Okay. I love the mountain. I know you all must be tired of hearing that, but I do. My only gripe is the frequency with which we lose power - many times each week, often several times each day. At all times, I carry a flashlight - well, only at night.

The other evening we shut down for about an hour. It was 9 degrees outdoors. It was a long hour. My entire house runs on electricity, including the heat. This has not been a problem yet. Much to my family's horror, I set my nighttime thermostat at 55 degrees and the heat pump rarely kicks on. During the daytime, I set it between 60 and 62 degrees. Don't worry, whenever I have guests, I defer to them and crank up the heat.

One morning, I swear to you, as I hobbled to activate my coffee maker, I could see my breath. It gave me an odd sense of satisfaction. Several years ago, I declared war on the utility companies. I loathe war, but I braced myself for battle. I was sick of the high cost of heat, air-conditioning, water, and propane. Every month, I make it a personal challenge to conserve - environmentally and the balance in my checkbook.

Anyway, because we lose power often, I always make sure my cell phone is charged. Why, I don't know. To call the Electric Company and yell obscenities? That night last week, I sat in the dark twiddling my thumbs. Then I had a *bright* idea with a solution to my growing ennui. I called a good friend who can brighten even the darkest moments. And believe you me, when the lights go out up here, it gets plenty dark.

I swear to you, this is the truth. Recently, I discovered that the President/CEO of Sequachee Valley Electric is one of my neighbors. Though that doesn't make the 'hood immune to blackouts, it does put us on the priority list for repairs to power outages. Talk about electrifying connections!