Waiting In The Dark

it is 4:30 p.m. in the holy city of zefat.  the electricity just came back on.  at about 11:00 a.m. the power went off.  i assumed that it was a power outage in the neighborhood and was bummed out because i am lost without the telly.  after a short time, i checked with a neighbor just to be sure it wasn't just me without lights.  it turns out that it was just me.  the power company finally shut off our electricity.

i have been fearing this for awhile and yet, i still believed that i had time to pay the bills.  i was waiting for a reduction from the national insurance company and also for a good day to leave the house.  i didn't receive any notices or warnings and i had no idea that i had been shut off until around noon.  i called the electric company to ask how much i actually owed after the senior citizen discount.  they couldn't tell me right away.

i had about $100 in cash and only one check left.  i went to the super yesterday to get more bargains and used up my checks.  i was planning on getting to the bank tomorrow.  i woke up with a pain in my bad eye.  it was tearing and hurting and i was in no shape to get out of bed.  i didn't even make myself a hot drink.  i figured that i would get to the power company next week to clear things up.  when i finally realized that i had to get to the electric company right away i went straight into problem solving mode.  i thought about running to the local cash machine but i wasn't sure that i had any money to withdraw.

i quickly threw on a jacket and ran to catch the bus to town.  i went straight to the bank to check out my balance.  luckily, i had some cash left to withdraw.  i ordered new checks and jumped into a cab.  the cab driver remembered me from two months ago when he drove me to the tel aviv bus in rosh pina.  he owed me a receipt and gave me one today.  i don't know if the health carrier will accept it and reimburse me.  i got to the electric company, which is literally, at the other end of zefat, at about 12:45 p.m.

it didn't show on the computer that i had been cut off.  the manager asked me for the turn off notice, which i didn't have because i never got one.  the bill turned out to be a little over $400.  i did get about a  $200 reduction.  the manager promised that the electricity would be turned back on in half an hour.  i had about $2 left over.  it was exactly enough money to ride the buses home.  i started walking in the direction of the bus stop.  it was a long haul.

i was at the bottom of the industrial zone.  i tried to get a lift.  no one was going back to town so i kept on walking.  it was a warm and sunny day.  i didn't really know where i was.  i finally got a lift to a bus stop in the southern end of town.  i caught the bus right away and made it back to town.  the second bus was actually there so i avoided a 30 minute wait.. i got back to my neighborhood pretty soon and went to visit a friend.  she wasn't home so i walked to the little super to see if they had any bargains.  i bought a few tomatoes and went home.  they were in the midst of revamping the store and nothing was organized yet.

i got home at 2:45 p.m. and there wasn't any electricity.  i started my frantic calls.  i was so afraid that the daughter-in-law would come home to a dark house.  she was not a happy camper at all.  she started calling in rapid fire hebrew but was told that we might have to wait until 9:00 p.m.  by 4:00 p.m. it was already dark in my house.  luckily it was a warm day and we were all siitting otside in the sun.  i made my last frantic call about 4:30 p.m. and finally the lights went back on.

being without the t.v. and computer all day long was painful.  i am a junkie.  i am watching 7:15 a.m. reruns of the apprentice because the 'housewives' ended.  i am totally unmotivated to read or do a project in the house.  i have plenty to do here.  there are walls to patch up and paint, and there is a lot to clean.  i can't get started.  my mind is working overtime making mental lists but my body doesn't follow up.  i am a couch slouch!