The Polar Express - Part 1

We woke up this morning at around 4:00 am to the realization that we had no power and consequently no heat. We lit a fire and did the best we could do to stay warm under blankets. But when the temperature is in the single digits, it’s not easy to do.

When the sun finally lit the sky, we found that it was snowing. Everything was covered in a beautiful, thick white “blanket.” It made everything look so pure and fresh. The power eventually did come back on for about half an hour before going off again, which was pretty much how it was all day. Apparently, due to the extreme temperatures and the fact that everyone was stranded at home, electricity consumption was greater than supply. So, they had instituted rolling blackouts all over Dallas. Which basically means that they systematically turn off certain power grids for an hour, while diverting power to other grids, to regulate usage. Necessary maybe, but it sucks when the temperature inside your house is dropping drastically while it’s off.

The other issue I had was work. It’s hard to get much work done when your power is only on for one hour out of every two. So, I had to strategically run upstairs when it would come back on, answer some emails or MS Teams messages, and try to address some coding issues before it went back off again. And the downtimes were spent trying to entertain a restless toddler.

Luckily, we had some leftovers in the refrigerator. We just had to time our eating with one of the power surges, so we could heat it up. Which pretty much means you’re either eating when you’re not hungry, or you’re eating when you’re starving. We also tried to grab quick baths while the power was on, so we each got one throughout the day until we were finally all cleaned. But the majority of the day was spent trying to think up activities for Troy. We’d take turns to give each other a break or we’d all play together. It’s nice having time together without even the possibility of working. It makes you be in the moment and focus on quality time with your family.

We did go outside at some point in the afternoon. My wife didn’t think Troy would like it much, since she’d tried unsuccessfully to take him out yesterday. But we bundled him up anyway and traipsed out into the snow. He had a blast! He loved making tracks and throwing the soft, light snow up into the air and watching it drift slowly back down again. We chased him around the yard, while he tried to hide behind snow drifts. And we tried to make a little snowman, which Troy kept knocking down. It was good for him to get out for some exercise; get out of the house, get some fresh air, and wear himself out. The fun in the snow was a bonus!