Powerlessness

I am powerless. At least, I was supposed to be powerless, for the whole day. Enmax, the electrical supplier here in Calgary, had given us a notice that they would be cutting off the electricity to our block of buildings from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM today. There are apparently upgrades or repairs needed for our neighbourhood.

As it turned out, the power went out at 10:15 AM and was back on by 11:00 AM, just enough time for me to use the bathroom and shower in the dark. By the time I no longer needed the lights, they were up and on. That's the way things happen in life. When you need something, it's usually not there. When you don't need something, there's plenty around you.

I actually had a plan for my whole day today. I was going to shower in the dark, as happened. I was going to have my exercises, as happened. I was going to write in my blog, thanks to battery power on my laptop and the Internet connection via my cell phone. I'm certainly writing, but there is no need for my phone. With the power back on, my home Internet is working just fine.

There are lights; it's no longer pitch dark in the bathroom once I close the door. My clock beside my bed dutifully reset it's time, slow by the four minutes it has ever been. The fan is once again blowing cool air across my unseasonably warm apartment. The fridge and freezer are whirring away. Katherine is using the stove to make a hot lunch.

Breakfast was to have been cereal and milk. The plan for the rest of my day was to spend my afternoon reading and napping. Even with the electricity back on, I can still have my cereal and read my book. It just doesn't seem like as much fun; it's not so much like camping anymore.