Why Does It Always Happen?

It was the oddest thing this morning. I got up at the usual 5:20 AM and walked into Brittany's room to make sure she was moving...which she wasn't. I reached to turn her ceiling fan off and, as I did, the electricity in her room went off. I saw her alarm clock go dark and I fumbled around and tried to turn on her lamps, but no luck. I walked out into the hallway and put my ear to Abby's door and I could hear her fan running. Plus, the computer and lights in the office worked, and I know I had electricity in my bedroom. The girls' bathroom (between their rooms) had it, too.

Why is it that just about anytime Chris goes out of town, something in the house falls apart? It never fails!!

I remember once, when the girls were very little, and we were at home and I began smelling something funny. No, it wasn't another dirty diaper! So, I called my next door neighbor and he and another neighbor came over and thought they smelled gas! So, they made the executive decision
to call 9-1-1. Yes, in a matter of minutes, there was a screaming firetruck pulling into the cul-de-sac. A little embarrassing, I have to admit, since it was around 9 or 10 PM.

The firemen went in with full gear on and checked our entire house only to come out and declare that it had been cleared and there was no problem, at all. Not sure what that smell was...maybe it was a dirty diaper, afterall! Ha! The point is, this all happened when Chris was out of town.

Another time, we'd had a torrential rainstorm in Alabama, where we were living at the time. It poured for what seemed like 40 days and 40 nights. Well, the girls and I were in the family room watching some TV show when we heard a loud noise in the foyer. So, we all hopped up to see what was going on. Brittany exclaimed..."Our ceiling is falling!"

Yes, that is true. Apparently, we had some loose shingles on our roof, so when the rain blew horizontally, it made it's way up under the shingles and saturated our foyer ceiling somehow. Then, as the girls and I stood there, bits, pieces, then chunks of our ceiling began to fall down. It, literally, looked like a bomb had exploded!! Then, water started dripping down...plop, plop, plop. It soon became a steady stream and I had to grab some buckets to catch it in various spots.

Once again, I called on my trusted neighbor, Ed, to come over and get his advice. He didn't offer much help this time, other than to call our builder the next morning, which I did, of course. I just stood there and looked on in amazement at the huge mound of debris and water all over my hardwood floors and carpet (in the adjoining formal living room). Where was Chris when all of this happened, you ask? Out of town!

So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do to get power back on in Brittany's room. I refuse to call my neighbors about this. I am woman, hear me roar!!! Right now, I'm thinking a fuse blew and all I have to do is go down to the basement and flip it back on. Right? Hopefully, I won't end up setting something on fire...namely myself!! Wish me luck! :)

*After I wrote this early this morning, I went down to the basement and flipped the fuse on. I ran back upstairs to see if Brittany's lights came back on...VIOLA! Everything is in working order! Oh, Chris is going to be so proud of me when I tell him what I did all by my little self!! I am woman!!! ROAR!!! :)