First, let me start off by saying, I love Florida.

Seriously.

So, today was my day off from work this week. I had Monday off as well, but I've had a bit of a cold, so I didn't get as much done as I wanted. Today, I had a plan.

I cooked, I cleaned, I vacuumed. I decided to wait until tonight to do my laundry. We keep our air at around 77 degrees, and our bill is still outrageous, so I figure if I have to run the dryer, might as well do it tonight.

Then, the reason I love Florida happens. A thunderstorm straight from Hades. Oi! Luckily, I had made a very delicious dinner earlier in the evening, b/c I hate cooking wondering if I am going to loose power. We eat, we get ready for bed, and we watch a bit of tv ... hoping it doesn't get struck by lighting ... and my daughter starts begging for her bath. A schedule is great for a two year old, until you have to break her routine. She didn't understand she couldn't have a bath during a thunderstorm.

Sometime between 8 and 9, we loose power. I woke up at 10pm in complete and utter pitch black creepy darkness. Creepy darkness. My roommates walk in ... they had been stuck at the gate with about five other cars and the guys had to get out of the cars in the pouring rain and break the gate to get in. Reason to not live in a gated community, yes. The house in HOT, I'm all sweaty, Julie's all sweaty ... so I light a candle in the dark and gather clothes and head to my mom's.

Luckily I don't give her a heart attack when I show up on her doorstep at 10:30 without a phone call. Reason number 65 as to why I need a cellphone ... cordless phones don't work w/o power. My clothes are in her washer ... and she keeps her thermostat at like 74 degrees, so I'm freezing instead of frying at my house.

Of course, my plan for tonight was to prep dinner for tomorrow and Friday ...... which obviously didn't happen. I also didn't pack my leftovers for lunch like I had planned, and my dinner was DELICIOUS! I went all crazy and followed a recipe I didn't know if we'd like. My parents always order take out or pick up fast food, and I am trying to be better about cooking at home, but I don't know how to make a lot of things. I can make some pretty basic things, but I seriously am trying to learn some new things. Anyways, the recipe was for a whole chicken, which is pretty cheap. I got it out of kraftfoods magazine actually, this month's addition. Anyways, you take cream cheese, rosemary and pepper and mix it all together and put it under the skin of the chicken. Then you put italian dressing on top. It baked while I went and picked Julie up from school ... and OMG, it was amazing. I am weird about food, so the idea of cream cheese and chicken seemed weird, but it was awesome. I am taking the chicken leftover and making chicken noodle soup tomorrow, since Julie and I have been a little under the weather. I was really proud of my dinner, and laughed at myself b/c I wanted to take a picture to proove I had made something like that. It looked AMAZING.

I'm hoping we've gotten power back, but when we called the power company, they told us they had no idea how long it would be out ... they were thinking closer to a day. Who knows ... I'll find out tomorrow when I go home.

However, I think it's time to buy our hurricane supplies. We don't have a flashlight or candles, or a weather radio. I think I should hit up Goodwill and see if they have a corded phone, or even walmart and have it plugged in the garage at least. We've never had a real hurricane pack, with blankets and food and such ... and I don't know if I need it now. It was just scary to be in the dark and not have a light anywhere.