Saturday, November 03, 2012

Back

Oh, this?  This is just a snapshot of the fridge this morning.  WITH THE LIGHTBULB ON.  No big deal. 


There I was lying in bed last night, shivering under all my layers.  It had been hours since I had turned in.  I was tired and wanted sleep to come desperately, but couldn't shake enough of the cold to get comfortable.  I didn't think another night without heat would be so trying.  Had the temperature dropped into the thirties?  My mind wandered.  Now would be a good time to have a big bear of a man wrapped around me.  I dreamed of huddling in his warmth.  But dreaming of such things doesn't do much.  I curled myself into a ball and massaged my cold feet.  I started feeling sorry for myself.  Just then, as my sister and her boyfriend noisily pitter-pattered around the apartment, making every minute that ticked by even more grating, a floor lamp in the living room lit up.

Just like that.  It was almost as pretty as a trimmed Christmas tree.

I felt like I should probably kiss someone.  Or slap a high five.  Maybe a fist or chest bump.  Something.  But no.  I couldn't move.  Did I mention that I was frozen?  Instead, I refocused my eyes on the light coming from the living room.  I smiled at its soft yellow and willed myself out of bed.  It was past one.  With the lights on, the cold felt more bearable.  I busied myself with the task of cleaning.  I started with inside the fridge.  It was past three when I returned to bed, but when I did, I left my bedside lamp on for a little while, to take in the imagined warmth from its lovely glow.

6 comments:

  1. I'm so happy you have light, and now heat. Been reading and thinking of you everyday.
    :)

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    1. The power outage was the pits, but let me tell ya': it made me look forward to reading my e-mails the next morning at work. Your comments and e-mails really helped cheer my days! It feels strange to admit that I feel like I have a group of friends through this blog, mainly b/c I've not met most of you in person. The ones I have met are lovely, though, so I'm thinking everyone falls in the same boat :).

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  2. I hear you J. I keep referring to you as "my New York blog friend has had no power or hot water for a WEEK" and all my friends were pulling for you
    :)
    Also wanted to mention that your kindness to your building staff was lovely to read about and I hope they get great big Christmas bonuses!
    Good luck if you are voting today! Thinking of you and all my American peeps. xo c

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    1. He he.

      Yeah, we're going to have to stuff their bonus envelopes as thickly as we can manage this year. They had it rough.

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