Somewhere in the midst of yesterday's nasty windstorm, our electrical power went out. Losing power is one of the things that makes me furious. I take it as a personal affront, especially when it takes hours and hours for the energy company to get things back in working order. Plus, I hate being at the mercy of some unknown entity, and being utterly inconvenienced until they have time to take care of my problem. Control issues again - I know I have them.
So we were in the dark all last evening, and though I had been dreading it, the time passed quite nicely thanks to a long conversation with my son (which cheered me up immensely.)
But this morning when I awoke, the face of my digital alarm clock was still solid black. No cheery red numbers announcing the return of electrical service.
Bah.
I've never made any bones about the fact that I like my creature comforts. "Roughing it" to me means a Holiday Inn without internet access or in-room coffeemaker. I've never had the least urge to go camping - as a matter of fact, I'd rather have a root canal than sleep out in the woods. So, faced with the prospect of another day without electricity, I was not (pardon the expression) a happy camper.
But even I was unprepared for the depth of my surliness and malcontent. I was grumbly, restless, and generally a huge sourpuss. I blame it partly on the fact that I couldn't get coffee immediately upon waking, and mostly on the fact that my morning routine was shot completely to hell.
If I needed any more evidence that I'm becoming an old geezer, this morning was certainly it. Without the comforting ritual of my morning coffee, reading time, and social networking via the internet, I was like a fish out of water - dithering and flailing around, unable to make a decision or utter a nice word. Even the bright sun etching the first crimson leaves against a turquoise sky failed to cheer me.
We finally packed up the computers and headed off to our local cafe with free wi-fi, where we took solace in a back booth with steaming cups of coffee and fresh bagels.
It wasn't quite the same as my big green chair at home, but it sufficed.
At 2:00, much to my delight, the power came back on. My life, which had been spinning dangerously out of control for the past 28 hours, suddenly righted itself.
All's right with the world.
At least until the next time the power goes out.