I don't even know where to begin. I guess it started Friday evening when the storm kicked it into high gear and tree limbs and debris started hitting the house and the windows at full force around 10 p.m. Emmy was sleeping in the packnplay and I was blissfully scrolling through Netflix. It really started getting scary so I ran upstairs with the baby and woke up John and Yenna to come downstairs to the basement and sleep. I was afraid our house was going to blow down! The weather reports did not call for such severe storms. We were unprepared.
Friday, June 29th, 11 p.m. We gathered our things, the giant comforter from our bed, the crazy orange floodlight and went downstairs. We all started on the bed but the full-size bed was too crowded so we got camping sleeping mats and John and I moved to the floor. Eventually I had to feed Emmy so I moved up to the bed. It was a really scary and stormy night so none of us got much sleep.
Saturday, June 30th, 8 a.m. Enter our new reality...NO POWER. We thought for sure that the power would come back up but it did not. John left early to get coffee and found that only the Countryside Starbucks had power, Sugarland was out. With my doppio over ice sucked down, we left the house around 8 a.m. and started to hit our usual breakfast spots---Madeleine's-no power, Bagel Cafe--no power, Country Kitchen--no power, Reston Town Center---no power, finally Silver Diner---power with a mile long line. At this point everyone was cranky and hateful so we went into trader joe's (TJ). I grabbed a case of water, seltzer water and mini bagels, cream cheese and a few yogurts. We drank shots of coffee and proceeded to sit on the "smoking bench" on the side of TJ's and ate the bagels and cream cheese. Not the ideal breakfast situation but it did the job.
10 a.m.----I was beginning to maybe have a hint of what is may feel like to be homeless. I cancelled our dinner plans for our anniversary at 2941 and checked in with my parents and sisters who also did not have power.
We went back home and checked with our neighbors Sam and Sheri and they said they had gotten a room at the Westfields Marriott. Sam's phone worked so he tried to get us a room but no dice.
11 a.m.--We parted ways and left for Dulles Town Center (DTC). On the way to DTC we checked the Courtyard Marriott but they had no open rooms. I put my name on a list and we continued on to have lunch at the food court, get a free photo of Em's at Picture People, and let Yenna ride the carousel. Yenna wanted "Kabobi" and John and I got Chinese food. Did I mention all the computers were down? Fortunately I had enough cash to feed our family.
After walking around a bit Yenna was running and caught her shoe and bit it on the tile/carpet where she scratched her leg which started bleeding. We went to the office where they gave us band-aids and Neosporin and then we left. This was only the beginning of the building insanity!!!
3 p.m.--We stopped back by at the Courtyard and found out...WE GOT A ROOM! YEAH! Hallelujah! At this point over 1 million people in the DC area did not have power so we went ahead and booked for two nights at $79 a night. Good thing we did because the hotel was sold out on Sunday night as well. What a deal! Phew. We got the key and went back home. At this point the kids were sleeping in the car so I ran in the house and got our things. We stopped by the CVS in Countryside looking for neosporin and milk for Yenna. We checked into the hotel and proceeded to settle in.
5 p.m.--John went back to the house to get a few more things and I took the kiddos to the pool.
7 p.m.--Our "would be" anniversary dinner turned into dinner with the kiddos at Benihana. It was funny though because we also ate there in Scottsdale on our honeymoon 7 years ago! Fortunately, we had a dour man who other then the egg spinning trick and the "beating heart" but the table was not that into it so he pretty much didn't do the usual show of lame jokes and fake camraderie. Thank the Lord. Emmy tried her first hibachi zucchini and steak. She liked it! The food was good albeit a bit salty but tasty and we went back to the Courtyard to sleep.
Sunday, July 1st
5:45 a.m. John left the hotel at 5:45 a.m. and ran home to workout and check for power. The kids wake up at 6:15 a.m. and we hang out in the room until 7:45 a.m. John returns to let us know we still do not have power. I run down for coffee and yogurt and we proceed to Wegman's for ice and breakfast? We proceeded to have the Wegman's buffet breakfast and pick up some snacks. We also get 7 bags of ice and share with our neighbors. Can you say really puffy from all the salt from eating out???
10 a.m.--We proceeded to clear out both freezers and put food in coolers and take off for Jenn and Kath's house. What a waste of food! I throw out things with freezer burn but still we have one large cooler and two styrofoam coolers of food.
12 p.m.--We get to Kath's around 12 p.m. and end up meeting Mom and Dad at Jang Won for jajang myun. My stomach is groaning from all of the unhealthy and salty eating over the past few days. We eat a late lunch and proceeded to take more stuff to Emo's house where she invites us for dinner. Em's is out of her mind and crying like a banshee. She wants out of the carseat and she's letting us know it.
3 p.m.--After packing Emo's freezer with the rest of our freezer stuff we lay around and watch the end of the AT&T Tournament at Congressional. I go with Emo to Costco to get some meat for dinner. We have memil gooksoo and steak and it's delicious! So nice to eat a home-cooked meal.
7 p.m.--We go back home to get John's car and the baby proceeds to scream for the whole car ride home. She's inconsolable and Yenna is passed out. I am so so tired. I drop John at his car and he tells me he thinks we're going to get power back. I say to scrub out the freezers and I will wait in the Courtyard parking lot. John says, "Screw You..." (Well he actually didn't say that but I'm sure he was thinking that.) The baby is screaming this whole time during this conversation. I say that I am happy to do the scrubbing but he'd rather do that than drive around with a screaming baby. I drive with the tires screeching doing 60 down Algonkian and peel into the parking lot at the Courtyard. Yenna is still passed out. I get Emmy out of the car and she looks tired and angry with little red eyebrows. I leave the car running and get Emmy out of the car. We look over a field and see a tiny little bunny in the field next to the hotel. Silence and a pale moon in the sky.
8 p.m.--John gets back and we proceed up to the room. Emmy takes a "bath" in the hotel sink and I shower. Malcolm gets kicked off of Food Network Stars and we pray for a miracle to happen.
Monday, July 2nd Happy 7th anniversary!!
John goes home to get work clothes and go to work...WE HAVE POWER. He comes back with my iced coffee and iced lemon pound cake from Starbucks. What a weekend of craziness. I will never take air-conditioning for granted again. How did people live in corsets without air-conditioning? They really must have smelled really REALLY bad.
Here are some random pics from the past few weeks!
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