How cold is it?

It’s so cold . . . That people are sleeping in their office at City Hall.

House reached 42 degrees.

I’m off to the hotel, cause my parents are big babies.

We have hot water! I guess we had it all along, by parents just assumed that we didn’t. I kept washing my hands and feeling hot water, and I would mention it, and say “Are you sure we don’t have hot water?” And they said “Oh, that’s just the leftover water that was in the tank.”

Last night after we had dinner at the City Hall Cafe (cause we were at city hall, and they were open, and right across the street - plus, it was BYOB, and we had tons of wine in the car for Larry’s party). Then, we headed over to the Senior Center where they had an emergency shelter set up. We helped set up cots and distribute blankets. It was weird, and I’ve never had to do anything like that. It’s weird how something like this can happen so quickly, leaving people without a warm home, and a lot of times, without food. Imagine how different it would be in the summer time… people would just be outside grilling food!

After we got back from volunteering around 9:15, I washed my hands, and again, the water was warm. It took a while to get warm, but I kept it running to test it. I said, “There is no way that this water is still warm after 24 hours. No way!” So my dad said he would test it in the morning, and try to take a shower.

I was still in bed when I heard the shower going, so I was excited that it was possible we had hot water! Larry came over for pancakes and coffee, then he and my dad set off for City Hall to do more emergency related stuff. My mom went to Sara’s where she took her shower, but I wanted to get some exercising in befo

re I took mine. I was able to do dishes with hot water, and had high hopes for a warm shower. The plan was to shower at home, change clothes in the steamed-up bathroom, and then drive to City Hall where my mom and I would spend the day, and I would get to dry my hair. I did a little exercising, push ups, lifted some weights, and did some sit-ups. I prepared my lunch to bring with me to City Hall cause I knew I wouldn’t want to do it with a wet head.

Right up until I got in the shower, my mom was still saying “I don’t think that we have hot water, I think it’s left over in the tank.”

“But I was doing dishes with hot water all afternoon.”

“And you probably used it all up.”

“Dad said that there is NO WAY that the water would still be that hot if it’s been left in the tank.”

“Well, I just went downstairs and felt the water heater, and it felt cool.”

“Dad said there was NO WAY!”

“Ok.”

But of course she has me freaked out that I’m going to lose hot water half way through. I think about what I’ll do if that happens, but jump in the shower anyway. The water was so friggen hot, I had to turn it down. It was so steamy and it burned my skin cause I wasn’t used to anything slightly warm. I took a very fast shower, but didn’t run out of hot water. Once I knew the water was still hot, I took extra long time rinsing the conditioner out of my hair. I got out, quickly changed, grabbed my clothes for Destare, my food, and left the house.

I’m now at City Hall, and using the internet and am nice and warm. I wish I had brought a blanket with me though, I love blankets, and don’t feel right without one. I was wearing two sweaters, but took one off and have that wrapped on me. I’m hoping we’re going to get pizza for dinner, and just eat here at City Hall. That’ll be less expensive, plus we won’t have to wait anywhere for dinner. I have work tonight at 6:30, and I have no idea where we’re going to sleep tonight. My mom really, really REALLY wants to stay at a hotel, but the one that has roo

ms doesn’t have any heat! My dad booked a room there anyway, just in case they get heat back tonight. City Hall is still available with heat and everything, but I don’t think my parents are keen on that. I think that it would be an adventure! Even if it won’t be that great, it will be warm, and it will be a memory. We’ll be able to say “Remember that time we had to spend the night at City Hall cause it was so freaking freezing??” I just know that even though I had four blankets on top of me, plus two pairs of socks, I was still very cold. My head was freezing, and I wish that I had a hat on.

No matter where I sleep, I might not get there until 2am (cause I have to work). But I heard last night, that there were only employees at the bar up until 11pm last night. It makes sense - people are freaked out about heat, power, and their food… who would want to go out drinking? Even though it’s a warm place with food, people want to eat dinner, and go to bed. No one wants to go out and have fun because they know there is a freezing cold home waiting for them, with no power.