Banana Don’s Slice of Americana – Ice Station DeWitt Reporting

This morning, a little after 5AM, I woke up, went downstairs and looked out our front window at all the Christmas lights on our street. Suddenly, the lights went out. Inside my house, and all up and down the street - nothing - but misty darkness. Except...for blue flashes of light in the distant sky. This could only mean one thing. The mother-ship was coming for us.

Sadly, that was not to be. It was, as we all know, the now famous "Great Blackout of 2013".

I've now lived in DeWitt for 12 years. I've never seen a blackout go for more than a couple of hours. I waited and waited. My lovely wife Michelle went back to bed. But, to me it was obvious, THIS was no ordinary blackout. No internet, no TV, no blogging, (how would I communicate with you?) and as 10AM passed - no screaming at guests on "Meet The Press".

         Just like Abe Lincoln did all his blogging - in pen, by the light of his fireplace.

The house got colder. I made a fire. I went outside to charge up our cellphones on the car-charger. I could hear trees snapping and crashing in the woods across the street from us. It got uglier. The reports were that we might not have the power back for days. A noontime strategy session was held in the kitchen as we ate melting Key Lime pie. We decided we had two choices - buy a generator or go to a hotel. We headed out in my truck and found NEITHER was available. I talked to other people who were trying to do those exact same things, with no luck. (Shout out to the guy in the pickup truck at the Fairfield Inn with the Buffalo Bills jacket, and I know - I should've had a generator a long time ago - if only to talk about them with my friends while we drink beer. I will be getting one soon).

So we came home, made a bigger fire in the fireplace. And ate the dog. Yes, Axel.

Well, not really - but I figured it would be an option if this went on for a long time. And Axel was barking a LOT at the time....

                     Would've tasted great with a little bacon and beer.

And, then just as we were settling in for a long, cold night. The lights came back on.  At about 5:30PM. So, 12 hours later, my Christmas lights are back on, I'm able to blog on a computer, and not the back of a shovel with charcoal, and my wife is upstairs watching "The Sound Of Music" for the one millionth time - the real one, not the, you know ...(jeez, what if Carrie reads this?) And we're sucking down electricity again like margaritas on Ladies Night.

Hope yours is back on and you didn't have to eat your dog.