This must be what winning the lotto feels like. I said this when I found out that we indeed had power back almost 48 hours after we lost it due to Hurricane Sandy.
The second day without power started out pretty much like the day before, except for the fact that it was Halloween. Seemed like such a waste to have one of my favorite holidays fall on a day when we are all freezing with no heat and by sunset be without lights yet again. You may be saying well maybe you could tell scary stories by candlelight, but remember I have two small kids and do want them to sleep at night. So, probably not the best idea for our family.
But we were truly going to try to make the best of it even if we had to play beat the clock or the darkness/nightfall to enjoy this holiday.
So after a long day of trying to find gas for my car. Yes, I had to drive around for about an hour to find a gas station that indeed had gas, although this is better than the current gas situation of cars lined up around the block fighting over gas. Hey, at least I was able to fully charge my IPhone this way, even if I was not really getting much of a signal to the outside world. First score of the day!
Got home, found full cell service in my house for the first time. Second score of the day! For about 30 minutes, I typed my blog article. Then, shut down my computer once I was done so as to conserve power and also wanted to start getting the girls ready for their Halloween afternoon adventure. We began it by singing the Monster Mash and Ghostbusters Theme song when they came on the radio (ironically we watched Ghostbusters the night before I delivered Emma, so I definitely get nostalgic hearing that song!).
Once Kevin got home from work, we went to his parents house, where we dressed our two little ‘Cinderellas’ and then took family pictures on the lawn.
Next step was to go Trick-or-Treating at the Broadway Mall, because we thought that it would be a smart move to try to get candy and treats there rather than brave the unpowered street homes. More wrong could we not be, because most stores had already run out of candy and such by the time we got there. So, we were greeted by signs reading, “Sorry all out of candy.”
So we left the mall and ended up doing exactly what we thought would not work out this year by indeed going Trick-or-Treating locally to neighbors homes. Guess what we scored a ton of candy by just being out for about 45 minutes. Hey, it was warmer outside than indoors and everyone that was giving out candy was truly so nice to us. I think they were just so happy to have some sense of normalcy to their unpowered lives that they welcomed the dressed up kids.
Next up, Kevin’s sister and her husband had everyone back to their house for a barbecue of newly defrosted meat. It was going to spoil and be thrown out if not cooked tonight, so we had a feast by candle light.
We were all just hanging around still at their house, when we got a phone call from my brother at 7 pm EST that power had indeed returned and came back on in our home. That single phone call made me think aloud the statement that I opened this article with that this must be what winning the lotto feels like!! The nightmare was over for us, but unfortunately Kevin’s parents and siblings home still were without power. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s installment of the aftermath of us getting back electricity.
By the way, this is a Halloween we surely will not be forgetting anytime soon!
Here is a video taken in real time during the actual hurricane in a neighboring town. Very frightening and just can’t believe how this was caught on tape at that exact moment:
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JanineHuldie says
Thanks Julie and this was and is my sanity check. Also glad that life is slowly returning to normal for us.
Bill says
I'm just glad you are well. Having lost power for seven straight days last winter, I can attest to the fact that is an annoyance, but the bottom line is you are well. Welcome back and have a great Sunday.
JanineHuldie says
Thank you Bill and some of my family and friends are now Day 6 of no power. I just can't imagine to be honest. I feel totally guilty for having electricity and heat, too while so many others are without. But will say this so happy to be back if if it is a bit more limited than I would like.
Cyndi says
That video is crazy! I'm so glad you're all safe and sound. When our power came back on after 10 days, it really made me appreciate those little things that I took for granted – like flipping on a light and expecting it to come on. We had to spend so much of that time just…surviving. It's no wonder our society invented all sorts of things to make life easier – it's just so much easier with heat and electricity. *sigh* Your girls are too cute and I loved their Cinderella costumes!
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Cyndi, too. I know and totally agree about that video and a sI answered Steph I only first heard this video on the radio with no power and once I got power back needed to see it with my own two eyes. Completely insane and just hoping and praying my family and friends get their electricity back sooner rather than later, because they are on Day 6 and completely at wits end!!
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Steph and so true about that footage. I heard it on the radio and truly needed to see it with my own two eyes. Just insane!!
Stacy Harris says
I am glad that you guys were able to have something that resembled normalacy after the Hurricane. I can't imagine going through that and having to forgo the holiday because of weather. But I am glad the people were generous and I bet they loved seeing the kids all dressed up! 🙂
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Stacy and normalcy is definitely the key here. I actually just wrote up a new post that will be uploading in the next day or two all about that, so stay tuned!! But seriously we tried our best and don't think my girls were any worse for the wear. Thank God for small favors!!
Michelle Liew says
Halloween is a great way of keeping everyone's chin up! And Lily is a sweet Cinderella too! Glad things are now back to normal for you…I hope they will be for the rest as well.
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Michelle and so true about Halloween being a wonderful distraction through it all and I loved how adorable both my girls looked and were on this day. Thanks again 🙂 🙂