We Have POWER!

It was a Windy day last Sunday (Sept. 14, 2008) In fact it we had gusts clocked at over 80 miles per hour. They are saying the high winds were the remains of IKE.

The Electricity went out before noon. I was on the phone with my DH at the time. Since we use cordless and the base is connected to the wall outlet...I lost contact with DH. When you only get one phone call from him a week, lets say it was a bad time.

We spent the afternoon watching the HUGE Water Maple in the yard behind us break up. Many limbs went flying. The Biggest of course landed in our yard and hit our house. I was moving cars with DD1 at the time. It was like a hail storm of wood and leaves came over the house and hit us in the cars! DD2 was in the house at the time and heard and saw the impact. Scary. Lucky for us it didn't punch a hole in the roof. No shingles came off and we only have a bent gutter.

The girl who owns the house behind us is dating a guy who does landscaping and lawns. He is a Vol. firefighter too. She was in West VA. when the storm blew through and hurried back home.
She and her boyfriend arrived at 10:30 in the evening. He grabbed a headlamp and his chainsaw and had the honkin big limb off our roof and the other limbs out of both yards by 11:30 and by midnight it was all in the next county.

I really expected to have power the next day. Not so fast saith the electric company. So we spent our week cranking the crank radio to listen to the news and playing cards and other games by candlelight and cooking on the grill.

Here are some of the yummies I made on the grill this week. Remember I had to use stuff up from the freezer. Salmon, Tuna steaks, lots of chicken, cauliflower, broccoli, frozen pizza, sweet potatoes, Fennel...we ate lots of carrot sticks and celery. We made sandwiches with the chicken for lunch and I of course boiled water on the grill to make coffee in my press pot for breakfast. I also used the boiled water for oatmeal too. We really ate well. Unfortunately we lost everything in mom's deep freeze. Including the peach cobbler she had made for when DH returned from Qatar. I did feed mom all week too. It was easier on her. We only ate dinner out once and lunch twice. Yes the fast food places had electricity, which really makes you wonder doesn't it.

We were lucky that the temps stayed in the 70's and low 80's for the week.
We were lucky in that we had hot water for showers and for washing dishes.
We were lucky that I keep several flashlights, 2 battery powered lanterns, 2 headlamps and extra batteries on hand, that DH filled both gas tanks for the grill before he left and that the guy across the street gave me a regular phone to plug into the wall.

The next grill I buy WILL have a gas burner on the side. That will make coffee easier and allow for rice and pasta too.

I did knit, even on some beaded lace. I didn't spin and very little art was made. I spent most of my days figuring out meals and picking up sticks and cleaning out the fridges.

DD2 and I did start a book and we read out loud to each other until we couldn't see well in the evenings. The open windows didn't aggravate our allergies overly much because it was dry and the molds were down. When it got dark the dog would sleep. He was confused the first few days because with the windows open he heard all kinds of noises that are usually masked by the AC and the TV.

DD2 missed the TV most and since school was canceled for the week, she missed a field trip to see Dracula too. When things got too tough, I'd send her out to DH's car with the portable DVD player and a phone to charge.

We survived the week really fairly easily.
Not that I want to do it again anytime soon.
AND
DH should be home sometime on Tuesday!! Yahoo!!!

Viki