The New Year’s Eve Blackout: A Surreal Narrative with Dogs, Generators, Peculiar Customers and Big Questions

December 31 had begun with all the illusion of a quiet day, but when the clock struck 12 noon…. BOOM! 💥 A total blackout plunged us into darkness. And we were not alone: the cottage was full, with twenty people and, to top it off, another twenty of our clients’ dogs. 🏠🐾

Maky started barking, alerting that something was wrong. Mamas tried to crawl under a table, while Mastitwo chased his tail as if there was no tomorrow. Masto, the wisest of our dogs, looked at us with resignation, as if he was used to this level of chaos. 🐕🛋️

The chaos of the rural house

The situation was complicated. In addition to our family and our four dogs, we had an explosive combination of guests. Among them were:

  • An activist vegan, he was already worried about the menu because he didn’t want to see “anything that had ever breathed.” 🥗
  • Two celiacs, who couldn’t even smell the bread. 🥖🚫
  • An ovovegetarian, who asked every five minutes if his eggs were in a safe place. 🍳
  • And a couple who had brought three greyhounds that were running around the house as if they were training for the Olympics. 🐕💨

The other customers and their dogs were not far behind. There was everything from a Dalmatian who barked every time someone uttered the word “generator,” to a Chihuahua who had hidden under the couch and refused to come out. A border collie was trying to organize the rest of the dogs, but was not very successful. 🐶🐕‍🦺

MasTorrencito rural tourism petfriendly Girona
MasTorrencito rural tourism petfriendly Girona

“This is a ticking time bomb,” I whispered to Mireia, as Maky ran off with a piece of string that clearly wasn’t hers.

“The oven isn’t working!” – shouted one of the guests from the kitchen.
“And how are you going to make the turkey? I can’t eat anything with gluten, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to have a decent dinner!” – complained one of the celiacs.

“What about the heating, it’s freezing cold!” – Someone exclaimed from the living room. The greyhounds were already wrapped in blankets, looking at their owners with a reproachful face.

The arrival of Andres and his miraculous generator

At that moment, Mireia had the brilliant idea of calling Andrés, the hero of Masia la Palma. In less than half an hour, he showed up with his van and a generator that looked like a war tank. 🚐⚡
This won’t give you enough to run everything, but with a bit of luck, you can turn on the oven, some lights and some heating. But I can’t promise miracles,” said Andrés as he connected the wires under the curious gaze of Mamas, who was already trying to bite them. 🐕⚡

Mireia and I looked at each other, aware that the generator was our last hope to save dinner and avoid a riot of hungry guests.
“Andrés, don’t fail us. This is a matter of life and death,” I said dramatically, as a pug climbed onto a chair to try to steal a piece of bread from the table.

“Relax, I do what I can. But if someone plugs in a hair straightener or something, we all explode in here.”

The challenges of the blackout

The generator began to roar and some of the lights came back on, although they flickered as if we were in a nightclub in the 1980s. The oven came on, but with the whimsical personality of a teenager in the throes of an existential crisis. At least we could start cooking… sort of.

Meanwhile, the dogs decided to have a party of their own. Maky barked at a French bulldog who kept trying to get on the couch. Mastitwo was chasing the border collie, who seemed to be organizing a game of hide-and-seek in the house. Mamas, of course, was still chewing on wires, and Masto was watching everything calmly, as if to say, “You’ll let me know when the apocalypse is over.” 🐕‍🦺🐾

In the kitchen, things weren’t going any better:
“Does this turkey have gluten in it?” – asked a celiac, looking suspiciously at the tray.
“What about the tofu I ordered? I don’t want it touched with the turkey knives,” interjected the vegan.
“What about my eggs? Where are my eggs?” – Shouted the ovo-vegetarian from across the room.

Mireia looked at me, exhausted. – “If we survive this, I swear I’ll sign up for meditation or something.”

The big questions

The afternoon progressed and the big questions remained unanswered:

  • Would the generator hold out into the night or would we be left in the dark again?
  • Would we manage to cook a menu that would satisfy vegans, celiacs, ovo-vegetarians and meat lovers?
  • Was there enough cold cava for the toast, or would we have to improvise with tap water?
  • Would the cables survive the constant onslaught of Mamas?

Every time the generator made a strange noise, the twenty dogs started barking in unison, creating a cacophony that made it impossible to think. Andrés, meanwhile, continued adjusting wires with the calm of a surgeon.
“This should hold. Although, be warned: if you plug in one more thing, it might all go down the drain.”

What will happen?

The tension in the lodge is palpable. We are all juggling to keep New Year’s Eve from turning into a complete disaster. Dinner is still an enigma, and the generator is our only hope of surviving the chaos.

