Adding Insult to Injury

As I’m writing this, it’s like, 14 degrees. Practically tropical compared to the previous day’s 7 degree windchill as I drove to work. My dogs are becoming world champion speed pee-ers. My electric mattress pad stayed on all night. My flannel PJs have made their way out of the drawer. As though coming to work these first few days after a long vacation wasn’t bad enough, my car almost refused to leave the driveway, even after letting the engine run for 10 minutes. If it could talk, she would’ve said “Are you high? No way we’re going anywhere. And clean out the backseat, would you?”

Coming off vacation and returning to work is never easy and it gets harder the longer you’re out. I lay in bed Tuesday night with my mind racing a million miles an hour. I managed to get about 5 hours sleep and nearly started crying as I drove to work. I was looking forward to a nice, long, warm sleep last night. DB laid down with me and started talking, which was fine until I realized I was up later than I’d planned. Then, to make matters worse, my power went out at 5:30AM. This happens a lot. It flickers, resets all the clocks, but comes right back on. Not today. No sir. It went out and stayed out. DB comes upstairs and tells me if I want a hot shower, I’d best get up despite having an hour left before I normally crawl out of bed. So I shower by candlelight, washing the essentials and putting my hair in a bun for a time when I can see it to detangle it.

I look out the window and notice our backside neighbors have power. Great, it’s just out on my street, starting with my house down. (The big power box is in my yard. Yay.) Since its not widespread, I call the power company. Someone is on their way. Sure they are, after they stop at the Burger King for a sausage croissandwich and coffee to warm themselves up. So, I dress by flashlight (yes, I match), get ready as best I can (I’m sure my foundation isn’t blended well) and I just went on to work since there wasn’t anything else to do.

At 6:30AM, as I left my subdivision, I passed the big utilities trucks. DB assures me the power is back on, so the $200 in groceries I just bought won’t be spoiling just yet. I crank up the heat in my car (to its dismay) and trudge along. I’m normally the last one to work, but today I managed to be first. Of course, that means I had to crack into our area with nineteen codes and spin locks and whatever. I spend ten minutes in the hallway trying to get in. I was never good at opening my locker either. As my coworkers file in over the next hour, they give me odd looks, knowing I shouldn’t be here yet. Of course, since the power outage was so localized, no one else had this problem.

So now, here I am. Short on sleep. Short of patience. Freezing to death. Wishing I had taken these three days off as part of my vacation. By the time I would’ve come back to work next Monday, the freakish weather will be back up to the high 60s. Mother Nature obviously has issues, as do I.

How’s the weather where you are? Where would you rather be at the moment? Maui is sounding awesome right about now...

SP