Seven days without electricity. I’ve been up on the roof twice, in the Poinciana tree twice; I’ve hacked at Palm Trees and limbs. (Thankfully, I missed my limbs…)

I decided to call Florida Plunder and Loot, (AKA Florida Power and Light) and report our outage, since the people on the north side of my street have power, and us south siders do not. It’s one thing to be in the dark without AC, but to stare out your front window into the houses across the street as they take hot showers, cook nice meals, and watch their big screen televisions is pure torture. I’m experiencing Electricity Envy.

Every hour I drive around the neighborhood looking for FP&L trucks.

Anyway, I called them today, and a nice man’s voice pretended to record my name, address and phone number. Then the nice mechanical man’s voice checked, and guess what, they found an outage in my area! Of course, I was dialing the special outage line, so I don’t think they had to check that one! Then the nice mechanical man’s voice indicated that this problem has been reported, registered, and he gave me a ref number. He apologized profusely about the power being out, and demonstrated real concern in his mechanical recorded voice, I swear, I thought I heard his pre-recorded voice tremble once. Then he politely told me I could hang up any time I desired. I guess he would hang on there as long as it took me to gather myself together and hang up. Kind of like Electricity Counseling.

Then I drove to the drugstore and met all my newly discovered neighbors at the pain section. All of us were buying hot pain patches, Tylenol and other first aid material. All of us were aching like crazy from our post Hurricane Wilma Trauma.

We are about to start our eighth day without electricity.

I need to find a Laundromat…..

SCG

Six days and still no electricity. I did manage to get ice today, twice, at the store. Also found a working ATM and a hard to find/get to gas station with only seven cars in line! This one had twelve pumps and took me all of eight minutes to get gas, including the wait in line. I filled up all of our vehicles. Awesome.

The evenings are stillunusually cool for this time of the year, and that is a real blessing from God.

Managed to get on the roof today and goop down some loose paper shingles, or toppers. Talked to someone about repairing our back fence, and made more Starbucks coffee on the barbeque.

The Milky Way and 99% of the stars are gone, so power should be back on here soon. Tonight I hope.

Peace out.

Fifth day without power. Tonight it will get down to just 69 degrees. The days will be warm.
I got ice easily again today, as well as propane. I sure hope the power comes on today though…..

Some photos for you.

I don’t thing this light is turning green no matter how hard you push to cross:

And these two photos are of condos a mile from my house that used to have some very large trees. They crashed down into everyone’s balconies……yikes…that must have been scary having a giant tree come inside your home!!!

I can’t see even a trace of the Milky Way any longer, so electricity is coming back. Hopefully to my street soon.

I will say, I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know my neighbors. In fact, this has overall been a very positive experience in so many ways. But now that we are into our fifth day without power – I’m ready to go back to normal…

Peace out people.

10 things I dislike about Hurricane Wilma

1. Whining muskrat toe jam for brains idiots waiting in line the day after the storm hit for government ice and water. Obviously they planned not for the hurricane we had a week’s notice was going to smack us.

2. TV Reporters shoving their cameras up the asses of the whining muskrat toe jam for brains idiots above, so they can stand there in line holding their babies screaming that the “Government Screwed Up!” I have three questions for you: 1) You look 17, why do you have a child? Ever hear of condoms? Self control? 2) Why didn’t you leave the baby home? 3) It is less than 20 hours since the storm hit, and you’ve already been in line for free government ice and water for six hours. You did nothing to prepare?

3. Whining muskrat snot for brains liberal politicians who grab every microphone they can find to scream bloody murder that FEMA didn’t deliver free government ice and water during the eye of the storm!!! Don’t you know there are citizens who had to wait in line with BABIES for six hours????

4. Florida Power and Light that assures us they will have everyone’s power restored by November 22. November whatthefuckdidyousay????? How about you shoot for this weekend, or the next? Don’t tell me November the 22nd!

5. Hummers and Lincoln Navigators in gas lines.

6. Cold showers

7. No Microwave ovens.

8. The sound that all the damn home power generators make that keep me awake 24/7.

9. No uninterrupted Internet or access to all my electronics. Laptop, Desktop, Pocket PC, etc.

10. Cell phone service. Or, the lack of it. Right now I’m using them for cat toys.

THINGS I LIKE ABOUT HURRICANE WILMA

1. The Milky Way!!!! Beautiful night skies. Awesome.

2. Drinking Starbucks coffee and roasting marshmallows over a fire in the back yard with my wife,

3. Not having to shave.

4. I haven’t worn a tie in seven days!!!

5. Getting to know the neighbors. Surprising, all of them are real nice people!

6. Lots of time for Bible study.

7. How I feel AFTER I take a cold shower. (Wonderful, but that may be just the relief from the pain of the ice cold water…)

8. No Cell Phone service. Kind of nice not having to be tied to that thing.

9. Not having to go to work!!!!!

10. Learning to be self sufficient, and not trust the government or the power company or anyone else for my food, water, ice, survival.

One other thing I am beginning to enjoy is the traffic through intersections. People are beginning to actually figure it out! Instead of waiting three minutes at a poorly timed red light, I get to go right after the other guys go. One after another, like a four way stop, only much more friendly and organized.

Here is a photo of the nearest traffic light.