We've got power! It finally flipped on yesterday around 1. Four days without power in the middle of summer isn't fun. We lost everything in our fridge, freezer, and deep freeze except what we could save with ice in a cooler. Luckily the temperature dropped on Friday night after yet another storm, so it was really nice in our house the rest of the weekend. For some reason our house didn't get that warm...it never does. It topped out at 84, even on the hottest days. Probably because it's small and one story.
It's funny how many times I turned on light switches. I know it happened every time I stepped into the bathroom, and every time I went down to the basement. It's actually pretty eye-opening to live without power for more than a short time. I realized that I watch entirely too much TV (even without cable!), and that when you don't have tons of machines running on electricity and spitting out heat because of it your house isn't actually that hot. I also realized how nice it is to know my neighbors. Yes, they can be annoying at times, but they're a lot of fun, especially when you're all hanging out on a porch, drinking and huddling around a very small TV that runs on batteries to watch the Cardinals beat the Dodgers. It's wonderful how a community pulls together when something like this happens. We check on elderly neighbors, get each other ice, and generally feel more connected.
Though I'm happy to have our power back (I was beginning to have netflix withdrawal), it's also a little bit disappointing. It was like an adventure, and now it's over. We'll slip easily back into a life of convenience, occasionally waving to our neighbors or asking them to pick up mail. There won't be that common bond; that reason to yell across the street simply because you can and you know they'll hear you.
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