Power

I learned why I have power at my house when the rest of the neighborhood is blacked out.

My house, and apparently only my house, is connected to the same transformer that powers the football stadium behind my house. That transformer powers nothing else. The stadium – and my house.

So when the transformers at either end of the block are blown by tornadoes, ice, high winds, squirrels, snakes, etc. – I continue to have power.

Because all the Gods forbid that the football stadium lose power, that transformer is well-protected and repaired immediately.

This week, being Fall Break, the stadium decided to have hte power upgraded for bigger, brighter lights anad more power to the stadium. This meant taking the transformer off-line while they did so – and discovering I was connected to it.

So, I come home to find a note on my door telling me I will have intermittent power outages until Monday. The power would be on for the games, of course, but not during the days.

Or, I could ask them to reroute my house to one of the other transformers – which would take until Monday and I’d be totally without power during that move. And there’d be a power line fee I’d have to pay.

What – do they think I’m a fool? This is Oklahoma. Football is bigger than God here, and there’s no way they’d let the stadium exist without power. Which means if I’m connected to that transformer, I will always have power (except for the rare upgrades).

I can live with that.

So, I’ve chosen to experience intermittent power outages Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – and possibly Monday. I’ll have power in the evenings and over the weekend, which is all that matters, really.

And when storms hit, I will have power to share with my neighbors when their tranformers blow.

It’s a win-win situation for all of us, and I’m not going to change that.