City of Light.

The power for our block went out last night. Since I'm fairly confident that the Buffalo grid has not been updated since the World's Fair, it came as no surprise. But as we approached a full day, I started to fret that a century's worth of wiring and rewiring was finally breathing its last. Our food was spoiling, we were going to be thrown into another evening of complete dark, and eventually we'd be forced to move in with my aunt until the boyos at Niagara Mohawk got their shit together. We would live off of pot roast and prune soup for the rest of the winter. Be dragged to nine thirty mass. Have to watch Regis, and Channel 2, and damned Bills games.

The twentieth hour, however, must be the magic hour. Everything has hummed back to life (including numerous house alarms). My fingers are thawing. The Budweiser Select is cooling. I've learned my lesson and finally turned the heat on and am now going to indulge in one more cup of tea.