when the power goes out

i came home tonight after 14 hours of class, to find that we had lost all our power. in fact, the whole block had. probably all the wind that's going around. so we order a pizza, and i stumble downstairs to all my boxed up stuff, knowing that somewhere down there i have a bunch of candles. as the last remaining daylight fades, we light the candles. i leave to go pick up the pizza, and on my way back i'm thinking about what the hell am i gonna do tonight. i've just gotten home from class, i wanted a hot shower and a good movie. a few hours online. but now i have no tv, no internet. no lights. don't open the refrigerator. so i start to think of alternatives. we have a bunch of board games laid out that my parents intend to donate. and suddenly...i'm thinking it wouldn't be so bad to spend one night, candles around the kitchen table, pizza, and a board game with mom and dad. old fashioned fun for one night. mom was always big on old fashioned fun. it might be liberating to be without power (not by choice) for a night. of course, eventually it was gonna get cold. but it won't kill me. it's only one night. might be fun. and as i round the corner and see that the entire block is once again lit up...i find i'm disappointed as i trudge in with the pizza, and see my parents' smiling faces. after only 45 minutes in the dark, they're more happy to have the power back than their daughter.