Tough Christmas

Around 11:30 on the 22^nd power went out and back up twice while I was on the computer. I shut down the computer and went to bed. Right before midnight, power went off and didn’t come back right away. The alarm system was beeping to let us know that there was no AC on, so I scurried down to shut it off before it woke our two kids. Little bit later power would come back on. My wife and I would be awoken by the sound of the furnace kicking on and the soft blue light from our cell pones in the charger. As soon as I fall back to sleep, power would go off and I’m hoping down the steps to the alarms key pad. This happen several times threw the night.

Finally about 4:00, I got up. The office was scheduled to be open for half a day. My last vacation day was scheduled for the 27^th. I took it off because my four year old had an appointment at OSU Medical Center. I knew that the drive to work was going to be a slow painful process and I have to leave early. I got out my walkman and a pair of tiny speakers. Licking County has been good about calling “Level Three” road emergencies (only emergency vehicles on the road.). I was hoping they had declared today one and I wouldn’t need to take any of my time. I was surprise when they said that Licking County was only at a Level One. Franklin County, where I work, was under a “Level Three”. This made me smile. I snuggled in my chair and listen to the people call into the talk radio about the condition they were finding out in the snow. The Franklin County Sheriff then called in to correct them that Franklin County was under a “Level Two” traffic emergency.

I headed up stairs. The office was to be business casual instead of business dress. I could bungle up with several lavers of shirts and a sweater today. While in the bathroom getting dressed I notice bright flashes from outside. I looked out the window saw bluish green flashes off in the distance. Dressed I slipped down stairs since it was still about 4:30 in the morning. I peeked through the blinds in our front window to get a look at the condition of the street in front of the house. One of the little battery operated candles was in my way. I then collected a few from the windows that my wife had put up for Christmas. I put them up around the kitchen and living room for light. I sat back down in the recliner and listen to all the reports coming in to the radio station. I decided I wouldn’t attempt going into work.

We toughed it out most of the day. We had called around and my wife’s parents had no electricity but did have a gas fire place. Our house was getting too cold for the girls so I shut off the water and flushed all the johns. My wife and I debated what to do with the food. We had too much that would fit in our little cooler since we expected her parents to come over for Christmas. We decided to hope that the power would come back before it spoiled. We packed the van with clothes, blankets, kids and dog. We also took the gifts we would be taking to Wapakoneta if we left the next day for my parents. So we headed to Westerville, to my surprise, the roads we’re that bad.

We stopped in Gahanna’s Stoneridge Plaza and got Taco Bell so kids could get something to eat. The Plaza was packed with cars. We got to my wife’s parents and we all sat in the in the living room in by the fire. We placed several calls to the house hoping the power would be on and the answering machine would kick on. I was able to play with the kids till sleep over took them. Kids, dog and I just slept on the floor in the living room in front of the fire. Later that night I had kept waking up to play “kid traffic Controller” Both kids, who fell asleep on opposite sides of the floor, tossed and turn their way directly towards each other. I would wake up and put a blanket on one that thrown of hers or turn a leg that was dangerously position to soon be flopped on an unsuspecting sleeping sister.

Friday Morning, we got up. My wife’s parents had gotten dinner at the McDonalds on Sunbury Road the night before. Her step-father and I went to get breakfast there. We dove around a little bit and several trees had taken power lines down and the roads were still blocked off. Ice coated everything. When we got to the McDonalds we notice they now did not have power. Neither did the Kroger’s next door. We drove all the way into Westerville to McDonalds.

After breakfast, we packed the van back up and decided to try to go to my parents. State route 33 was not a fun drive. I got to the second exit and turned around. My wife’s mother was going to be taken up to my wife’s sisters, who had power. We called my parents to tell them we weren’t going to make it. They told us to go ahead and get a hotel for the night if we could. They would help us will the bill. So we went back to the house and put several blankets in the dogs cage so he could tough it out for the night.