Meanwhile, the guests try to keep calm (without much success) and the dogs take advantage of every second of chaos to run, bark and get into trouble. Masto continues to watch everything with his wise indifference, as if he knows that, whatever happens, there will always be a piece of turkey for him at the end of the day. 🐕🍗

The hours are passing. Will there be dinner? Will there be light? Will Andres’ generator survive Mamas’ attack? Will we manage to meet the food needs of all the guests? And what will happen if the greyhounds decide to start a race in the middle of the hall?

Continue… 😱✨🐾

The Year-End Blackout: Happy Ending… Well, For Almost Everyone

The afternoon was an exercise in patience, creativity and pure survival. Andres’ generator, that roaring tank, held up against all odds. Little by little, the batteries were charging. The lights flickered as if deciding whether to stay or go, but stayed on. The furnace, capricious at first, began to behave. Everything was slowly beginning to return to normal. 🔌✨

In the meantime, the dogs were calming down (or tiring out). Maky finally fell asleep in a corner, hugging the rope he had been nibbling on all afternoon. Mastitwo found his place under the table, away from the chaos, and Mamas, exhausted from trying so hard to destroy the generator, settled down next to Masto, who, as always, was overseeing the situation with his usual calm. 🐕💤

The announcement of salvation

At about 11 p.m., when it looked like we would be spending New Year’s Eve among twinkling lights and a generator that already sounded like it was smoking a cigar, came the announcement:
“In half an hour the power comes back on!” – someone shouted from the door.

There was a burst of joy. The guests applauded, the dogs barked, and I… I just plopped down in a chair, exhausted but grateful. Andrew, our hero, raised his hands like an Olympic champion.
“Did I tell you it would hold? This generator is the good kind.”

Mireia laughed and offered him a glass of warm cava as a thank you. – “Andrés, we’re going to put a plaque on the entrance of the house for you. ‘The man who saved the end of the year.'”

“I’ll settle for that, but next time you have twenty dogs and four kinds of diets on the menu, let me know ahead of time,” he replied, laughing.

The return to normality

At 11:30 p.m., the light returned like a Christmas miracle. The house was filled with a warm, comforting glow, the radiators began to work, and the oven resumed its task with German efficiency. The kitchen was filled with delicious smells: turkey, roasted vegetables, vegan options, gluten-free bread… a veritable feast that would satisfy even the most demanding diners. 🦃🥗🍷

The dogs, excited by the sudden activity, returned to the fray: Maky tried to steal a piece of bread, Mastitwo went under the table in search of crumbs, and Mamas, well, Mamas decided it was best to climb up on the sofa to observe the chaos from above. Masto, as always, remained in his corner, observing everything with the air of a satisfied philosopher. 🐾🍖

New Year's Eve at MasTorrencito
New Year’s Eve at MasTorrencito

“Dinner is ready!” – Mireia announced with a smile from ear to ear.
The guests happily and gratefully sat at the table as the couple’s greyhounds wrapped themselves in blankets as if they were the kings of the night. Even the vegan seemed satisfied with his plate of roasted tofu and salad.

The fall of the hero

I, however, could not take it anymore. The tension, fatigue and stress of the whole day took their toll on me. At 11:30 p.m., just half an hour before midnight, I collapsed on the couch, surrounded by dogs. 🛋️💤
“Really, you’re not going to hold out until grapes?” – Mireia asked me, laughing as she tried to pull off a blanket that Mamas had decided was hers.
“Sorry… but I’m already in 2025… or the afterlife, I don’t know. Open one eye for me for the toast if you want,” I mumbled, half asleep.

The grand finale

At 12 o’clock, the guesthouse was in perfect harmony. The guests toasted with their glasses of cava, all warm, showered and well fed. The dogs joined in the toast with festive barking, as if they were also celebrating the return of the light. The Christmas tree lights were shining as never before, and Mireia, from the table, looked at me and smiled.

“We made it,” he whispered as he raised his glass. – “Well, you didn’t, but we’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”

The end of the year was an unexpected success. Thanks to Andres, his generator, and a last minute miracle, we managed to save the night. I didn’t see the grapes, but honestly, after all day, I think the only thing I needed was a little peace.

This is how the new year began: with lights, warmth, delicious food, barking dogs and deep gratitude for having survived the year-end blackout. 🎉🐾✨


From MasTorrencito we wish you a good day and that your dogs accompany you !!!!


If you want, you can see our vouchers for weekends, retirees vouchers, at an incredible price …enter www.mastorrencito.com or if you want you can read more history and anecdotes that have happened to us in Mas Torrencito … Click here

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