I know what you’re thinking. This picture doesn’t look particularly dark to you, huh?

Well, it’s not.

I’m sitting here in the kitchen, making a cup of tea, eating some really excellent tiramasu. (Honestly. Some of the best I’ve ever had.) So all sounds well with the world, right?

Um, not so much.

First of all, I’m in the KITCHEN. I never sit at my computer in the kitchen. The table is too high, the light at the wrong height, so that it gives me a headache. The chairs aren’t meant for relaxing. Just . . . not ideal.

But, see, here’s the thing. When our house was built 31+ years ago, for reasons known only to the builders, they put my bedroom on the same circuit breaker as the bathrooms. Right off the bat, that doesn’t make sense–bathrooms, because of the water, need their own circuits, but my bedroom? How’d that get in there?

This is all relevant, you see, because this morning while Mom was drying her hair, the circuit breaker blew. Dad reset it once, twice, three times . . . nothing. Which means we’ve had no power in the bathrooms . . . or in my bedroom . . . all day. The rest of the house, however, is just fine.

Which is exactly why this is frustrating. When the whole house is dark, it’s fine–you read or play games, light candles, whatever, but everyone’s in the same boat. But me? Right now? Everyone ELSE can turn on the lights, put on the television, play on the computer, exactly as normal. I’m stuck doing things by candle-light. Or sitting elsewhere, like the kitchen.

Naturally, Mom called the electrician, and they said at first that his day was full, but Mom begged a little (“This is my daughter’s bedroom!”) and so they said he would come. The man’s wife (who works the phones) even told Mom that he was on his way, coming from Edison which, granted, isn’t right around the corner, but still . . . That was just before I got home from work, around 4:00. It’s now 7:37, and I’m guessing he won’t be here tonight. (Sigh.)

But meantime, this has really messed with my plans for the evening. Mom and Dad went out to dinner (at one of my favorite restaurants, of course!) with friends, and I had planned on cooking a nice dinner for myself (with tiramisu for dessert), wrapping my Christmas gifts, dyeing my hair . . . but . . . I was waiting for the electrician. Would he come? When? Any minute?? So I couldn’t cook dinner–what if he came while I was eating? So I just noshed on some of the Italian bread I brought home. I DID wrap my presents, but naturally, I couldn’t color my hair in the DARK. Washing, yes, but spreading dye? And getting it rinsed?? No, for that you need, at the very least, daylight, if not proper bathroom illumination after sunset. I did take a really fast (cold) shower around 7:00, though, when I decided the odds of his actually coming tonight were really small. Since nobody was home but Chappy, I left the bathroom door open to get some light from the hallway (and my Candle Chimney, of course) and it got kind of chilly–even with the fully-hot water. But at least my hair is clean. I hate going to bed without having showered first!

Meanwhile, Chappy’s really confused at the way the night’s been going . . . understandable, really. It has been pretty weird. And of course, Mom stayed home all day today, waiting for the electrician . . . so she has errands that she needs to do tomorrow . . . so, so much for doing anything fun together tomorrow, either. Because naturally, we’ve got to be here whenever the electrician DOES come (sigh). Assuming he comes tomorrow. He’s a good person and a good electrician, mind you . . . but, lordy, these are the times I wish the people who built our house had had a little more sense in these matters! I can work around a dark bathroom . . . but, how am I supposed to read in bed tonight? Or spin? And, I wanted to see Nigella’s Christmas show on the Food Network at 10:00 . . .

On the plus side, at least none of this has affected my laptop (knock wood). I really need to get a back-up drive or this, though . . .just to be safe!

Still, I’ve got to say, this tiramisu is incredibly good. One advantage of the dark? Nobody can see if I lick out the container….

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