It Huffed! It Puffed!

The Pacific Northwest was hit last week by a doozy of a windstorm, leaving to this day hundreds of people without power. A friend at work just got his back last night, but many won't until after Christmas!

We lost power during the storm around 1:30, Friday morning. I know this because we barely slept a wink all night with the battering of the wind and the fear that one of the many gigantic trees around us would tire of fighting the battle and come crashing into our bedroom. This happened to the previous owners (they weren’t hurt) so there’s precedent. An unexpected torrent of rain flooded the sewers and part of our garage. That's how I learned that leaving three bags of mortar on the floor four feet from the garage door is a bad idea.
We spent the day cleaning up, listening to the radio, and keeping a fire in the fireplace. That evening we rounded up all the candles and lamps we could find. While a candlelit night was fun in its own way, waking up to freezing temperatures the next morning killed any element of cute for us. Luckily, our power returned Saturday evening, but so many others were and still aren't so fortunate.

I know I shouldn't be, but it shocks me how helpless we become without electricity. No lights, no TV, no computer, no fridge. At least our gas water heater worked. It also reminded me that it's very important to matches handy, and ideally you remember where you put them. Speaking from experience, nothing beats stumbling around in the dark looking for matches.