Nightlights Vs Glow Sticks

Last night Super Storm Sandy or Hurricane Sandy or Tropical Storm Sandy, depending on what news broadcast you watched pounded into the East Coast!  Maryland was prepared for the worst and, luckily, things turned out much better than we hoped.  Yesterday was windy, and rainy but the majority of the damage and devastation was further to the north in New Jersey and New York. 

Before the storm we extended an offer to my father to come and stay with us through the storm; he lives right on the Chesapeake Bay and is prone to flooding while we live on higher ground in a wooded neighborhood that suffers from power outage epidemics.  Who has it worse?  Anyway, he came to ride out the storm here in Annapolis and we kept power until the very moment we sat down to eat a hot dinner.  10 minutes earlier and we would've been eating some seriously al dente spaghetti.  

We broke out the lanterns, candles, and a few glow sticks and spent a powerless night listening to the storm rage outside the apartment, huddled around the  radio broadcasts from a hand-cranked radio.  Sitting in the dark there isn't much to do but chat, drink and wait for a tree to come crashing down through the roof.  This wasn't the first Hurricane we rode out in our apartment but this was the first as parents and we were more concerned for all of our safety than I remember us being before.  At Sara's suggestion I spent the night sleeping in a  recliner in the baby's room to be close to her in case something unexpected happened.  It would help both of us sleep better.

It occurred to me last night, falling asleep in Evie Sue's room, and bathed in only the soft pink light from a Dollar Store glow stick that while glow sticks can be silly, and fun nightlights are dependable and comforting.  Nothing happened during the night except the storm passing by and the temperature in our apartment dropping uncomfortably but I was there in the room early this morning as Evie Sue awoke in a room lit only with a pink glow stick instead of her butterfly nightlight.    The glow stick was a fine temporary nightlight but I was happy this afternoon when the power came back on and Evie Sue's butterfly nightlight started to shine!  It meant the storm had passed and everything was fine.

Thank You, Yul!

The bigger picture?   I have to keep it in mind.  That's not always easy as you go through life.  Sometimes I get bogged down by the stress.  Sometimes I'll open a bill, or pay a bill, or spend an afternoon trying to figure out how we can afford a new car and I just shut down.  I get overwhelmed, go silent and want to run off and bury my head in the sand.

Today we were running errands, and I was in a funk.  The baby was just as cute as ever, and Sara was as supportive as she always is but I was not in a good mood.  Then Sara changes the radio channel and the Broadway station plays a song I remember from the 'King and I'.  Yul Brynner sings 'A Puzzlement'.  Do you know the song?  If not, here is a sample of the lyrics.:

'There are times I almost think
I am not sure of what I absolutely know.
Very often find confusion
In conclusion I concluded long ago
In my head are many facts
That, as a student, I have studied to procure,
In my head are many facts..
Of which I wish I was more certain I was sure!'

Now, admittedly, I am not the King of Siam, and my problems would seem trivial when compared to the responsibilities, and stress of an Asian monarch but I relate to the song.  I feel for the man whom doubts the wisdom of his ways.  Even though he has more children than he can count and I have but one, so far, I feel for this man.  He holds his head high, and tries his best.  Sometimes he is stubborn.  Sometimes he makes poor decisions.  Through it all he is just a man - except in Westworld, in which he played a killer cyborg cowboy, but I digress - he is a man, and a man is flawed no matter how perfect he wishes to be. 

Evie Sue visited her 1st pumpkin patch yesterday!  It was just a small roadside farm stand with local produce, pumpkins and a corn maze but it was exactly what Sara and I were looking for.  We both love this time of year, and were looking forward to getting Evie Sue in a photo op with some pumpkins!  It was a beautiful Fall day, a quick little stop, and yet another memory that I'll always cherish.

The Weekend Is Whenever

Several months later here we are.  I'm still working the management job, commuting up to Towson 5 days a week, 10 hour shifts, and 2 days off a week.  That last part is very important.  I get TWO guaranteed days off to spend with my family.  That's valuable time.

Last year I worked almost every single day.  Nowadays I get a weekend, yes it's during the middle of the week but we try to make it work.  We sleep in, but not too long.  We eat breakfast as a family; today was pumpkin pancakes!  We spent some time on the floor playing with baby toys and singing silly songs.  We spend time together as a family. 

Tomorrow I will go back to work but I will be counting the days until my next weekend!