I’m trying to get it into me to write something funny or snarky or angry or bitter. But I’ve got a case of the well rested ho hums and the only thing really bugging me at the moment is a pimple on my lip that looks like a cold sore.

We still have no power, and judging by the lava flow slowness of the grant people, we may not have any all weekend. Which means that you may not hear from me again until Monday afternoon when I am back at work.

But it hasn’t been too bad. It has been cold as fuck, and all I want right now is a piping hot dinner and long hot bath followed by hours of mindless tv wrapped up in an electric blanket. Instead, we’re doing urban poverty camping. Hurrah! At least we have indoor toilets.

I have found that not having power has quickly fixed some of my serious insomnia problems. Last night I did my normal wake up at 1:30am for no good reason at all. For weeks this has been my “regular” wake up time and I didn’t go back to sleep after. But last night, having nothing to distract me (like checking my email or bad infomercials) I just rolled over and went back to sleep, only to wake up again at the much more reasonable 5:30. Maybe this power out thing is a better cure for winter blues insomnia than an expensive SAD lamp and a pile of happy pills. I’m not willing to spend the rest of the winter in dark to find out, but it is interesting to think about.

So I am being as zen as possible about the whole ordeal. And I am catching up on some reading. And spending quality time with the Kid using his cell phone as a music player (it has surprisingly loud speakers for a small hunk of plastic).

After last month’s thrilling rent problem and subsequent suckiest Christmas ever, I thought I would have a short reprieve from major drama, at least until my tax return comes in next month.

But no such luck.

Monday night I came home to a lovely notice on my door that the electricity will be shut off sometime today. I spent yesterday in a room full of shocked people who got the same notice. Everyone in the room with me either had small kids or was elderly or pregnant. We were waiting to find out about a grant to keep our heat on.

So I will get a grant, almost enough to keep the power on, but it takes them at least 48 hours to process it. Once I get that grant, there is another I can get (but only AFTER the first one is processed) that will cover the rest.

So I call the power company to tell them money is on the way, can they please give me the 48 hours to get the grant taken care of.

Nope. And I know that for all those desperate moms and grannies that were sitting in that room with me yesterday, it’s a nope to. We’re all going to be without heat and electricity in the middle of January. I’m waiting for the shut off any minute. In the mean time I’ve made sure that all the dishes are done, the fridge is cleaned out, the laundry is done and the heaters are jacked up so that we can retain as much heat as possible when it goes out. It’s only temporary, and mostly it means cold sammies, cold showers, no tv or computer and sleeping with many blanket for a few days. But damn, it’s January.

Now I understand, we need to pay our bills, etc. What I don’t understand is why the we only get 24 hours notice, when the power company KNOWS that the only place in town that offers federal grants for heating assistance takes at least 48 hours to process the applications? It doesn’t cost the power company any extra to send the notice out a day or two earlier, so what gives?

My electric bill alone is 34% of my income. We don’t have ac. We use compact florescent bulbs.

My phone and internet is 24%

My rent is 38%

That leaves 4% of my income for food, clothing, transportation, etc.

No wonder I’m so fricken broke.

So I spent last night taking the big memory card for my phone, converting it to work on the Kid’s phone and loading it up with mountains of music he can shake his tale feather too. I made sure he has The Sun is a MAss by TMBGs, and a bunch of the GoGos and the Donnas and Franz Ferdinand. And Keane. The Kid looks like a junior version of Keane’s lead singer and he can sing just like him too.

So then I stole the Kid’s phone, replaced his memory card and loaded up a silly picture of the two of us from a happier Christmas as his new wallpaper. That was all I could do for him.

He was happy-ish. He was glad to have all the music, but a week or two ago the Kid dumped his headphones on milk. So he can’t listen to the music. I didn’t know this (of course, headphones have not been a priority).

So I spent a good chunk of the night working on a present he can’t actually use. Sweet. Broke and useless.

Good news on the homefront. Our rent is being paid and we will, in fact have a home for Christmas.

I guess this means I need to put up the tree.

I think this also means I need t find a way to get the Kid a Christmas present with exactly zero dollars and no cents (or sense- take your pick).

But first I am going to take the world’s longest nap, the first nap I’ve had in a while where I am sure that it won’t be my last nap in my own house.