C Cleveland

For some reason, I woke up at 4:30 in the morning on Thursday and looked out the window.

WHAAAA?!?!?!??!

 

SNOW!

 

And not just a little. All I remember hearing on the news was 'light flurries' but this sure wasn't light flurries. I went back to bed and then I started hearing "pop" "pop" "pop" "pop". You know, my overly imaginative brain always assumes it's gunshots so I noted the time in case the police were looking for witnesses. 4:45AM

 

It didn't dawn on me until later in the day that the popping noises I was hearing weren't gunshots at all but transformers popping. A little later, around 5:00, I heard more odd noises and I got up to see if it was my neighbor leaving for work but it wasn't. It turned out to be the sound of branches breaking.

 

We had snow, sleet, hail, heavy winds, rain, lightning and thunder. I was pretty sure it was the apocalypse. I was drifting back to sleep when I heard my printer starting up, an indication that the power had flickered on and off.

 

When I woke again, I looked over at my clock and it wasn't working. I turned the switch on my lamp. Nothing. The power was out. CRAP.

 

The combination of wet, heavy snow with trees that still had their leaves caused branches to break and power lines to come down with them. Over 35,000 people in the east side of Cleveland area were without power and lucky me, I was one of them. Oh well, this happens sometimes, so I was sure it would be on again soon.

 

I had to work in the afternoon and the wind, snow and rain continued. Oh well, I was sure my power would be back on when I got home in 4 hours.

 

Nope.

 

Still no power at 5:00PM so my neighbor across the street and I decided to get together by candlelight to pass the time. He moved in a few months ago, so we had a great time getting to know each other and telling ghost stories. Okay, I was the one telling ghost stories.

 

 

 

 

 But, of course.

 

I left his house around 10:00 and when I got in my house, the temperature was 50 degrees. BRRRRRRR....

 

I decided I may as well go to sleep but it's really hard to sleep when you're freezing cold and you have three shivering dogs huddled against you trying to get warm. At one point, they were pushing into me so hard that I almost fell out of the bed. Oh well, I was sure the power would be on by morning.

 

Nope. A little over 28 hours later, it finally came on. Just in time for me to get ready for a Friday night wedding. Thank God.

Here's some of the damage.

 

 

 

My poor display!

 

This branch snapped and is hanging above the garage at my rental.