All 3 kids departing in 3 days for Arkansas.  I can't wait.  They are going stir crazy.  It's hot outside, only the bedrooms in the house are cooled, they need out of here.  It was planned months ago, this trip of theirs with grandma, but couldn't happen at a better time. Actually, it would be better if grandma would come get them today considering the circumstances.  I guess that's not in the works.

Yesterday, the power did come on- and go back off at the property. It was on for 6 hours. The instant it went out (I was over there most of the day), I reported it to Swepco. They have a yard a mile away and a crew was immediately dispatched.  I watched them trying to figure out what was wrong for many hours. 

I also lost 3 customers.  2 of them showed up - and left. Another called, found out I didn't have power and said no thank you. Can't blame any of them, but it was extremely unfortunate to lose that kind of business.  I need the money.  

Anyway, I was out there until around 8:00 pm and then I finally went home. I left the light switch in the on position at the shed. No guess work if the power is on, just look at the camera and see if the light is on. Later on yesterday night, the light came on and more importantly, has stayed  on all night and half the morning.

We are on day 5 of this stuff, 9 hours into it to be precise. We are getting very tired of this. Understandable tho, SWEPCO finally gave a really detailed update of what actually happened. 50 transmission lines - the type that carry high voltage went down and most of their facilities went down as well. We're talking beyond power poles and lines, this is generating plant, main plants and substations.  They are having to rebuild most of them.  

This explains why the power went out and has stayed out for so many people. It's slowly coming back on line, people getting their power restored at random, we just don't have it yet.  The fuel expenses for generators is around $90 per day.  A hotel room around here - a decent one - costs over $100.  I compare these because we have 2 bedrooms nicely cooled. A hotel room is just that: one room only.  You can imagine having 6 people in one room all day long.  This is far better even if pricey. The alternative is to just sit here in this unbearable heat.  

I don't think that is a realistic expectation with a pregnant lady, dogs, cats, 3 kids and 2 other adults besides the pregnant lady.  I guess I could deal with it - go sit at the property in the shed now that the power is back on, the AC is on in there.  Sit in the car and run the ac in there.  But you just can't do that with that many people and trying to keep your food from expiring and just trying to have a place to keep comfortable.  

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There is a large Baptist church nearby feeding people for free.  They don't care who you are, come in, sit down, cool off, have a meal and a drink, charge your devices.  Second day we've taken advantage of it.  The kitchen is dark in this house, the stove doesn't work, we do have a crock pot but we'd have to eat dinner in a hot dining room.  Just no.  Eating out is expensive, but this church food is decent and it's free. We thank them profusely each time.  It's nothing grand, it fills the gut and that's all it needs to do.  

People next door's chargers were just about completely charged. These are battery packs - HUGE battery packs, you can plug a phone into and recharge the phone.  These are as big as my camera phones over at the property. Those phones last at least 2 weeks if not longer on a full charge.  We charged these things for around hours before taking them back. I still don't understand how they can bear being in that house.  It's just unfathomable to me. 

I just spent another $90 on fuel after fuel spending $47 this morning.  Yes, this is getting old. We're 5 hours short of 5 full days of this. Day 6 begins around 1:00 am.  

Whatever. The generators are full and I have about 11 gallons left sitting out there. I wont have to get fuel in the morning at least.  I am talking like this is going to last forever. No, I know it isn't, but there is no reason to relent on the new routing of fueling those machines up twice a day and more so, buying the fuel in advance.  until the power actually comes back on.

With that, I am very tired. I've been out in the heat a lot today and it has taken it's toll on me.