving on icy roads or if he wanted me to drive. He said with absolute confidence that he wanted to drive. He is going to go to school out of state, and there will inevitably be snow from time to time no matter where he goes.
He drove like a pro. I cannot say the same for others on the road. My favorite part was us driving our little car up a steep incline with no problem, and the guy in the much larger truck behind us thinking he could do the same. As soon as the truck’s front wheels reached the top, the back wheels spun out on the ice. Size doesn’t matter; It is called all-wheel drive. Brainy Bird also got familiar with how anti-lock brakes work. Both Brainy Bird’s confidence about driving, and his effective driving in the ice were examples of the fact that Brainy Bird is more than ready to head off to college on his own.
We found water and a long line at HEB. Then we headed back to the house to find Little Chirp still sleeping. By now, it was lunch time. Our power, water, internet, and cell service were all still out, and the boys were hungry. We have a natural gas stove but cooking without water is not such a great option. We got Little Chirp and drove back to a Mexican restaurant that we had noticed to be the only thing open on our drive aside from places with drive throughs that had extraordinarily long lines. Not only was there not a wait at the restaurant, but the waitress sat us right by a power outlet. We got to charge one of our cell batteries, my laptop and my phone while enjoying our meal.
I sent the boys out to warm the car up while I paid the check, and I went out to find Brainy Bird had gotten himself out of a precarious situation. There was a significant amount of ice and snow built up behind the cars in the parking spaces, and someone had parked in the perpendicular space next to him, blocking him in slightly. Brainy Bird had to maneuverer slowly back and forth until he had worked his way out of the space. This was extremely tricky on the ice and snow. I was quite glad to find that Brainy Bird had already managed his way out of the parking space by the time I got outside. I would have been a nervous wreck for that.
We got back to the house, and while most of the major roads were still a mess, the roads surrounding our neighborhood were in pretty good shape, so I told Brainy Bird that he could go over to his best friend’s house. Little Chirp and I played Phase 10 and Yahtzee by the fireplace.
Brainy Bird returned and he made hot turkey and cheese sandwiches for himself and Little Chirp. We call these “sammies”. Then we sat and talked awhile in front of the fireplace before Brainy Bird headed back to the garage apartment. I then got a call from Brainy Bird, “Hurry! My ceiling is caved in.” I could hear the gushing water on the phone. Apparently, we went above freezing just long enough for a frozen pipe that burst to thaw out and spill water down through the ceiling.
I turned off the main water valve to the apartment and water continued to flow. I then realized that it was coming from the hot water heater in the garage attic, so I ran up to the garage to turn the valves to the water heater off. Little Chirp and I then helped Brainy Bird clean up the mess. As far as water leaks go, things could have been WAY worse. The pipe runs from the water heater in the attic across the entire living from of the apartment. Luckily, the pipe decided to burst in the corner above the chair and not the side above Brainy Bird’s computer.
Once we had the mess cleaned up, both boys headed to bed. I am laying in bed myself with Pumpkine and Potatoe snuggled up next to me. Instead of competing with one another for the spot closest to me they are snuggled next to one another, staying warm. It is going to be a long cold night…