We were watching Star Wars marathon on sunday when the power began to flicker. Outside the wind was blowing pretty hard, and we could hear our house groaning in protest. Darth Vader had just wacked off Lukes arm and was going on about doing in the emperor, and just as he was saying the famous lines "Luke, I am your....." the cable and the power cut out "I am your What Vader? I am your What???" I wanted to shout at the tv.

It seems the wires that had gone down two years ago, never were repaired properly or replaced, allowing the wires to touch, spark, heat and strech to continue the process of the massive burning of wires and showering of sparks all down the street sending the fraught insulation tumbling to the ground in bursts of flames.

Had this been the dry season, we would be screwed. As it was, the trees that the lines went through were pretty soaked and didn't catch fire. The last time that something like this happened, it was 4 days before we had power, I guess with the cops sitting around watching the sparks arc across the lines, and the look of sheer terror on their faces, the power company did double time to get there and unhook the lines.

We were going to go to my mothers and spend the night, but something told me to just- wait, and go visit the neighbors, her daughter was there, and offered me a glass of wine, and we had a nice time talking by candle light (her house was always warmer than ours) and in an hour, her power came back on. we thanked her, and went home to discover that it would take another 3 hours before ours was on. Bundled up with blankets over us, we sat in the living room candles ablaze nibbling crackers and cheese and feeling very mellow.

My best friend says that some how, my life is just a Drama Magnet. Ever since the discord at work with the pay, and the sniping and I finally told my boss that while it all was important, it was stuff I couldn't change, and I wasn't going to worry about it. I couldn't get involvled and I was there to just do my job. It was a massive- enlightenment that has kept me calm during all of this.

ironic, the girl who I stood beside- and helped out has had issues of her own, way too much Drama-- but- on the other hand, she needed someone to just listen, and not judge her.

I've seen- this- before. like- a pack of wolves people turn and snap and snarl at eachother and when I removed myself from the mix, it was something that turned them on to someone else.

and I am caught in the middle of it all- caught with knowing things but not knowing how to get them fixed.

The secret to survival is to do what you have to to survive, you fly low, under the radar- you don't whine, you do what it takes to get the job done and you do as your told, not as you have seen others do. You go where they tell you and you do not make waves because the moment you do- the next second, they are looking for reasons to get rid of you.

I know-things- I have over heard the conflict, I know what happened, and I know that I am stuck in the middle. As I told one of the people, Look, I am not getting drawn into the middle of this, this is what I saw- this is what happened. IMHO. and I have been asked not to say anything to a person who had my back.

and I know- how hurt, she would be if she knew.

So, while I can't tell her everything, word for word, because i do not know what her resolve is, I know I have to do- something to help her.

to get her grounded so that her life isn't filled with Drama.

I have two weeks to figure out the answer before all hell breaks lose.

I know I have to tell her. I know I have to give her a heads up in a way that she's not going to freak, or to yell, and I have to do it in a way that she can get something positive from this to survive.

When you stop looking for the bad, and start looking for the good in people, you find good.

we have to find the good, in all of us, we have to find what is right, and just, and ballanced

The milk is cold, the cookies are warm, the milk is cold, the cookies are warm.

it is the ying/ yang of life.