Friday, January 29, 2010

If you're prepared ...

it doesn't happen, right? Because Mother Nature only likes suckers (or so I hope that's her logic).

The beauty of not having TV is that all news is muted. Hysteria is only added by inner-monologue. (of which I am completely void when it comes to news.)

The beauty of only listening to Jazz Radio is that all news comes via NPR - with just a dash of local comment. Hysteria doesn't translate well to 3 minutes of national and local coverage.

The beauty of receiving the newspaper electronically is you don't have to go outside when it's cold to get it. (You also don't have to feel guilty about not tipping the newspaper carrier).

So - yesterday - when I electronically flipped the page of the paper - I noticed a graphic of a snowflake. Now - typically I don't read the weather forecast. (The very antithesis of Mitter family behavior, btw). I figure now that I now longer care (much) about the condition of the cotton crop - weather has little effect on me. (Except for gas prices, food prices, heating/cooling costs, etc.) But it's not something I can control - and usually I can look at the high/low temp on my Google sidebar and figure out what to wear for the day - so I don't worry about the weather.

But that snowflake. Man, did they REALLY think we were going to see a dusting of snow on Friday and Saturday? Well - you can imagine my SHOCK to discover they are predicting 5-7 inches of snow starting tonight. And not just snow (which is manageable) but sleet and ice (which is utter chaos here in the land of hills and no regular bad weather driving skills).

Yesterday was a BRILLIANTLY sunny day. It got up over 60 degrees. I totally didn't want to buy into the whole "We're doomed! It's going to snow!" hysteria I was pretty sure the local media was cranking up. Then I remembered the memorial service planned for Saturday - with an expected attendance of 300 people - and the luncheon I am to be preparing on Monday for 40 people. I thought to myself - "Hmm - if it's going to be icy - maybe I want to get stuff done today and not on Friday when the panic will full-fledged."

So I trooped off to the restaurant supply store (for nothing needed relating to snow/ice/sleet) - and then Sam's to buy the supplies for the luncheon and memorial service. At 5pm when I was heading back across town I fought with myself about making a final stop at the grocery store. 5pm + snow panic = human catastrophe and declined inclination to think reasonably, act rationally, or move quickly. (and you know the last is the biggest sin of all)

But I went anyway. And decided to park in the "unpopular" area - which was jammed packed - BUT there was an old man walking towards his behemoth sedan - and I decided to sedately wait on him. (Because I CAN be patient if I HAVE TO BE ... you know - the greater good for mankind and all that.)

After I snagged the only available parking space I entered the store where all the grocery carts (buggies to you southerners and UK visitors) were GONE. But I only needed 5 things - so I took my handheld basket and gathered up my frozen peas (I'm gonna make chicken pot pie tonight!), raspberry preserves (Raspberry-Dijon dressing for the salad on Monday), 1/2 & 1/2 (chicken pie), brownie mix (a story for another day) and cold cereal ... and then I threw in 3 bottles of wine ($10/total cost) which were totally not on the list - because you know - maybe this weather thing would be prolonged - and you cannot face calamity without alcohol. 

The lines at the cash registers were python long - and just as undulating and twisty - so I went to the self-checkout - even though I had alcohol and knew the checker would have to come over and look at my damn license thereby negating the "quicker/easier" aspect of self-checkout. But the process was thoroughly enjoyable. I assisted a lovely British woman with her checkout - and then ripped through the process myself. In no-time I was out of there and heading for church to unload the loot. 

My timing (much to my surprise) had actually been perfect all day long - and it continued to be so when the Good Doctor called to see if I was hungry (as if). It wasn't until we were at the restaurant that I really began to focus on the snow panic. Some people were talking about the possibility of ELEVEN INCHES of snow. And the temperature not rising above FREEZING until MONDAY. 


The Good Doctor had already booked a hotel room for Friday night - as he didn't want to smash his lovely new little hot-wheels car to smithereens trying to drive the sixty miles to/from work shifts on Friday and Saturday.

Now - if the Good Doctor was planning ahead ... surely the apocalypse is nigh? After he dropped me off back at the house I continued to think about the future.

Hmmm - ice 'till Monday. Perhaps this will change things for the memorial and luncheon? When I got home there were messages waiting for me on my phone. About the luncheon on Monday. You know - the luncheon for tottering-dottering old ladies. Old ladies who will NEVER, EVER drive in adverse weather to the church. Who will not consume the lasagna. Or Raspberry-Dijon vinegarette covered salad. Nor will they delight in the sunny lemon bars made from scratch. So there I was - getting ready to return calls - and feeling pretty idiotic for buying supplies that wouldn't be consumed ... 

Only to talk to the first person and find out that yes, if the city was in complete chaos, there'd be no meeting, BUT ... she was worried about the WIHN people we were hosting this week. What would they do for Sunday dinner and Monday breakfast if no one could drive to the church? And of course, I've already purchased the answer.

So since I'm ready - I'm totally sure this chaos isn't going to happen. Right?

4 comments:

MitMoi said...

It was sunny and clear at 8am. Now it's overcast and getting colder. Please come back sun!

Anonymous said...

May I suggest you get a little weather radio so you will be, at least, a little prepared ??? They have had ice storms all the way from Texas, OK, Tenn. and now the Carolina's -- so the TV and radio stations are reporting ----- get that ? Reporting, not predicting !! *O* tp

Mamie said...

How wonderful that the WIHN people will dine on your fabulous food. You are a gem.

Suze said...

They're 'trolleys' to we Brits!