It was just about bed-time last night, around 11:00, when all the lights went out. Presto! No electricity. Our whole block went dark.
Call the police, hoping to get some information. “That’s PSE&G’s problem, nothing to do with us.” Call the PSE&G hot line. “Hi! Hot, sexy women are ready and waiting to talk to you!” “What???” Must have misdialed. Try again, get a robot. They’re workin’ on it.
Around 1 a.m. I went out to see if they were making any progress. In the opposite direction, just three blocks away, downtown Metuchen was lit up like the Fourth of July. I cannot imagine why. Who’d be shopping at one in the morning?
I walked five or six blocks through the snow and slush, following the brightly blinking yellow lights that showed me where the PSE&G trucks were parked. When I got there, they didn’t seem very busy. A driver told me they were working on it.
After 3 a.m., Patty was sleeping on the couch and I was nodding over our candles. Something bad might happen if I fall asleep there. The only option was to go upstairs to bed. By then I could hear men working somewhere in the night.
Around 5 a.m. the power came back on, hallelujah, and I rushed downstairs to wake Patty so she could get her oxygen, normal service resumed.
I reckon I got, all told, some two hours’ sleep. I’m not used to that anymore. I may have to go back to bed before the afternoon’s half over.
NOTE: Iowa caucus victory for Donald Trump; pygmies routed.