Like a lot of people, I had plans for this weekend. I was taking Friday off from work to travel to my sister's house in New Jersey. On Saturday we were going to see "Wicked" on Broadway. Twenty-four hours from now though we are getting a blizzard. The words used to describe it so far include 'historic' 'mind-blowing' 'crippling' 'catastrophic' and so on and so forth, and so the trip is off.
Everyone around here is in a panic and so we are engaging in the ritualistic buying of bread, milk and toilet paper to protect ourselves from the snow gods. I ran out earlier this evening to the Food Lion in Oakland Mills because I had heard that it wasn't busy. It wasn't as busy as other grocery stores but checking out took forever. I stood in line behind a family of 50 with baby carriages and grocery carts and I'm pretty sure they might still be there waiting for all of their items to be rung up. I finally gave up and jumped into the long "12 items or less" line.
I did not go for the usual things, instead I realized that I needed batteries for my flashlight, peanut butter and microwave popcorn. Full disclosure, I had already purchased the required ritualistic items the night before and stood in a line at Whole Foods in downtown Columbia. I have paid my dues to the snow goddess.
I'm looking forward to the snow once its finished. I bought snow shoes a few years ago and this will give me a chance to use them again. Hopefully I won't be too tired from shoveling to use them. Also, all of the batteries I got are not destined for the flashlight. I lit up a tree next to my front door for Christmas with some battery operated lights and they've been fading. With the snow coming I just thought it would be really pretty to have the tree nice and bright. I'm sure my neighbors are wondering when the lights will come down since it's been several weeks since Christmas. Frankly, I don't plan to take them down until the end of January. I like driving up to my house at night after a long day at work and seeing the Christmas lights beaming out at me.
I wish my tiny townhouse had a garage for my car, but it doesn't and so I will have to dig it out after the snow stops and make sure the word "reserved" can be seen clearly on my designated space. I'm looking forward to seeing all my neighbors out in the bright sunshine as we shovel our walks and dig out our cars. Everyone complains about the snow but at the same time everyone also seems a lot nicer during snow shoveling. Maybe it's because being tired from all the shoveling kills our mean streaks and desire to hide from one another.
I'm not looking forward to being trapped in my house all day on Saturday. Any other time I can stay in my house all day and find plenty to do, but as soon as I can't go out restlessness takes over and I get a bad case of cabin fever. I have plans for what I'm going to do and hopefully they'll keep me entertained. I have a dog and he will need to go out and go to the bathroom and as long as I can see where I'm going and find my way back to my house, I'll take him for a couple short loops around the neighborhood. Otherwise it's the backyard only for him. With the death of Glenn Frey a few days ago I'm planning to watch "History of the Eagles" on Amazon Video. I'll probably find something to blog about. I may even make a batch of cookies to take to work when the world returns to normal. I already know that books that hold my attention right now while I have so many other things I need to do will be boring on Saturday.
For a while after the snow stops the neighborhood will be a plush blanket (I hope) of lovely, white snow and everything will be sparkling and beautiful. I hope on Sunday morning I can enjoy that while I drink some coffee and before I head outside to the work that awaits. In all the beauty of the snow, I hope that all of us remain safe. I'll make sure to dig out my HVAC unit out back. I have a neighbor who is ~93 and so I'll check in on him to make sure he's okay. I'll walk down the street to make sure our fire hydrant gets dug out and I'll make sure the mailman has a path to our mailbox and doesn't have to step through deep snow to deliver our mail next week.
I hope all of you, your friends and loved ones stay safe and warm this weekend. Happy Blizzard!
When I was a little kid, I loved blizzards. Today, I still love them as long as they don't cause any damage. Luckily, prepping a home for harsh winter weather helps with avoiding a lot of the troubles blizzards can cause to a home. As long as a house is ready for blizzards, then the weather can't exactly do too much harm.
ReplyDeleteShayne Gustafson @ Berico Heating and Air
I'm with you Shayne - I hope they don't cause any damage. I also wish someone else would do all the shoveling because I was too tired to play in the snow!
DeleteProcessed and powdered foods are not exactly a joy to eat, but they are good to keep in the cabinet for emergencies. Powdered oatmeal plus water plus a microwave definitely is an easy three-part plan for eating a meal when the weather is too bad to get to the store. A blizzard's effects are usually a day or two. Having easy meals in the home makes dealing with blizzard conditions easier.
ReplyDeleteCarmelo @ PRO Hot Water Service
Be very careful with those blizzards! They can be a real mess when things get ugly. Make sure to prepare the house and all the windows are secure. It would take some time to really secure all your belongings properly, but it will be worth it in the end!
ReplyDeleteAmbrose @ Brown & Reaves Services, Inc.