Thank God for Buckets

Last night our power went off. This, of course, is a usual occurrence, except that they still have power on the other side of the street, so that means that it's not load sharing; it's a problem. Usually we're only out of electricity for a few hours, but this one could be longer. I was laughing last night, thinking about how we used to light candles to create a romantic or prayerful mood. Now we light them so we can see our way to the washroom! Lighting candles out of choice seems so different from lighting candles out of necessity. It's a shame really, about the power. We haven't had hot water since last Friday, and they fixed it yesterday - just in time for the power to go off. We were saying this morning that we used to long for hot showers. Now we're just longing for a hot bath. John says if we start longing for our bucket, it may be time to go home! John's always enjoyed camping, but it feels strange to rough it without a lake, and in your own house! It's so much effort to have to boil water (when you have electricity), pour it in the bucket and then bathe from the bucket. But I've discovered a joy. When there's a little extra hot water at the bottom of your bucket, you can mix it with some cold and then dump it on yourself. It's almost like taking a shower. Almost. Anyway, I guess someone will have to call ZESA (the electricity suppliers) about coming to fix our electricity. Except that all of our phones are down. Oh, and if we do get through, they'll say that they can't come because there's no fuel. So, someone will have to drive there and pick them up. We've heard that it happens when you call the police or ambulance too - they say they'll come assist as long as you come pick them up in your own vehicle. Oh - good news though - the government has just announced new strategies to boost tourism. Anyone up for a visit?