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Well, that was just fucking beautiful

2003-07-06 - 10:47 a.m.

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I got up bright and early Saturday morning (around five-ish to be exact,) all full of ambition to get started on the lengthy To Do list I�d carefully compiled the night before. Staggered around in my undies for all of about 5 minutes, sat down to check my email, and was instantly plunged into a darkness that would ultimately last 16 hours. I didn�t even get a chance to make the damn coffee.

Apparently a massive storm went through the area yesterday morning, taking with it the electric power of 120,000 Chicagoans, as I found out from radio reports which, while giving detailed, up-to-the-minute information on how the situation was progressing in each little individual sector of the city, generously gave only a nod to the fact that �some suburban communities were also affected by the power outages.� Well, thanks a whole fucking bunch for that helpful little piece of news, jerkwads.

Power outages here in Chicago happen about as frequently as, say, weather, and usually are short-lived so we didn�t get our dirty little knickers in too much of a twist at first. We still had residual coolness from the air conditioning, and it WAS five in the morning so we just went back to bed, confident that all would be well upon awakening a few hours hence.

But this was not to be. We awoke around eight to a sweltering apartment, no coffee and a refrigerator we dared not open. Potato chips and warm sodas constituted breakfast, and then I began to try and salvage at least some of the day to cross off some of the items on my list. I picked up all the junk that was lying around, organized my school supplies, took out the trash, and sat down with the bills notebook and calculator for my monthly ass-whooping at the hands of our finances.

I figured up our budget for the next couple of weeks to see how much we�d have for our St. Louis trip, as well as to see how much �blow money� we had to rescue us from the horribleness of the power outage. The negative balance that wound up in the blow column did not improve my day any... so I refigured, made cuts, rearranged priorities, made a wish upon a star and wound up with around fifty bucks we could spend that wouldn�t put us too deep in the shit come St. Louis time.

Fifty bucks to feed three people lunch, possibly supper, and gain admittance to someplace air-conditioned doesn�t exactly spread very far. The Prince and I did lunch at Chipotle�s since I�ve been craving it for days and it�s really not that expensive. The Evil Childe chose to stay home and swelter, for the Boy had promised to return from his week�s vacation out of state yesterday. So I gave her money to walk up to 7-11 and we headed out.

The kick in the head was, everywhere in the area EXCEPT our apartment complex seemed to have power. Which, while it made us feel like the redheaded stepchildren of the universe, was actually a good thing on as it meant we'd be able get money from our local ATM, probably wouldn�t have too much difficulty getting ice to pack up the refrigerator stuff should the power outage drag on, and didn�t have to deal with the joys of non-functioning traffic lights. (You�d think that as much as the power goes out here, the cops would have learned to direct traffic in such a way as to prevent crash-ups rather than to cause them, wouldn�t you? Well, you�d be wrong. They suck.)

We spent most of the day at Borders, reading for free and drinking coffee (him) and Perrier (me) for expensive; then we headed with Evil Childe and the Boy to Subway for what was supposedly a cheap supper but which wound up costing the remainder of my money. It was after 7 p.m. and the power still hadn�t returned, so we headed to the Borders (in another town, just for variety�s sake) to spend the evening soaking up more free air conditioning. So much for the romantic evening (read: plans for getting laid) that had been on my To Do list. Even if it weren�t too hot for sex in our place, we were both unshowered and felt decidedly funky despite our attempts that morning at washing up with bottled water. (I suggested we could include the flies and call it a group scene... well, maybe not.)

We sat there drinking more coffee and Perrier (courtesy of the last $15 available on the Prince's debit card) and read until our eyeballs were ready to drop from their sockets. We left around 10.

By the time we got home, the power had blessedly returned, and we had coolness, light and most importantly, INTERNET. I fell asleep on the couch pretty shortly thereafter, still unshowered, and I can only imagine what time the Prince went to bed after drinking all that coffee. I�m surprised he�s not STILL up.

So today, I�ve got 162 items to carry over from yesterday�s To Do list, not to mention today�s items. I have a test to study for, a drawing of my dresser to do, the kitchen and bathroom to clean, laundry to do, supper to fix, and sex to have. (I wonder if the Prince will mind too much if I just lay there and get some rest?)

I also have to re-do the closet where the cat box lives. Thomasina seems to have developed a horror of the group litterbox... since I�ve blocked off the spot in front of the washer where she used to pee, now she�s taken to whizzing right at the entrance to the cat closet. (The other cats then kick stray litter out of the closet to cover up the wet spot... isn�t that sweet? Little fuckers.) I�ve taken to keeping an eye on her when she goes over that direction, just to see what's going on with her. I thought maybe she was just using that spot because of the smell from a previous accident that wasn�t coming out, but no, she is truly horrified by the cat box. She goes into the closet and stands peering into it for many minutes, flipping her tail back and forth in consternation, as if trying to steel herself to brave the awfulness of the box. Then apparently she decides it�s just too much to bear, for she then backs her butt out of the closet and squats to pee in her chosen spot. I�ve squirted her with water when I�ve actually caught her doing it, and I always clean the spot with enzyme cleaner, but apparently she now has ISSUES regarding the litterbox so it�s time, yet again, for a cat-proofing of an unauthorized potty spot. This one is a little harder to block access to, considering that it the closet sits just perpendicular to the front door so anything we put in front of it blocks access to both doors, and also that we can�t block access to the litterbox, now can we? Considering there is no where else in this tiny apartment to put it that we wouldn�t be stepping into it.

I decided to clean the spot YET AGAIN with enzyme cleaner, block it with a milk crate for just a couple of days until it dries, then I�ll cover it up with a piece of plastic carpet runner and a washable throw rug once it�s dry and I take away the milk carton. Meanwhile, the cat closet is getting cleaned out and I�m putting in a new box, one without the hooded cover.

The hardest part of the plan is making sure that the litter gets changed every day. This job is one I�ve left to the Prince and the Evil Childe, for the simple reason that I don�t like to do it and since every other chore in the house falls to me, why SHOULD I have to do this one? The trouble has been getting one or the other to take care of it, meaning that it doesn�t get taken out as often as it should. I only bitch about it when it starts to stink, which may be what�s causing our little kitty-princess offense. I guess from now on, it�s going to have to be a group effort to make sure the litter gets changed every day. Hopefully that will take care of the problem... if not, I�m going to try using TWO litterboxes and see if that helps. These little fuckers are endless trouble... ENDLESS, I tell you! You�d think for all that I could pet one of them when I wanted to, wouldn�t you? But no... it�s always gotta be on their terms. Bastards.

Well, by the looks of that To Do list, I�d better get the hell off the computer and get busy now, hadn�t I? Let�s just hope that the storms forecast for our area over the next few days can make it through without causing any more unpleasantness with the power.








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Previous - Next

Last Five
Crappy job crap, weird neighbor, and someone whose baby I apparently want to have - 2006-05-08
Live from the dump - 2006-04-09
Kind of like a muzzle for your brain - 2006-03-29
...and then she fell ass-first into my cereal bowl - 2006-03-28
Playing catch-up - 2006-03-27





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