So, if the beginning of last week wasn’t bad enough, things kind of just got worse and worse.
Beagle #2 has been limping for a while, and I finally took her to the vet. There’s no injury, no reason for her to not put weight on her leg. She’s lost a lot of weight, and things just don’t look great. The vet said we’d try some antibiotics and a painkiller for a few days and see what happens. She’s old, has a heart murmur and there aren’t a lot of options. The meds seem to be working, but, it’s not looking good for the crackdog I’ve really grown to love, even as she pees on my floor.
But, then! Friday night, Superman was about to head home so we could bust through a bunch of work over the weekend when Enigma said we needed to put Beagle #2 in her crate since it was beginning to storm (storm = pee and LSD-like beagle behavior). No sooner did I put her in the crate and Superman drove away did I realize the wind was REALLY loud. Sunshine came out of her room, scared, and then…
The power went out.
Being the prepared person I am, I had one flashlight with dying batteries, two citronella candles for camping, and 3 scared kids, in the dark, with no a/c. It was a long night (visions of in-home invasions dancing in my head) that was only saved by the light of the laptop screens and the fortunate delivery of an extended battery for my cell phone earlier that day.
After the wind and rain died down, there was this “drip, drip, drip” sound in the living room. The kids and I all, at the same time, realized it and saw that indeed, there is leaking water in my living room. Grab a pot, hope for the best, pass out, wake up with each noise, cringe at the loss of food in my freezer, remember I have homeowner’s insurance, nod off, wake up worried about a Stepford riot, nod off, sweat, do it all again. Sigh.
Saturday morning… over 400,000 people in my area are without power. “Meh,” I thought, I’m outside of DC, surrounded by shopping centers and dense residential. We’ll have power. Heh.
As of Sunday night at 11pm, there was still no power at the house. The kids and I have been staying at Superman’s house (which also holds a good portion of the stuff from my freezer), 10 minutes away, with power and Internet. There was an ice and gas shortage in the area yesterday, people sitting at the grocery store charging their cell phones, and it was a weird glimpse into the “modern” take on power. Scary, inconvenient, but, it could be a lot worse.
However, I have to say, I’m torn between missing my own house, even if it’s falling apart, and kind of enjoying the time with Superman and his kids. I’ve cleaned, worked a bit, and it hasn’t been horrible. I’m stressed to the max, mind you, because my house has a good amount of damage I get to deal with, but, it was kind of sweet that Superman went out and got me a new shower curtain for his bathroom.
What is the lesson here?
Once again, I can do this on my own. Battle a sweaty night without power, managed displaced kids, be a grown-up and handle the insurance claim, and still maintain some presence for my clients (who have been just awesome through this).
Or, maybe there’s a different lesson. Maybe there’s just not a lesson at all, and I’m just dealing with life.
Life doesn’t seem to be as bad as I feared, despite the curve balls.
I’m heading to check out my house again. I wonder what awaits…
Almost annually, I drag myself and my children halfway across the country to visit my Grandmother, which usually also includes a visit with my old friends from high school and/or college.
