HALLELUJAH, GAS COMPANY!

I have not gone grocery shopping in about a week because I have been sick with a horrible cold and terrible sinus headaches.  I finally recover in time for my high school reunion, but then I hit the wall and don't want to go outside anywhere for anything on Sunday.

This means that I have to go shopping Monday after a full day at work followed by a late meeting.  I don't buy too much, but I have probably eight bags of stuff and a case of water in my trunk.  It's raining - drizzling, actually - when I arrive home. 

Oh, wait.  I don't arrive home.  I cannot get there from here.

Turns out the gas company is working on my street and the surrounding streets.  I get through the bloackade just far enough to park on the side of a nearby road in a no parking zone.  I haul my groceries in three trips up and over the gas work, right past the front end loaders and open areas where they are putting in new pipes for the gas repairs. 

I am quite literally IN the Gas Zone.

I run down to move my car to a two-hour spot (which I have to move from again in two hours because the construction is still going on well past dark).  I don't care, though.  I don't care that my sneakers are soaked from crawling through the wet grass up the hillside or covered with tar from walking across the street to my driveway. 

You want to know why?  Because the police officer says these magic words to me as I haul the case of water up the street: "Where are you going with that?"  Wait, no.  Not those magic words.  I explain where I live and how far I am walking into the Red Zone.  He apologizes.  "I could've tried to get you and your car into the driveway," he tells me, then starts laughing.  "No, no I probably couldn't."

This is an understatement.

These are the magic words that float out of his mouth next: "Sorry for the inconvenience.  You'll be the first ones with gas service, though." 

Halleluuuuujah!  Hallelujah, Hallelujah!  Halllleeeeeellllluuuuujahhhhhhhhhhhh!

Of course, it will still be a long time.  In my dreams, I might have gas service next week, within a few weeks, maybe even next month.  In reality, it may take longer.  All I know is that it is almost ten o'clock at night, and those fabulous workers are still there, still working.  They can make noise all bloody night if they want to.

I am so happy unloading my groceries that I decide to cook steak for dinner.  After dinner I make chocolate chip cookies (from the refrigerator blocks of cookies) by using my the toaster oven. 

Life is good!  Life is grand!  Even if I don't have gas service for weeks, my street will be updated soon, and it will be done.  This is marvelous!

I know -- Only I can get excited to have gas, right?  And I'm damn proud to let it out.