Blackout 2008

This morning, Pidgeon and I woke up to the Great Baka/Talpiot/German Colony Blackout of September 2008. OK, so it wasn't exactly like the one I experienced living in Manhattan during the summer of 2003, but it wasn't fun nonetheless. Around 10:30 a.m., I went to boot up my computer and noticed that my computer wasn't charging. Well, I've been having some issues with my Apple charger and so I thought it finally crapped out on me. So, I walked to the bedroom and looked for a replacement charger. I plugged it in and nothing. That's when I thought maybe the outlet fuse blew. So, I went to the fuse box and everything was up. Confused, I decided the workers last week must have messed up the outlet and so I walked towards the couch and plugged in to that outlet. Nothing. That's when I realized that something bigger was going on. I looked at the TV and saw the cable was out. 

Ahh - the light bulb went off and only the one above my head because - we have no power! 

So, I went to wake up Pidgeon, who is a lazy bum and decided to sleep in. He opened an eye and told me to stop being a drama queen when I said we were experiencing a blackout and he needed to call the electric company to determine how large of a blackout it was. So, he groped for his phone and I went outside of the apartment to check the lights in the building -which also didn't work - and reported back. We decided to call our neighbors to see if they were having the same issues. They were. We called the electric company and - sure enough - there was a recording that Baka, Talpiot and the German Colony were all experiencing power outages and they estimated we would all be back online by 1:00 p.m.

Great. Just when I actually have a ton of work to do, this happens. Well, I decided to wash the dishes cause at last the water is working, and thought back to my emergency items. I made a mental note where the candles were, I double checked that the batteries were working on my flashlight and I realized we had no water left in the house. So, I told Pidgeon he had to go and buy us some water, because lord knows when the lights would be back on.

Well, Pidgeon got a great big laugh about my "overreaction" and told me that Israel wasn't experiencing what New York went through in 2003. Whatever. I told him he couldn't have breakfast cause I wasn't opening up the fridge, and offered him a pear that was ripening on our kitchen counter. I don't think he appreciated that too much. We called his parents to see if they had power, since I really did have a deadline for a client, and they told us to come over. Well, we decided after Pidgeon got dressed and davened that we would go, even though the workers will still supposed to come to finish work in the apartment.

By the time Pidgeon was wrapping up his Tefilin, the electricity had come back on. Yea! I was thrilled, I really didn't want to drop in on his folks and do work. I like my home work station better, it's more comfortable, and I really didn't want to cancel the workers. It's time construction ended in this apartment!

Well, Pidgeon left to run some errands after I let him open the fridge for some cheese, and the workers showed up. I was reminded that I couldn't offer them any water since it's Ramadan, and so I let them get to it. Within a half hour, they were done! The ceiling in the bathroom has been painted and is now shiny and white, and the broken drawer was fixed (they left a big hammer back there the last time they were fixing the wall in the room - 6 months ago - and that's why the drawer wouldn't close!). I told them I'd settle up with them next time around since I hadn't expected the work to be finished so quickly today and have about 50 shekel on me. They were fine with that.

Once I got them out of the house, I sat down to work on that client press release when Pidgeon called from his errands. Turns out the package I've been waiting for was finally at the post office! Yea! I couldn't wait to see what my friend Tamara bought me while she was home in Portland.

I reminded Pidgeon to pick up batteries for the radio  (hey, this reminded me that you always should be prepared, no matter what!) and some vitamins at the pharmacy and then went back to work while he was doing errands. I had just sent the press release to the client for approval when Pidgeon returned, with the box.

My friend Tamara is so amazing! She sent me a book about the baby's first year, an adorable magnetic note pad of a pregnant lady for the kitchen, and loads of cute baby clothes! I told her what we're P"G having, so she bought very specific things, and I thought the newborn slippers were just adorable. Plus, she bought a pair of matching hat and socks, which would be great to bring the baby home from the hospital in. I left her a message saying how much I loved and appreciated her, and then I packed it back in the box and hid it underneath the bed. 

Well, I'm going to have to stop updating now as it appears I'm losing my internet connection yet AGAIN today. So frustrating!

Yom Tov from Baka!