Nou toujou nan fè nwa

Still in the dark here... no comments on that, please!

Thankful today for the generator and for our need for it to pump up water - otherwise, we wouldn't turn it on and therefore wouldn't turn on the wifi, either!  The price of gas these days...  It is one of the mysteries of life that we are not supposed to attach the iron to the extension cord power strip from the generator, or I'd be ironing linens right now.  Not to mention my clothes.  I did take a bagful down to iron at the Foyer Notre Dame on Thursday, but as luck would have it they had no power either.  Well, we did have a nice visit with the ladies and one of the little girls in the neighborhood who likes to come over, anyway.

I had a few moments last night wishing for power when I faced off with a Bug of Unusual Size while taking off the trash.   I scooted around it, deposited the trash, petted one of the dogs, and headed straight back to my new can of Baygon bug spray.  

Picture me in the dark, can in one hand, flashlight in the other.  Point flashlight, point can, press button... Nothing.  Press button further up. Nothing.  Again. Nothing.  Shine flashlight on can. Peer at label on lid. Good thing I can read some Spanish... Put flashlight on chair, try pressing the spot indicated with both hands. Nothing. Wonder how it is that I can earn two masters degrees and still not be able to figure out how to work a spray can.  Finally push hard enough to break the plastic bit holding it in place and get a handful of spray in the process.

So now I'm there juggling the can, the flashlight, and a handful of spray, dripping my way to the bathroom to wash up.

Return.  Move door gingerly, wondering if the Bug of Unusual Size is still there.  No, he's off duty. However, he has been replaced: a Spider of Unusual Size has taken up the post.  Blast spider. Spider runs towards me. Blast spider again.  Runs up the wall and then toward me.  A third time.  He falls off the wall. Phew.  Then he gets back up and comes towards me again.  Seriously??? Blast four, even though I'm fairly sure three times must be the charm. Finally, he has the decency to give up the ghost and rest in peace, so I can, too.

A few minutes later, I'm giving thanks for a gas stove and coming down the stairs with a kettle full of boiling water for a warm sponge bath, having given up cold showers for Lent along with electricity. Peer into the bathroom, hoping I have no more company. Wonder if boiling water will do the trick, if so.  Decide a warm bath is more important than finding out; don't need to find out, fortunately!

Baygone is my weapon of choice, I decide.

At which point, feeling a bit punchy, I wonder if this might be some giant Monty Python-esque D&D game in which my character is a chaotic good cleric armed with the Holy Can of Baygone and the Boots of Stomping.  Quest: Seeking Jesus.  Except he's already found me. How would that work, anyway?

Did I mention I was tired and punchy?

Sometimes it's good to have no power, because at that point it was clear I just needed to go to bed, and there was nothing to distract me from doing so since I couldn't see anything anyway.  Blessings come in many forms.