Lock-down Day 593

Still no power! Which means: No coffee! Again! I'm making some 'coffee milk' mix, so I at least get my morning caffeine, but I want coffee!

At work, first thing, I make myself coffee! I've also taken all my mobiles to work, so I can charge everything: the smartphone AND the router! Without the router, the smartphone isn't smart, ha ha!

Actually, that's no laughing matter, because it means that I get no information regarding the continuous power outage! No updates! And with the on-going load shedding, too many cell towers are out for me to find a steady signal - it comes and goes!

Since I wasn't able to bake yesterday, I have nothing to eat at work, today. I've cleared it with my boss - I need to go and get food.

At is back at work today! I'm very, very relieved! I was seriously worried ... 

I just quickly went to get some food. No use buying milk or meat, if I don't know whether I have power ... I timed myself this time: less than half an hour. 

I just saw in the news, that Eishkom has escalated load shedding to Stage 4! Until Saturday morning ... <string of expletives>

I've spent half an hour on the phone with City of Tshwane! First, I sorted out the reporting failures issue - now I should be able to sms every time, and get a reference number. Then I explained why it is unacceptable to put us on hold - out where we live. They took my cellphone number and promised to escalate and follow up on who put me on hold. When I asked about the current outage - with the ref number, I was told it will be fixed by 2 this afternoon. I was also given the number of the depot, that dispatches the technicians.

Seemed like I had made progress ... only ... two o'clock came and went, and nothing! I tried calling the depot - just rang and rang until the call automatically ended. Tried the number I called this morning ... on hold over twenty minutes when the call was also automatically ended! And I had asked if there was any other way to get information - nope! Call this number, hold until you're blue in the face, then feck off! Grrrr

Fortunately, neighbours WhatsApped around that time, saying that someone is now there, and working on it! Apparently we should have power tonight! Well, probably after six, as we're going into load shedding from 16:00 - 18:30 again!

I managed to order cat food, at least. Two weeks in a row that I couldn't make the 'planned' trip to buy it at Makro ... now my stock levels are low. And I'm not sure I'll have time next weekend to make that trip ...

I'm going to have my hands full raking up all the broken bits of branches before I can mow again - let alone all the weeding that I need to get done, after yesterday's 20 mm rainfall! According to the weather report, I can expect more rain on Friday ... bad timing!

Back at home, I drove down to see - and they were working on the electrical pole! Lots of hoa and shouting going on, lots of people busy. Good!

For myself, I started cleaning up the garden. At first, I thought this would be a good opportunity to pull those creepers out by their roots - there, where that tree had fallen onto the house, but ... those bulbs of that creeper are embedded in the wood of the tree trunk! And this tree didn't uproot - it broke above ground. I can't get them out. So, I started cleaning to mow ...

Six o'clock came and went - no power. Still a lot of shouting and activity - at least something is happening. I fed mippies, and then waited and hoped ...

My new neighbour had a perfect view from his first floor balcony. He posted a running commentary of what was happening in our WhatsApp group.

I opened the fridge at one point - urgh! It STINKS! I'm going to have to throw away even more, tomorrow night! I had some meat out, as I was planning dinner, as well as meat ball rolls for Monday ... yeah ... not a chance, now!

Power came on only twenty past ten at night! Not full phase, right away, but eventually ...