Powerless

Powerless.  Literally and Metaphorically.  Over the last two days the nation has been enduring a large  storm.  Here in Westerville we received about a 1/2 inch of ice.  As I lay down to sleep last night, the freezing rain was pelting the windows and the wind began to howl.  The lights flickered a few times and then everything went black.  Powerless.  When I awoke at 4:00 a.m. I knew the power was still out.  I could feel it in the temperature of the room.  Cold.  Great I thought to myself.  I'm awake at 4:00 a.m.. with nothing, literally, to do.  I tried to lie there for awhile longer, hoping to fall back to sleep.  But it was too late.  I was cold and I was awake.
So I trudged downstairs, found my flashlight and lit some candles.  Powerless.  No coffee.  No morning news.  No Internet.  The temperature on the thermostat read 50 degrees.  No wonder I felt cold.  It occurred to me then how much our daily routines depend on electricity.  I couldn't make coffee or make breakfast.  I didn't even want to open the refrigerator, trying to keep it as cold as possible for as long as I could.  I was powerless.
Once Nate and Jeff were awake, we headed out to breakfast.  Thank goodness that we didn't have to go far.  The McDonald's up the street had power and COFFEE!
After breakfast, we headed to Meggan's because she had power.  We enjoyed a few hours there, playing with Maddy and warming up before receiving a text from a neighbor that the power was back on.
As of tonight, there were still 30% of Delaware County residents without power.  They were opening an emergency shelter for those in need.  I am thankful for power.  I hope everyone who needs it finds shelter and warmth tonight.