On entering the house our security system had used up it battery back up and was now letting out a steady beep. I had to call the security company and have them walk me through disarming the system. I was still getting a beeping. They told me it was the hard wire smoke detects. The 9 volt battery backups were dead. I had to get the step latter out so I could take out the batteries for each smoke detector. No way could the dog say with the beeping. I called several local hotels but they were all full so I called Holiday’s Inn toll free number and found the Holiday Inn by the airport had a room available so I booked it.

Since the neighborhood by the Holiday Inn wasn’t the best we unpacked the gifts from the van. We have to come back for the dog anyways. My wife and I then had to decide what to do about Santa Claus. We couldn’t sneak the gifts into the room with the kids. We didn’t want to leave them in the van to sneak in later. We decide to hope again for the best. My wife would go back in after everyone was in the van and moved Santa’s gifts downstairs. So if power was back on, we would come back sit by the tree and open gifts. Not the video taping and morning of homemade cinnamon rolls we had planed, but a nice traditional Christmas.

By now it was well after noon, we figured we get something to eat and then come back and let the dog out one more time before going to the hotel to check in. We headed to Pickerington to hope that they had power. I told my wife that since it was Christmas Eve that most places would close early so let’s go to a sit down restaurant so we can fill up because we may not get dinner. We pulled into Cracker Barrel and the parking lot was packed. When we got to the door they told us that they had closed at 2:00 p.m. We drove into Reynoldsburg but everywhere there was out of power. We circle up and back to Pataskala because we didn’t want to be far from the dog to go back and let him out.

Coming back on Broad, we saw that the Max and Erma’s were closed due to no power. The Old Summit Buffet has a few cars out front so I took a chanced and stopped. I went up and check the door. It was unlocked. I opened and went in and didn’t see anyone right away. I walked in a little farther and a few people were sitting and eating. I waitress spotted and made a bee line to me. I felt like Oliver Twist asking may I have some more. I asked, “Are you still open?” She said the buffet closes at 3:00. I looked at my watched, five till three. She added, “The lounge is open till 6:00. Did you want the buffet or to order off the menu?” I think then the relief and exhaustion must have shown when I answered, “It doesn’t matter.” She asked “How many do you had with you?” I said, “Just my wife and two little kids.” She replies, “Bring them in. Bring them in.”

She sat us down there instead of taking us over to the lounge and then brought us some menus. We checked out the buffet but decided the kids wouldn’t really eat anything on it. We order chicken strips for the kids to share. We know from experience that one may eat the part of the chicken strips. The other, probably, eat the apple sauce. There no way of tell which would eat which though. Both would clean up their fries and mine. Those kids have really helped my cholesterol level go down. My steak was good and my wife lasagna was excellent. They gave us double chicken strips since we said the girls would share. I was glad because tomorrow, if the hotel had a microwave, they would have lunch. Nothing would be open tomorrow; Power or Not.

On they way back to the house to let the dog out one last time, we stopped at the UDF that was open. They only had premium gas left but were selling at the lower cost. I only got a few bucks in when power went out. Since I was paying at the pump they told me to go ahead and go. We let the dog out and headed to the hotel.

The lobby was full. My wife took the girls and sat down. I stood in line and waited to be checked in. Several people in front of me were told they had a room but it was being cleaned and they need to come back in an hour or so. Seems the hotel was short staffed for the holidays and wasn’t expecting the boom not only from the airport but from a city with no power. Small little old lady next to me was trying to see if she could get her room again since she had no power at her house. Luckily our room was ready and We got the girls into the room.

Our room was on the first floor so although I had to make a couple of trips to the van to unpack everything, it wasn’t bad. We decided to give the girls a bath before going to bed. Last bath night was Tuesday and we were pushing Friday. They had been layer up and became a little sweaty a few times. Come to find out we didn’t have hot water. So bathes were done in haste, but any grim was washed away. We talked about ordering a movie they had plenty that we wanted to see. But by the time we called everyone and reported in it was too late. We placed several calls to the house hoping the power would be on and the answering machine would kick on.

The kids fell asleep quickly. We had two double beds. My wife and oldest took one. I build a bunker out of pillows around my youngest and laid down with her on the other. She was first asleep on my arm and I could get comfortable. So I free myself without awakening her, and then passed out. I was awoken by a thud of my littlest girl, who had hoped my pillow blockage and slide onto the floor. She wasn’t hurt I had a pillow on floor just in case. She quickly quieted down and was back out in no time. I, however, spent the rest of the night making sure that I have at least one hand touching her at all times.

