Enlightenment when the lights go out

By Lauri-Jon

January 10, 2005, at about 4:53 a.m. the lights went off in our new California apartment. I was asleep on the couch in our living room and had awakened just moments before, checked the baby TV monitor and saw our darling daughter asleep in her crib.

(I've been sleeping on the couch and my husband has been sleeping in the bed in his home office for the past two nights. Not per any marital problems, but because our daughter's crib is in our master bedroom. And since we don't have a privacy screen yet, when she wakes at night and sees us, she cries and won't stop until we let her sleep with us. She's now sleeping the night through and it seems like such a small sacrifice, especially since our privacy screen is due any day.)

Saturday night, upon returning home from a shopping excursion I noticed we had a leak in our entryway. It's been raining here in California for nearly three weeks -- practically nonstop. The maintenance guy came by Saturday night and told us to put a bucket under it. They came by Sunday, looked at the leak and said they'd have to fix the roof. Monday morning we still had the leak.

So when the power went out early Monday morning I thought it might be due to our leak, although it didn't look like anyone else in the complex had any electricity either.

When the baby monitor went out my first thought was, "How will I know if Maricella's okay?" Then I thought if I were asleep I wouldn't be watching the monitor. I also had the sound turned down, but knew I'd still be able to hear cries from the bedroom.

I woke my husband and told him the electricity was off and he said, "What do you want me to do about it?" Being a type A personality, I wanted to call someone, let them know about our situation, and find out whether it was just our electricity or was the whole apartment complex out? Bill said, "There's an after hours number for maintenance." But after a brief paperwork search by the light of my cell phone (new apartment, no flashlight or candles), he remembered he left that piece of paper in the car. After that discovery he said, "There's nothing to do right now," and went back to bed. Reluctantly, I went back to the couch and only dozed, knowing Maricella would wake in about an hour anyway.

Whenever the power goes out I always think about what people did before electricity. Candles, oil and kerosene lamps lit their way through the unknown dark. My thoughts also traveled to the recent tsunami disaster and how those survivors are coping with a lack of electricity and also the loss of life.

The last time the power went out, August 14, 2003, 4:12 p.m., we were living in New York City. I was 8 months pregnant and was on an escalator in the Port Authority Bus Station. The escalator stopped -- everyone lurched forward in total darkness -- then emergency lights came on. Security people were telling everyone to run for an exit -- thinking it might have been another terrorist attack. During the worst blackout in the Northeast, 8 months pregnant, in 80 degree heat, I had to walk home 40 blocks.

When the power goes out, I worry about the food going bad in the fridge and freezer. And now, as a mom, I think about the safety of my toddler's food in there. I worry that the power will stay off too long and wonder how I'll be able to change a poopie diaper in total darkness.

It was 6 a.m. when my daughter's crying woke me. I took her from her crib and snuggled with her on the king-size bed in our master bedroom. Opening the blinds by 6:30 let enough light in to change her (pee only) diaper.

We had our morning 'Yo Baby' in the dining room by twilight window light. And after, Maricella was just as happy to play in the living room.

The lights came back on at 8 a.m. -- just in time for that poopie diaper. (Yeah!) All in all, a fairly tame blackout.

I just saw on the news that people are loosing their homes, and -- more to the point -- their lives in this rain. I pray the rains end soon and the ground dries without any more mudslides.

For now, I'm grateful that we're safe, dry and warm in our new California apartment (even if the entryway is still leaking). My daughter is happy, healthy, playing, and the lights are on.

Comments

[Kj]

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[Liz]

:-) My daughter was conceived during the NY blackout. Of course we live in Florida, so the two things aren't really related. With the hurricanes this year, we had three major power outtages lasting 5 days, 3 days, and 3 days. In 95 degree weather with sweltering humidity. It's hell! Your account of parenting without power was familiar and hilarious!