POWER...(not)

So, here I am at the library in town as we are in day 4 with no power. Yes, we DID get the expected snow, and then some..41" or so with 5' drifts...WHEW. My husband stayed home the first night hoping we would have our power restored, but alas that was not to happen. I am still remembering the storm 3 years ago when I was trapped for 2 days, so I hightailed it down the mountain on day one before it got too bad...I went up to get my hubby the second night, and what a drive that was up the mountain...trees down everywhere and snow blowing, sliding all the way up! I got home to some 3' on the 150' driveway with a huge pine down across the driveway, so I got out and waded through to get more clothes and my cold husband and we came down. It has been days of going back up to see and clearing trees and snow and then back down to sleep...Needless to say there are no pictures, just a mental picture I'm trying to paint right now...After being told by two unrelated people that work for our power company to not believe any of the recordings; that we would not have power before tonight and coming home this morning to no power and no human voice to talk to with the power company I got in my car and drove down to talk to a human at their regional office...I walked up to the doors and found them LOCKED! I saw two employees in a break room and knocked until they came to let me in...Still smiling I asked my questions...mostly about being told something different than their recordings by employees of their company and to have some more information about our situation. . . The woman I spoke to was quite helpful, so I want to pass along some information to you all that you may not have known as the only gift I can give you all today...The more people in a neighborhood that calls in for an outage the higher priority it is given, thus hopefully the faster service will be restored...and the second little present...these companies have a claim department that you can call and file a claim for all you lost in the situation...so ask for a claim department...So, now the 15 minutes at the library is almost over and I have to relinquish it to some other poor soul with no power...So, for all of you who can...HAPPY PAINTING today...For me, it will be a couple of days!