Yesterday night I was actually watching the news as I was getting Benling ready for bed. Dave was on call so it was just the two of us in the house. I saw that there were a string of thunderstorms northwest of Chicago and the weatherman said they were pretty severe. I looked at the rain that was heading towards us and it didn't look too bad, and I had known that we were getting some rain.

At around 10:30, Ben was already asleep in his crib upstairs and I was getting ready to work on my Thank You cards from the baptism, getting out my paper cutter and photos. I was ready to be really productive because I want to get these things done before I lose interest in them. I started to hear some rumbling outside and saw some flashes of lightning. I had several lights on and the television, as well as the microwave because I was sterilizing some bottles. I was afraid I might overload a circuit or something, and I didn't even want to think about blowing a fuse and having to sit through the thunderstorm with no lights. I hate the dark. I can't be in complete darkness. It freaks me out. So I turned off all the extra lights, save for the kitchen light and light on the second floor, unplugged my laptop and closed it. I sat down at my kitchen table with my paper cutter ready and waiting and Ryan Seacrest on TV telling me what the latest celebrity news was.

Then all the lights turned off.

...and I sat in darkness.

Panic mode set in. There were no lights on! All I could see were flashes of lightning, which came frequently and cast a ghostly light inside my house at irregular intervals. I immediately reached for the first light source I knew of - my laptop. I flipped it open, logged in, and opened a new notepad document knowing that the white screen would shine brightly in the room. It was not as bright as I would have liked, but it was enough to stop me from completely freaking out. I then carried my laptop over to where I know the only flashlight in the house was - our hippo flashlight. Not too strong, since it's made for toddlers, but strong enough. Once I had my hippo flashlight in hand (it grunts and giggles whenever you turn it on, which in daylight is cute and makes me laugh, but in this situation was just a little creepy) I went over to where we have our candles. I got a couple and looked for matches. Of course, there weren't any. How could we not have matches? At least I was able to find the lighter we use for the grill.

I carried my things upstairs - hippo flashlight, laptop, candles and lighter. I went into Ben's room and set up camp. It took me a while to get the lighter going, during which time I contemplated finding some sticks and starting my own fire. Eventually I got the candles lit. I sat around in the near darkness with the thunder rumbling, the lightning flashing, and the sound of fire engine sirens blaring through the night. I looked out the window to confirm what I already knew - if this was just my house or if it was the whole neighborhood. The darkness of my neighbors homes as well as the storefronts across the street told me that I wasn't alone - and it also explained why I was in complete darkness when the power went out. Even when the lights are off in my house, there's still the streetlights that bring in some light into my home.

I tried to get to sleep, then I realized that the air wouldn't be turning on. I debated moving the baby down to the first floor, but I didn't want to wake him and I didn't want to risk falling down the stairs in the darkness, so we stayed on the second floor. I wondered how far this blackout reached - was it just my street? Was it farther? How long would it last?

I woke up several times during the night and still no power (I would have heard the TV blaring downstairs). The heat wasn't too bad, Benjamin tossed and turned just a little in his crib. I woke up at around dawn and couldn't get back to sleep again, so I just listed to Ben move around in his bed, trying to get adjusted. Finally when he started fussing in his sleep I woke him up and fed him, and he fell back into his slumber. There was still no power, so I had to take a shower by candlelight. After that I stayed on the first floor to wait for my father in law, since I wouldn't be able to hear him knocking upstairs. He usually comes in through the garage, but that wouldn't be working.

By the time I left for work, the power still wasn't on, so right now I'm worrying about a lot of things, like the food in the freezer, the fish tank, and most importantly, if the internet connection will be OK when the power comes back again. :-P

Posted by Yano at July 18, 2006 08:26 AM