a quiz: we're having a heat wave

Say it is 6:15 on a Tuesday evening and you have just settled into the couch to fold the whites.

On the TV is The Simpsons, and in the background noise, the air conditioning is pleasantly humming away.

On a day when the heat index was said to be over 100—

On a day you spent in a cubicle, a corner one with big windows that you normally enjoy but today led to a greenhouse sort of effect—

On the first free Tuesday you have had since...months ago, so long ago, you can't exactly remember—

On a day like this, you're very much enjoying the red wine you just poured. {Note to self: do not spill on whites. No need to get sloppy here.}

And then the electricity flickers, dims, pops, and goes out.

No more pleasant humming from the air conditioning.

No more Simpsons music.

No more.

But there is still wine, and this being summer, there is still light.

This brings us to the quiz. In this scenario, what do you do?

1. Open the windows and pray for a breeze, even though the wind has not blown at all. All day, the air has been still and weighted down, like it was waiting for a blind date who was an hour late—so late that you start to think he walked in, took one look at you, and backed out. That's what the air felt like today: like disappointment.
2. Thank the good Lord that you have a gas range and can, therefore, still make dinner. And dinner should involve massive amounts of fresh produce and dairy products because you do not, do not at all, want your food to go to waste, should the electricity not come back on for days. In this case, pretend fresh kale and three kinds of cheese are at your disposal.
3. Pour yourself another glass of red wine. Not that it's going to go waste should the electricity stay out for days on end, but...drink it anyway. Your other option is pink lemonade.
4. Head for the hills, which means anywhere with AC.
   
   

There is no right answer here.

{I, in fact, chose all of those options, and I'm now hanging out in the library. Even though it's just down the street from me, it still has electricity. They'll be closing soon, though, so I'm hoping to walk back into an apartment with the TV blaring and the AC humming. If it isn't...well, I put some candles by my bed and I'll play Little House on the Prairie for the night, which doesn't sound like a half-bad game.}