Writing my blog post early today because I’m hoping to go to bed soon and catch up on some desperately needed sleep. Yesterday turned into a quite the nightmare after I finished updating blog. I’d mentioned the power was out and I wrote that post from the terrace. I stayed up there until a bit past midnight and then came back down, assuming power was back. All the other houses in the neighbourhood seemed to have theirs.
Oh, how wrong I was. Turned out that just our apartment alone had some failure and power never came back. I called and called the electricity board and they very nicely took my complaint and even called back to check if power was back and assured me it would be soon. But no such luck. I opened all windows and that made the place a little less oppressively hot and I managed to doze off for a bit only to wake up when all the mosquitoes in the area decided to feast on me. The trouble with open windows and no mosquito repellent machine (runs on electricity).
Got pissed and called the electricity helpline again and same routine. Reapplied mosquito repellent cream (supposed to work for 8 hours but not when you sweat it all off in 2) and once again dozed off for a couple of hours. Rinse and repeat all the way until 7am. Decided to check with landlord, who is also my next door neighbour and he coolly says yeah, this happens when people run their AC too much and the lines burn up or some shit. I’m like motherfucker I have no AC! So I’m melting here because you and the others overused your ACs while I’m already dying of the heat here? Ugh.
He also adds that he knows the guy who is in charge of maintaining the power lines in this neighbourhood and that dude won’t even answer his phone until 9.30 or 10 am. I tell him but I called the helpline people took my complaint. And he goes, yeah, that won’t help. As if to rub salt in my wound, he adds that he and his wife had their AC on until almost 11 pm and so didn’t even know the power was out until early in the morning around 5 am. Gee, thanks, guy. I barely got an hour of sleep all night, but glad to know you guys slept well. *roll eyes*
My work shift starts at 9 and this guy made it sound like there wasn’t much chance of power being back by then. Can’t work without the internet — and even if I used my phone’s data to start working, laptop could run out of charge and leave me hanging. Meanwhile, my fridge had been off all night and I had perishables in there. Desperate times, so took the desperate step of calling mom and asking where she was.
Luckily, she was on night duty at the hospital and would go back home around 9. Told her my situation and that I was out of water (no electricity = no motor = no water) too. To my surprise, she said she’d come over right away and take back to their place. A quick note here: I moved out because my parents all but kicked me out. However, I think my ordeals at this apartment have made mom feel a bit guilty and she’s been kinder and helpful. I am still hurt by their earlier treatment and wary of accepting favours. But, like I said, desperate times, desperate measures.
She couldn’t get out of work immediately, but did get here in time enough for me to be only 15 mins late to login to work after reaching parents’. And much as I hate to admit it, it felt so good to be back there. The cats, the birds, the trees, the QUIET. It was a nice break marred only by the knowledge that it was temporary. Managed to even sneak in a nap around lunchtime and it felt so good to sleep again without being startled awake by loud noises or the dampness of sweat.
She dropped me back at my place and I’m still wincing from the overstimulation — the heat and the noise and the knowledge that I have to get back to house hunting tomorrow. Only made a couple of calls today and both seem not too promising. Will cycle/walk around a different neighbourhood tomorrow and try my luck. I really have to find a place before the end of the month. Not even sure I’ll last that long here.
And like I said, better grab some dinner and head to bed soon, just in case the pattern keeps up and power goes out again tonight. Maybe I can get a few hours of sleep before that madness. Sigh.
Ramble With(out) A Cause 