Holy heart attack

I thought the cast knocked it out of the park on opening night. I didn’t realise they were just getting started. Last night it was pretty much grand slams all round. Wow. Ben in particular just goes from strength to strength. I just hope, given that he is in reality not all that strong, that he isn’t doing himself in. But not just Ben, everyone notched it up, as if opening night had been the dress rehearsal we didn’t get. Again, wow!

At intermission it had started snowing. Not too bad. Wet snow that was melting as soon as it hit the ground.

Had I realised that, between intermission and the end of the show, the situation had become considerably worse I would have asked someone to give me a lift home, but I hadn’t. And I was the last one to leave. Short of pulling a couple of judo matts out of storage and sleeping at the hall I didn’t have much choice. Driving in snow never used to be a huge challenge, but that was before the big wipeout of 2016. Now, even in daylight I am riven with anxiety. 

The drive home was an absolute nightmare. Snow flying at the windscreen, too blinding to use the high beams, snow-covered roads. Holy heart attack, Batman. Radio switched off, normal speed more than halved, hands clinging for dear life to the driving wheel. If there were silent prayers, I don’t remember (to whom would they be addressed?), but there very well might have been.

All this knowing that at the moment we can’t even call 911, assuming my mobile actually had a signal, which it seldom has in weather like that. No, in case of emergencies, we are advised to go to (go to, not call) the fire hall. So, really, no one to call (assuming phone was working) if a deer suddenly ran across the road, I instinctively braked and went into a spin that left me upside down in a ditch. Flashbacks? Oh, yes? Terror? Oh, yes. 

I’m sitting here writing this, so obviously I did make it home in one piece. The glass of bubbly I poured myself when I got in the house was to celebrate more than a successful show.

The latest news, received second, third and fourth hand, is that full (rather than patchy) mobile service should be resumed early next week. (Not much use to me as there is seldom any signal at my house.) As for regular phone, internet and cable, no one seems to have any idea. Some rumours say a patched together option might be available next week, maybe. Apparently (this from someone who managed to access the internet on their mobile), according to a message from our local MLA, there is a kilometre and a half of very expensive cable that needs to be replaced as a result of Tuesday’s blizzard and wind storm and it isn’t even immediately available but must be delivered to Shaw, the internet/cable/digital phone supplier. It could be a month before full service is resumed.

Just after I (optimistically assuming there will indeed be a cast party after tomorrow’s matinee) put a cake in the oven, Donna rang to ask if I have power. Indeed I do. Hers went out late last night and has yet to be restored. At least we know it’s not an island-wide outage, but what is the situation at the community hall? Is there power? How can we find out? Even if someone could find out, how could they let everyone know? There is simply no way to contact all the cast and crew members, let alone anyone who’s purchased a ticket.

We could, even if there is no power, do the matinee with no sound and just the light coming in through the windows. Far from ideal, but doable – assuming everyone decided to turn up.

It warmed up and rained overnight. There is no snow on the roads. I guess I’ll just head down there and hope for the best.