Pow'r, Pow'r, Wonder-Workin' Pow'r

is not so wonder-workin'. Well, not if you depend on ye local power company, that is. After a thoroughly enjoyable celebration of the twins' third birthday (hold that pinkie down with your thumb!) hosted by my tireless mother and complete with all the finger foods two three-year olds could desire (pigs-in-a-blanket, cheese sticks, chicken nuggets, strawberries dipped in chocolate), TWO delicious cakes, and "scary funder and outside light" (thunder and lightning), we drove home an hour past bedtime to find our home especially dark -- plenty of "outside light" but none inside.
   
It helped that the children were worn out from the excitement of the party (and even the unbirthday-ers got goodie bags), so getting them in bed happened quickly. Getting US in bed was not so quick. Unlike my children, I have not been trained to sleep to the sound of the CD player (hurrah for batteries!), but my mind races without the steady hum of the air conditioner, or the rattle of the refrigerator, or the drivel of a movie. And there is no way my husband will ever be bedding down at 9:30 unless he is seriously ill. I did mention he's from Alaska, right? That's like 5:30 Alaska Time. (And, yes, after being away for over ten years, he is still on Alaska Time. He insists.) But being the decent, thoughtful husband he is, he went and got a Redbox DVD to watch on his laptop via this alternative power thingy (what is it called? It's not a generator...) so that I could sleep. Which I did, before he even got to the main menu.
    
And since we are on a well, when the power goes out, the water goes out. There is no electricity for the pump. Fun. Imagine having a bowling ball sit on your bladder -- wait -- change that -- imagine having a bowling ball dance on your bladder and then trying to find a good squatting spot in the dark outside (because, of course, the itty bit of toilet water that is left after your children have flushed wastefully is for the kitties -- what if they dehydrate in the night?).
 
So the first thing I did this morning after double-checking that the power was still out (sweaty? check. thirsty? check. bladder about to explode? check.) was call my parents, who fortunately live about 8 miles away and are on the city grid.
  
We have invaded their home, and I am LOVING the A/C (MY TURN IN FRONT OF THE VENT!), the endless drinks, the long showers, and the ever-at-the-ready toilet. Oh, and the high-speed Internet connection (what will I DO with the rest of my day?).
   
I guess I'll just have to revel in their wonder-workin' pow'r.
  
(And no, obviously I never made it past the first-round auditions for "Pioneer House.")