avocado8

Why I Am Tired Today

I have two posts I've been writing in my head for a while now; hopefully last night's adventures in sleeplessness haven't driven them out. For a synopsis of the adventures, I offer my Twitter stream and one of the grainy photos I took out my window:

By the time of the above tweet I'd called Al's blackberry and left a message, called PECO's outage line to report the failure (via automated system), called Al's blackberry 4 more times (he was away on a business trip), and was stumbling around the pitch-black house looking for a flashlight. When Al finally called me back, I was on a verge of tears. I was in the house alone with a sleeping 3 year-old, I couldn't see, I couldn't find a flashlight anywhere (the Beaner plays with them, so they're never where they should be), and I wanted to go outside and see if the whole street was down, but I was afraid to unlock the door. What if somebody cut our power *just so I'd open the door*? WHAT IF THEY WERE COMING TO GET ME???

Yeah, sometimes I spiral like that.

Anyway, Al talked me down, helped me find a lantern and a flashlight from memory, and had me give him the Beaner report (as much to get my mind back on a normal thought track as because he was curious). I finished my toilette by lantern, answered a call from the alarm company telling me that the power was out (yes, thanks, I was aware of that) and I think I finally got in bed around 1am.

That's totally true. While the guys were out there working, I slept fitfully and dreamed that I went out to ask them what had happened. One of them told me that a chipmunk gnawed on the power line, and they'd used the giant hose to suck it out of there (like a vacuum, I guess). "Why is there so much sand everywhere?" I asked. "That's not sand," said another guy, who was shoveling the stuff. "It's snow!" On and on the dream went, with me trying to figure out how they'd gotten into the house and set up worklights by the electrical panel (I decided that the power company had master keys to everyone's houses). I also tried to explain what was happening to the Beaner, who'd been woken by the noise and came down to investigate. Imagine my surprise (I woke with an "OH!" when all lights suddenly popped on at 5:47am) to find the Beaner still asleep and no sign that any workers had entered the house when I got up to turn off all the lights.

Needless to say, I will be going to bed early tonight. If you see me online past 9am, please IM, Twitter, or e-mail and remind me I said that. Also, a GIANT thank you to the crew who came out and restored my power in the wee hours. (Those PECO ads about how their employees work through the night so you can start the day? TOTALLY TRUE.) I couldn't have been more thrilled to have you making so much noise outside my window.