60 Hours, Day Three

Monday, October 31: first thing I did was check the water level in the basement. Sunday morning it was two inches. Now it was four inches and rising along with our anxiety level. Nothing we could do since our electricity-driven sump pump was not working.

We had been nursing our remaining hot water for two full days so we thought we'd try showering. Two quick showers and that was the end of the hot water.

Earlier, town work crews came through and pushed fallen tree limbs out of the street and onto our lawns. It was the first time we could venture safely out of the driveway.

Now able to move about, I went shopping for ice to salvage what we could of our perishables. The first shopping area I went to was closed. No power. Ditto my doctor's offices elsewhere in the neighborhood (I needed a copy of a report; not an emergency).

Forewarned, I called ahead to my car dealer two towns over to see if they could fix my auto's remote control. They were open for business and fixed the remote quickly. As it happened, I was near the supermarket we normally frequent so I buzzed over there to find they, too, were closed for lack of power.

Came home and reviewed our options. We needed that ice to keep the freezer chilled and save any foodstuffs that needed refrigeration. A Foodtown supermarket in Cedar Grove, one town over, had not lost power and they had ice. We bought three bags.

We have friends in Cedar Grove who also had power as well as a huge tree in front of their house, blocking their driveway and front door. We offered to share our “threatened” flank steak with them in exchange for dinner and a few hours of warmth. To get there, we walked through snow-covered grass to their back door. Greeted by Max, their friendly, rather large mixed- breed-mostly-shepherd dog.

Our gracious hosts had another “powerless” couple seeking refuge with them so the six of us had delicious grilled flank steak. Our hosts provided the trimmings along with a welcome glass of wine.

After warming up for a couple of hours we went home to another night in a dark and cold house, where a bag of 150 pieces of candy sat waiting for the trick-or-treaters who were canceled by Mother Nature's freak Halloween snow storm.

If you think this story is endless, think how we felt living it.

(To be continued, really)