My vacation plans when I visit family are fairly loose because although it is my vacation, there are always external factors you can't account for. Since I travel in winter a lot, usually that is the biggest variable. Aside from that, and my hosts' often unspoken agendas, all I usually do is make a list of "it would be nice to" and hope it happens. Hope. Not plan.
Why?
Experience.
Given that Grandmary and Grumpa have an active social life down here, I anticipated/wondered if another list wouldn't be compiled too. Yesterday afternoon's plan for today was to involve a trip to Mount Vernon; not the one I live like 3 blocks from, but you know, the founding father one. The one I actually have never visited. So okay: plan it was.
Then we really looked at the weather forecast: 1-2 inches of snow and mess in the morning and cold winds. Trip was off. Plan B or C involved area shopping and maybe a trip back into DC for some sights or Smithsonians.
What's the expression?
Best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.
This is why I don't PLAN.
My plans get banged up.
Like today.
This morning started with a bang.
Literally.
At 5:55am ... where somewhere in town the power failed, causing lights to flash, fans to stop, and white noise machines to fail. All of the stimuli woke up people enough to register when everything flicked back on about a minute later ... And then to stop with the sounds of exploding power transformers somewhere in the vicinity. No sirens, though, so we rolled over ... Thinking the power would be back on soon.
Please note: Exploding transformers do not usually mean SOON.
If I had been awake that might have registered faster.
Not soon.
The light of day revealed twice as much snow and ice as predicted, messy travel, pretty light, light that would prove important thanks to a western exposure window bank and eventual afternoon clearing and sun puddles.
But no power.
Thankfully water pressure, hot water, and flushing toilets, but no power, heat or for me, (gasp) NO internet wifi.
We eventually showered by candlelight, just to warm up, (light source moved when shower in operation/extinguished when carbon monoxide detector started to go ballistic).
But there wasn't a lot of moving from sofas or loungers and layers of blankets, except to take down the Christmas cards since it was Three Kings Day and to eat, stretch, or check the slowly dropping thermometer and thermostat.
Mom was super tucked in. Up to her nose. Dad was in layers, as was I. I also had a lap full of yarn and or a book.
Got through a book and a half, and made headway on the blanket I started on Sunday night during Downtown Abbey.
Mom slept.
Dad read, paced, talked to the neighbors, went to check on the transformer repair, and probably prayed a bit. The sun was starting to go down around 4, which is when things were really going to get dicey with no light or heat.
Not that I am counting too much, but 10 hours and about 40 minutes later, power came back, and then for me, wifi, and then the boilers kicked on.
I would fail as a pioneer.
Just because of the internet.
Or frankly, shampoo, indoor plumbing, and my hairdryer.
But there is something to be said that (grumble grumble) extra pounds and 20+ years kept me warmer than the parents. Mom is still chilled to the bone enough, and the polar vortex forecast for tomorrow is windchill factor-y bad enough, that all activities will be car related, local, and probably box store/shopping mall related.
And I am okay with that too. I still sound like a seal. I don't need to be outside.
Like Grandmary said: it was a weird day.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring.
~post and photos via iTouch
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