No Power

09:18

So I woke up, about 15 minutes ago, and wondered why my fan had stopped. I quickly apprehended that the power was out all over the house. Firstly that makes it very hot in here; they’ve moved the generator so I’ve opened the window – it’s helping the temperature but smells a bit train-y still. It soon became obvious just how reliant on electricity we are – the only ‘appliance’ that works is my laptop, but because the router’s down I can’t connect to the net (and hence am writing this in Word). I could at least listen to some music, but only through the built-in speakers. For a while it looked like no Radio 4 for me, but I’ve just remembered we have a clockwork/solar radio somewhere so I’ll go and look it out in a minute. The phones don’t work either, since one is cordless and the other a phone/fax combo, and hence both need power. The fridge, oven, toaster and – horror – kettle don’t work. To add insult to injury of course I can’t even extract the car from the garage to go out somewhere, because the garage door doesn’t work! There might be a manual override but I’m not sure, and without lights (or being able to open said door) it’s hard to see in the garage. The TV doesn’t work. I thought I’d dress quickly and go and check with the neighbours whether their power’s out too… of course, the shower doesn’t work… I checked the circuit-breakers and they’re all fine. Filming is uninterrupted next-door but, of course, they have a generator and I don’t know whether they actually use any mains power. Anyway, had better do something… I think there’s a phone in a drawer somewhere that doesn’t need electricity, for a start. Oh and the doorbell doesn’t work either. But for once I’m glad we have a window in the bathroom.
09:26

As if all that wasn’t enough, someone has just put a ladder up to my – open – window (which looks into the back garden, which is reached by a locked gate, so no idea how). I’m hoping it’s the window cleaner, much as I dislike the man. So I’ve gone round closing all the windows and blinds. Since there’s clearly someone in why couldn’t he have knocked at the door or something? I dislike the ‘breaking-and-entering’ tone of his appearance… Actually he almost always gets our side gate open and leaves it swinging in the wind, so that it slams and the latch gets all mangled… [grumble, grumble, moan etc.] Once he accidentally cleaned half the windows at our friends’ house over the green, because he got the wrong house, left their side gate open, which could’ve resulted in them losing their dog, and then tried to charge them for the privilege… “What so I’ve wasted ten minutes for nothing then have I?”…incredible. Oh this is also the man who I’ve seen move his ladder over from next door by hoisting it over the fence – with no idea what’s on the other side – and who appears to use no water. As you can see I’m even more sceptical about the parents’ using him than I am about them using that company that follows the refuse truck around and cleans your wheelie bin…
09:44

Power’s just come back… let’s hope it stays on…
09:59