I’m remembering the time when, for the third time in a month, there were country-wide blackouts. While power outages are frequent here, they are not usually this bad.

Like our apartment in Brazil, there are no hot water lines in our house, and the showers work on a great little concept called “instaheat.” The cold water comes from the outside tank filled from a borehole (well). Then, an electric device attached to the shower head heats the water as it comes in.

You can only imagine the fun that happens between water and electricity! The occasional mild electric shock as you turn the water on, or if the water pressure is low, there is a fun dance between cold and scalding hot!

This particular power outage must have caused a surge or something because when the power was switched on this morning, there was an almighty bang, puffs of smoke, and a lingering electrical burnt smell! And a cold shower.

The Insta heats don’t last long, so I guess it’s time to install a new one!

I am learning that this is a “first-world problem.” I say this a lot when my love language is complaining rather than gratefulness. So today, I am grateful for a home, for running water from a faucet, even if it is cold, and for learning the love language of contentment.