Power On!

So last Saturday we get home from a grueling six hour ride home from Maryland, and three hours later, in a horrific rain/wind storm, our power is gone. Trees were coming down everywhere, and no, it wasn't one of those quick flicker of the lights power outtages; it was the real deal, NO POWER. Lucky for me, the girls were home to make the situation seem a little lighter. The only thing I wanted to do was climb into bed and watch some T.V. But that was certainly not to happen.
I was sure when I woke up the next day we would have power. No, we did not. To make a long story short, we did not have power for the next five days; six days altogether. This was the longest power outtage I can remember. Even Hurricane Floyd several years back only caused an outtage of three days. Each day got a little worse. Monday morning getting up for work was awful. It was the first morning of daylight savings time, and at 6:00am, it was pitch black. So I showered (we had hot water) by flashlight, got dressed by flashlight, and made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by flashlight. No coffee, no nothing. A bad way to start the work week. I tried to use as much as possible from the refrigerator, and I did give the girls two bags of food each to take back with them so I wouldn't have to throw it out. We got an obnoxious message (I had to go out and buy a corded phone so we would have some source of communciation with the outside world) from PSE&G saying that we would have power back by Wednesday or Thursday, not exactly what I wanted to hear.
Thursday afternoon after school I took Luke for a good long walk (nothing else to do). We got home around 4:30 and EUREKA!!! The oven clock was blinking - a sign of power! I can't even explain how exciting it was to have our power back. It's kind of like when you give up ice cream for Lent and then have a whopping bowl of it on Easter Sunday. Ice Cream never tasted so good; and lights never looked so good to me. I ran around like a maniac; compacting garbage, doing the first of many loads of laundry, plugging all T.V.'s back in, computers back in (we unplugged everything to protect them from possible power surges), the possibilities were endless. It was so much fun, I have still yet to vacuum, I can't wait. I now have a sparklingly clean refrigerator and freezer filled with new condiments and food. And I'm just getting started . . .
Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is, when you don't have something for awhile, and it could be electicity or anything, you really really miss it. But when you get it back? How very sweet it is.