Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Friday the 13th and Sub-freezing Temperatures, Continued

The weekend was quite, and cold.  It went down to single digit temps, despite the sunshine.  Yes, sunshine, for FOUR STRAIGHT DAYS now, unheard of in our experience!  The trouble is, the thermometer hovers around SEVEN DEGREES!  This is, by far, the coldest weather I've ever experienced.  We still go outside, even take walks, but short ones.  Amazing to me, the dogs don't seem to notice the stark difference between low 30's and seven degrees, and will both take the opportunity of a walk to roll in the snow, every time!

The car sure notices the difference.  The door gaskets freeze, and one has to tug hard to get them open.  It takes a few cranks extra cranks to get the car started, too.  Oh, and the ice on windshield, this time on the INSIDE!  Crazy!  It also takes a lot longer for the interior to heat up.  Kathy left a can of soup in the car overnight, and it was frozen the next day!  

It's Monday night, and I am reading before going to sleep.  Suddenly my light goes out.  Okay, power outage, not unusual on the island.  It's typically back up within hours, no worries.  Not this time:  we wake up to my phone wakeup alarm, and still don't have power.  The heater uses oil, but it also uses electricity, so there isn't any heat.  I can't check the Internet, no electricity.  Luckily I bought some decent combination night light and security lights.  Once I get myself out of bed-it's my first day at work, so I have to be on time-we both take showers by the minimal light.  The sun still isn't up.  At least we get warmed up!  

Kathy drives me to work, but there is no one there, and the doors are locked.  We decide to go back home, so she can finish getting ready, then go to SEARHC, where they have a generator, and hopefully find out when the power might be restored.  It's warmer at SEARHC, but not many lights on.  We find out they should be back on within the hour, and suddenly the come on!  I say goodbye to Kathy and head back to work.  

There is still no one there.  I decide to wait in the car, and read my book.  It's so cold outside that I can't do this for very long without resorting to starting up the car again.  I manage to do this, off and on, until 10 AM, and then go home.  About 10:30, I call again, and this time someone answers.  I explain that I was supposed to start, and am transferred to the Office Manager, who explains there was a mixup, that the full Tribal Council must approve all hiring, and they don't meet until 5:00 PM tonight.  Well, this explains why no one has called me asking where I, on my supposed first day of work!  Guess I'll write this off as a good dress rehearsal!  I'm also wondering why no one called me back to let me know.  I'm not the least bit mad, though:  I really, really need to get back to work, and this looks like a very good opportunity, and I still can't wait until I can get started!  Keep your fingers crossed, please, that there are no other hiccups, and stay tuned!

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