So, how was my weekend alone and without power? All things considered, not too bad.
The wife and I have owned our house for 3 years next month. About two years ago, the neighbor noticed our elm, which takes up most of our puny back yard, was dying of Dutch Elm disease, like all the others on our street had years ago.
It's really dead now, and a major threat to crush the house in an ice storm this winter, so it had to come out -- for $1100!
As luck would have it, it was time to refinance the mortgage anyway. As luck would also have it, the house has appreciated substantially in three years, and so we were able to borrow a bit extra to take care of the tree and put some new fence in to finally thwart the doggies' escape attempts.
But to take the tree down, it meant dropping the power lines -- for three days, Friday afternoon to this morning. The wife was heading to a conference this weekend anyway and the kids are with their dad, so that just left me to fend for myself. Not that I was, you know, living like a hurricane survivor or anything. But it did mean no cooking, no TV, no DVDs, no computer (and no SG!
) and showers in the dark.
So, what to do? Well, there's the dinner theatre production of "Of Mice and Men," starring several of my good friends. Then the bar. Then Sunday there's canoeing on my friend's lake, dinner at the new WiFi McDonald's, and, again, the bar, to watch the White Sox go to the World Series for the first time since 1959! (I know, it's not the Cubs, but Chicagoans will take what they can get in the post-Jordan era.)
This morning, the dog barks to go out, but since everything is rearranged because of the tree, I can't find her leash and she runs off. Damn dog!
But she comes back pretty soon, and I realize, I can call the power company to turn it back on.
Another hour and a half of sleep, and I'm electrified again! Woo-hoo!
The wife and I have owned our house for 3 years next month. About two years ago, the neighbor noticed our elm, which takes up most of our puny back yard, was dying of Dutch Elm disease, like all the others on our street had years ago.
It's really dead now, and a major threat to crush the house in an ice storm this winter, so it had to come out -- for $1100!
As luck would have it, it was time to refinance the mortgage anyway. As luck would also have it, the house has appreciated substantially in three years, and so we were able to borrow a bit extra to take care of the tree and put some new fence in to finally thwart the doggies' escape attempts.
But to take the tree down, it meant dropping the power lines -- for three days, Friday afternoon to this morning. The wife was heading to a conference this weekend anyway and the kids are with their dad, so that just left me to fend for myself. Not that I was, you know, living like a hurricane survivor or anything. But it did mean no cooking, no TV, no DVDs, no computer (and no SG!
) and showers in the dark.
So, what to do? Well, there's the dinner theatre production of "Of Mice and Men," starring several of my good friends. Then the bar. Then Sunday there's canoeing on my friend's lake, dinner at the new WiFi McDonald's, and, again, the bar, to watch the White Sox go to the World Series for the first time since 1959! (I know, it's not the Cubs, but Chicagoans will take what they can get in the post-Jordan era.)
This morning, the dog barks to go out, but since everything is rearranged because of the tree, I can't find her leash and she runs off. Damn dog!
But she comes back pretty soon, and I realize, I can call the power company to turn it back on.
Another hour and a half of sleep, and I'm electrified again! Woo-hoo!
glad you're back in the modern world!
glad you GOT THE POWER!
kisses
KRISS