When we arrived late Sunday night, it was adventuresome to look for flashlights and sleep in the soft light of vanilla scented candles. It was too hot to sleep, but we ripped off the blankets and slept on cool sheets with minimal clothing. Meals had to be in restaurants, but that was not as pleasant because the nearby places were not very interesting anymore, and homemade food is yummier. The worst part was the morning, when it was impossible to stay cool, and getting dressed in clean clothes and sweating profusely was frustrating. But it was still sort of fun for a day or two. Throwing out all the food was disheartening, and calling BGE and being told there was no way to predict when the power would return, was particularly disturbing.
After three days without power, I was feeling antsy. I like having electricity, and I miss it. I do not want to admit that I need power, that I miss power. I thought I would be just fine without power, that I ought to be oblivious, but after these three incredibly hot and miserable days, I am desperate for power. Perhaps the heat is what is most distressing. When we lived in Ecuador, the dam near Cuenca, the ONLY source of (hydroelectric) power in the country, was dry after a season of drought. For months and months in the winter/spring (it is always spring in Quito) we had six hours of power a day. At first it was disconcerting, because I never knew when we would have power. It was not difficult to adjust with meals, because we had a tiny stove, and were accustomed to keeping small amounts in the fridge anyway. So we shopped a small amount daily, and ate what we bought. Eric was amazing in that he used a small solar panel to run the internet and the computers, so we never did not have power. In time, the local newspaper would announce the times that the power would be on for which neighbourhood, so we knew when to expect the times we could use appliances. We adjusted, and our lives worked with the predictability. Of course, sometimes the announced times were wrong, and that was a source of chuckles and shrugs, but mostly we figured out how to live without regular power. I am sure there were many complaints, but no revolution ensued, and people appeared to be fine. Many businesses had generators, so restaurants and bars and clubs continued to function.
I do not remember being unduly distressed without power in Quito. Life went on, we all were in the same boat, we managed our lives without. I guess here in Baltimore, Maya and I have continued our lives quite the same as before. I have friends who are staying in hotels, and others who encourage us to stay with them because they have power. I choose to stay at home with the cats. I like that I am going to sleep earlier than usual because it is too dark to accomplish much in the evening.
I have never lived anywhere that had such difficulty maintaining power. Baltimore is in the dark ages, both figuratively and literally. Most modern cities have buried power lines (not Baltimore or Quito), so power outages are not the norm. I ought to be used to this, it happens altogether too often.
After three days without power, I was feeling antsy. I like having electricity, and I miss it. I do not want to admit that I need power, that I miss power. I thought I would be just fine without power, that I ought to be oblivious, but after these three incredibly hot and miserable days, I am desperate for power. Perhaps the heat is what is most distressing. When we lived in Ecuador, the dam near Cuenca, the ONLY source of (hydroelectric) power in the country, was dry after a season of drought. For months and months in the winter/spring (it is always spring in Quito) we had six hours of power a day. At first it was disconcerting, because I never knew when we would have power. It was not difficult to adjust with meals, because we had a tiny stove, and were accustomed to keeping small amounts in the fridge anyway. So we shopped a small amount daily, and ate what we bought. Eric was amazing in that he used a small solar panel to run the internet and the computers, so we never did not have power. In time, the local newspaper would announce the times that the power would be on for which neighbourhood, so we knew when to expect the times we could use appliances. We adjusted, and our lives worked with the predictability. Of course, sometimes the announced times were wrong, and that was a source of chuckles and shrugs, but mostly we figured out how to live without regular power. I am sure there were many complaints, but no revolution ensued, and people appeared to be fine. Many businesses had generators, so restaurants and bars and clubs continued to function.
I do not remember being unduly distressed without power in Quito. Life went on, we all were in the same boat, we managed our lives without. I guess here in Baltimore, Maya and I have continued our lives quite the same as before. I have friends who are staying in hotels, and others who encourage us to stay with them because they have power. I choose to stay at home with the cats. I like that I am going to sleep earlier than usual because it is too dark to accomplish much in the evening.
I have never lived anywhere that had such difficulty maintaining power. Baltimore is in the dark ages, both figuratively and literally. Most modern cities have buried power lines (not Baltimore or Quito), so power outages are not the norm. I ought to be used to this, it happens altogether too often.
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