With Hurricane Bill churning northward along the Atlantic coast, promising destruction, devastation and power outages, I eagerly took out my notebook and began to make a list. We would lose our electricity. I was sure of it. Since the privatization of Nova Scotia Power, all it seems to take is a strong breeze, salty fog, or a raccoon chewing through power lines to plunge large sections of the city into the eerie silence of pioneer days.
But on this occasion, it would be welcome. An ideal opportunity to devote some quiet, uninterrupted time to Halloween preparations. In recent weeks, I've been excessively lazy. Maybe it's been the unusually long period of heat and humidity. Maybe it's been the frequent summer road trips. Maybe it's just me. Whatever the reason, previous procrastination records have been shattered. There have been plans, but no follow through. Projects started, but not completed.
But this weekend, all would be forgiven. Thanks to Hurricane Bill, I would be assured of at least a day, maybe two, with no distractions. No temptations. Nowhere to go. I envisioned enormous productivity. Assembling the materials and perhaps completing my Halloween costume. Sketching new jar labels for a Halloween kitchen. Creating more hands for graveyard inhabitants. New projects yet to be imagined.
Waking to the sound of torrential rain and wind against my windows, I hurriedly made coffee. It wouldn't be long now. I switched on the Weather Network for a quick update before my connection to the outside world was severed.
But it wasn't severed. The Weather Network meteorologist kept talking and talking. The lights didn't even flicker. Glancing out the window, I saw a neighbour doing yard work. By noon, we were on our way out for lunch, surrounded by others going about their daily lives. My children went swimming in the afternoon. And I poured a glass of peach wine and watched the Weather Network all afternoon. Perhaps Bill was simply delayed. When they began reminiscing about hurricanes past, I knew it was all over.
Another weekend with no Halloween progress. Thanks for nothing, Bill.
0 comments:
Post a Comment