Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Moonlight
Sunday
November 5, 2006
"Well, I've got to run to keep from hiding
And I'm bound to keep on riding"
-Allman Brothers Band "Midnight Rider"
So there I was, laying on the couch around 2 PM, trying to fight the pain of an oncoming migraine headache (it's migraine season for me, apparently) when suddenly the power went out. Kkkkrrrr, it cut out. I've paid all my bills, so it's not like I owed Alabama Power any money.
When, by 4 PM, the power still wasn't on, I called Alabama Power. Its automated system told me that the electricity would be restored by 10 PM. I laughed to myself, thinking that AP was just giving itself plenty of pad time in case there was a delay.
Naturally, the power stayed off. It began to get dark outside. On my kitchen table sat a candle, one that I purchased in August 2004 in anticipation of Hurricane Charley but had never used before. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any matches or lighters, since I don't have much use for them anymore. But I needed to light that candle, so I prepared to go out to find myself a lighter.
An initial inclination to walk to the nearby Shell station was quickly quelled when I decided that being in a car with heat trumped the upside of going out for a walk. By this point it was dark enough where I could tell that power was out for all of the apartments in this complex, not just my particular building.
Ever try putting on clothes in the dark? Matching colors is pretty much impossible. So out I went, with a blue shirt that it clashed with my blue jeans, to find a lighter.
Walking to the Shell station would've been a not-so-nice surprise, as it turned out that the power there was out. Whatever turned the juice off managed to knock out a major swath.
It was a bit eerie driving at dark with the safety lights out. Not "Winter 1996 in Nashville power outage" eerie, but still it felt a little bit Stephen King-esque.
I drove down to the Rite-Aid on the other side of U.S. 31, and after getting mean-mugged by the three people inside (or, at the very least, given a "What are you doing here?" look) I obtained the lighter. When the other customers left, the shifty-eyed clerk asked me if my power was out. She wasn't psychic; she said someone else had been in a few minutes before saying that their power was out.
The candle effect in my bedroom was pretty cool. Don't think I didn't take a mental note on that for another time. It began to get cold in here, since the heat was out with the power, but I had blankets to get me by. It was very simplistic, with one candle burning, AM radio giving me updates (via 630 WJOX) on the NFL action, and moonlight shining in softly.
Thank goodness for the full (or nearly full) moon, which actually provided a great deal of light in an otherwise dark area here at my apartment complex. I opened my shades to let in the moonlight, which wasn't overwhelming but still helped, if only a little bit.
To break up the monotony, I listened to my iPod some (which my brother Matt gave me for my birthday) and heard "No One To Run With" by the Allman Brothers Band. That's a great song that never gets any play, let alone mentioned among the best Allman Brothers songs ever. It's no "Midnight Rider", but few songs are of that calibre.
Finally, about 15 minutes before 9 PM, the power came back on. You don't know what you've got till it's gone, so I appreciate having the electricity to be able to write this, even if my appreciation will likely be fleeting. I'm a realist.
John Madden just said "He's working on a twofer!" talking about a referee reviewing a fumble (and subsequent TD return) in NBC's Colts/Patriots game. Gotta love Madden. Don't think that I won't break that out the next time I can reference a friend trying to land two different chicks in one evening. I could see that being parlayed with the Brad Nessler "Looks like someone took the celebration a little too far" line from NCAA Football 07.
Marvin Harrison just got flagged for taunting after scoring a TD. That doesn't ever happen. It's like my friend Phil Murphy getting a yellow card in soccer... both guys just play(ed) with too much class for that to happen except for in the most bizarre of circumstances. If I was playing Madden 07 and Harrison was flagged for taunting, I'd call bullshit. And rightfully so.
I'm going to watch the end of this game and get some sleep. Go Colts!
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