Christmas morning, my wife realized we didn’t even bring one gift for the girls to open. A call to the house let me know that power still wasn’t on. While I loaded up the van, my wife microwaved the chicken strips. I asked if the restaurant was open for breakfast at the front desk and was told it was. We need to get back to let the dog out but the kids weren’t eating. I wanted them to eat something before we tried for Wapak again today. My parents would do Christmas exchange on Sunday now but I didn’t want to drive down and back in the same day. We were one of the first to come in. There was only one guy working so I hurried and ate then warm up the car while my wife and kids finished.

We arrive back at the house to pick up the shivering dog and loaded all presents. My wife opens the refrigerated to check it next thing I know she a gagging and heading for the sink. I’m the real compassionate one following her yelling, “No, No, Not in the sink. Go outside. The water’s off. Puke off the porch.” She stops gagging but shoots me a look. On our last trip out the door, she stops and looks at our tree. Looks at me and says, “Lot of good that revolving tree stand is now.” I have for three years been looking for a revolving tree stand. This year, we order one off the internet. I won’t say it didn’t get used cause it been on there since Thanksgiving when we put the tree up. This was a jab at me for buying the stand. Just a statement saying what we both felt. This wasn’t the Christmas we planned or wanted. My wife didn’t go on or complain that Christmas was ruined or how this sucked to no end.

Kids slept most of the way. The roads were a little rough. We drove slower than I normally do. My mother had lunch ready when we got unpacked. After we ate the girls open there presents from Santa. We recanted our travels although we have been in almost constant contact with them. We placed several calls to the house hoping the power would be on and the answering machine would kick on. The kids played with a mixture of Grandma’s toys and their new toys. We got hot baths. That night, my oldest and my wife took the double bed. I was in the single and the youngest in a pack-n-play with no change of plopping out.

Sunday morning, my sister came down with her family. My mother made lasagna. We also order Pizza and French fried pickles. We visited awhile. We placed several calls to the house hoping the power would be on and the answering machine would kick on. We exchange gifts. The appointment at OSU would not be canceled on Monday or I think we would have stated. We pack up the van yet again. This time would just head back to my wife’s parents again. Their power had come on late Christmas Eve.

We got to her parents. We unload the van and got the kids ready for bed. They we’re a little hyper for sleeping in the van. So we turn a movie on and tried to quiet them down. Let them play but got them to bed. We had to get up early. We would take the one year old back out to Pataskala to her daycare. Grandpa had a dentist appointment and Grandma needed to get groceries before my wife’s other sister’s family came down from Illinois. Drop the dog off and check on the house. Take the four year old to her appointment. I would spend the night with the dog because I would have to go to work on Tuesday.

Monday morning, I woke up at 4:20 and check the baby to see that she had a blanket on. I called the house and the answering machine picked up. So we stuck to the plan, tossing everything in the van. We dropped off the youngest to at daycare. Let the oldest watch her new Dora video while we cleaned out the refrigerator and turn on the water. We started some laundry then left for OSU. After our daughter’s appointment, we when to Meijer’s to replace some of our food. We picked up our youngest and dinner form KFC.

Once we pulled into our housing development, my wife gasped. “All the lights are out,” She exclaimed. Sure enough power was out again. I said, “Let’s just eat, then we’ll decide what to do.” We brought in the kids and gave them there food. I went down in the basement and got out our two small coolers. We packed up our frozen and frigated food in the coolers and set them out side. While in the basement, I notice that the dryer was still in cycle so power must of when off shortly after we left. Power came on when my wife and I sat down to eat. We had a few brown out but nothing major that we could tell. We were so tired I think we would of sleep through it.

Tuesday morning, I got up and went to work. Wife and kids got up and headed to her parents. Her sister made it in last night to her parents with problems. I came home. Let the dog out and fed him. I then changed clothes and headed to her parents to do our gift exchange. I then help load up the van and followed my wife home.

This has been one tough Christmas.

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