Changing Perspective in Frozen Texas

The heat had already been off intermittently for 48 hours. We were huddled, the four of us, in the upstairs loft because it was the warmest place in the house. This was the worst snowstorm in in decades.

No power. No heat. The water slowed to drips out of our faucets that had to be boiled.

Did I mention that I live in Texas? Hundred-degrees-in-October Texas? The-utilities-never-plan-because-it-never-snows-here-Texas? Why-can’t-we-just-shoot-the-snow-cloud-Texas?

Well, apparently Texas is having a midlife crisis and thinks it’s the North Pole.

Downstairs I was greeted with a giant turd in the middle of the living room because Bruno, our English bulldog, took when step outside and said, ‘Hell no!’

So, good times. Plus, you know, pandemic.

Switch Up Our Perspective

My daughter, Rylee began to really freak out and that’s when I realized I had to shift focus from complaining to finding the silver lining.

“We have this time together without the internet…or light…to hang out. We have candles and blankets and your dad bought milk before the storm. If things get really bad we can go to a heating center. Don’t keep staring at the abyss, look ahead to where you want to end up. This is temporary.”

So we went retro pioneer. We told ghost stories and played Uno. We found little Henry’s science project and threw it into the fireplace. (That made him especially happy. Yay, science.) We braved the great outdoors for a solid half a minute.

When the power and internet finally came back on there were a bunch of messages from concerned family and friends checking in; we felt loved.

We still have to boil our water but we will get more pressure later today.  And, thankfully, Henri shoveled a path for the dog, because contrary to his little dog brain’s belief, my house is not his toilet. *Please note: Henri used a hoe. We don’t have snow shovels in Texas.

How are y’all holding up? Hope you stay warm, stay safe and keep your sense of humor. In the words of Nietzsche, “what does not kill me makes me stronger.”

#TexasTough … and frozen.

Lisa 😉

Lisa Traugott is a personal trainer, Mom’s Choice Award writer, original cast member of FOX/John Cena’s “American Grit” and has a monthly fitness column on Bowflex.com.  She won Ms. Costa Rica Sports Model 2017 and her transformation story was featured in Muscle & Fitness Hers, Good Day Austin, Great Day Houston and Austin Woman Magazine.

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