IPAD saves the day!

Or rather one of the apps that I have downloaded on my IPAD was very helpful.

I was sitting in my 'new' almost unpacked living room 'taking a break'... before I started another nightly round of unpacking boxes from my recent move to Italy.   Ok, the truth is... I had opened up a Christmas gift that had come in the mail, and I was eating some candy that was in the box, when suddenly all the lights in the house went out.

AND, let me tell you... the first time that that happens in a NEW HOUSE, and you are sitting
 IN THE DARK????

Well, first of all... I have no idea as to where my tiny yet powerful 'military flashlight' is even located... and I was trying to remember where the fuse box/es was/were located from the quick 'here's how the house works' intro by the housing office and the landlord.  

I finally remembered... that there are actually 3 different fuse boxes.   One is in the hallway by the front door (way, way, way above my head  ? Yeah, I don't get that either!), 3 are in the lower level of the house (note: down slick granite stairs in the dark).  One of those is at the bottom of the stairs (controls only the heat), one is in the tiny storage closet that is located after walking down the dark granite stairs, through the lower level casual kitchen, the dark hallway w/ boxes and who knows what stashed along the walls, and into this tiny storage closet which is once again full of boxes.   Yes, that fuse box is way above my head too!  It controls the outside lights and the alarm system.

I'm not quite sure what the deal is with 8 foot tall fuse boxes?  I guess it would keep children from flipping the switches off?  However, it also keeps everyone else from doing the same thing too.

So, I decided to tackle the easiest one to find- the one in the hallway near where I was sitting in the now dark living room.   This is also the one that would most likely have something to do with the lights in the house going out.

However, I KNOW that there is NO WAY on this earth that I can even reach it- so, I have to find the BROOM.   Something that I can use to push up any downward switches so that POWER can once again be restored to my house.   AND, I promise, really promise that I will start unpacking boxes as soon as the lights come back on!

Now I have a new problem... Where is the broom located in this new house?  WHERE?   I remembered that there was something with a long handle on it on the front porch that I had used to sweep the 1 1/2 inches of snow over the weekend.   Now, I have to find the key chain with the 7 house keys on it.   Sigh.   Where is my book bag?  I didn't see it in it's usual place (like I can see anything, right?) in the hallway by the front door.  

This is when I remembered that my IPAD which is in my backpack (if only I could find the backpack, right?) has an alarm app that I had downloaded and used as an alarm clock this summer and that it had a nifty little feature of a FLASHLIGHT on it!   *Now, not nearly as bright as a real flashlight-- but, far better than the 'no flashlight' situation that I currently found myself in.

AND usually I'd have candles and matches in my house in various locations--- but, the German movers wouldn't pack any candles (actually they got to keep all my nice smelling candles) and of course matches can't be shipped for obvious reasons.

I looked around feeling along the hallway walls; I finally found the backpack, and took it to my bed to dump it to get the IPAD out and to find the house keys.  I finally located the house keys and then I unlocked the 2 front doors and got the broom.   Can you picture it now?  I'm holding up the IPAD towards the over 10 foot high ceiling.  I immediately realize that I am just too short for the fusebox installed by the family of giants that own the local 'fuse box installer company'...  My little IPAD 'flashlight' device is nifty... but, it just can't shine up towards a dark ceiling that far up.  I can't see how to open up the door that is closed on the fuse box switches.

Then, I remembered that I had unpacked my step stool.   Was it still downstairs?  Or had I finally moved it upstairs?   If it was upstairs... it would be in the dark kitchen...

I got my IPAD and holding it outwards... walked towards the kitchen and I finally found the step stool!  I went back into the hallway, opened up the step stool, got my IPAD and the broom and managed to get close enough to the fuse box that I could open it and I noticed that none of the switches had 'flipped' down to the off position.  (I sure hoped that the downward position was universal the world over?)

This meant... walking down the dark granite staircase with my IPAD flashlight APP guiding my way.  I made it down the stairs and none of those switches had flipped either.   So, onward towards the very dark hallway (no outside light of any kind shining in this part of the house) and towards the tiny storage room.   I can't step that high up and I don't have a step stool down there.  Nothing seemed amiss.

I went back upstairs.

What to do?  

I went back up the step stool and used my IPAD flashlight app... and just flipped the switches down (in case things are backwards here?)   Nothing happened.   I flipped them back upwards.  Nothing happened.  

I then noticed what looked like another fuse box right over the doorway.  I opened that door.   Finally some switches that had flipped downward.  I flipped them back up.   Instant lights and sounds of electronic devices switching back on.

Shopping list has already been made:

candles
matches
new flashlight (after all once I find my wonderful, small, powerful, little one that I had purchased at
                          military uniform sales store on base-- IT still will be a good idea to have a flashlight
                          at the lower level)

AND, I did keep my promise... I did unpack boxes/sort things for the next 2 hours.