As recently as last week, yours truly was whining and complaining that it did not feel like winter. I know, it’s shocking to hear that I was whining and complaining, but every once in a while it happens. And then suddenly the news was filled with the impending doom of A WINTER STORM OF EPIC PROPORTIONS. Smiling news anchors cheerfully report that the world may indeed be coming to an end. At least in our part of the country.
I live right outside Washington, D.C., so I’m guessing that the rest of the country would say “good riddance!” if we were to dissolve into one big slushy mess of slimy politicians. I get it. But some immensely talented humorists/writers live here as well (hint, hint) and that would be a loss to at least a dozen mildly interested blog readers. Epic.
So we are doing what we can to plan our survival tactics. First and foremost, food. Lots and lots and lots of food. Therefore when I went to my neighborhood supermarket yesterday, it appeared that thousands of others flocked there as well. And as far as I can tell, we were all there to buy junk food (duuuh) and kidney beans, to make vats full of chili. I make a mean vegetarian chili, but it is absolutely mandatory that I have low sodium kidney beans to pull it off. Naturally they stock those on the top shelf, which by the time I got to the store had been ravaged. Sadly, I could see a row of cans at the very back of the shelf, but I had no means to get to them. I whimpered pathetically for a few minutes but no offers to help. That means I will only be able to make half a vat of chili with the stuff I have on hand, and I guess half a vat is better than none.
All I can say is heaven help us if there’s ever a real crisis, because the city’s supply of Oreos and other essentials will be wiped from the shelves in record time. When I finally got my groceries pulled together, I came around the corner and found this:
A mere 45 minutes later and I was on my way! Once home I flipped on the TV to find that out local NBC affiliate has a whole new Type of Snowfall Early Warning System. Check this out:
They were reporting that over the last hour they had upped the forecast from Problematic to CRIPPLING. Certain Death and Destruction. Surely only the strong will survive. That does not include certain humorists/writers. At least I’ll go down in a pile of under-beaned chili and cookie crumbs.
In the meanwhile no one bothered to notice that were getting a dusting of snow right at rush hour last night. A Barely Conversational amount according to our new scale of measurement. Not even enough to cover the grass in my yard. Still…my brother Barry called in a report from the Beltway that was not good. Not good at all. His average speed was, well, imperceptible, and people were abandoning their cars! WTF? It begs the question, where do these people go? Have they been teleported somewhere? And how will they get their cars back? I mean, you can’t just stroll down the side of the Beltway. Also, those people I wrote about recently who can’t be bothered to turn on their headlights in the rain have now adopted a practice of driving with their flashers on. According to Barry, who is a very reliable source, it’s become A Thing.
So I’m grateful that Dan and I were both snug at home when the roads came to a screeching halt, over a dusting of snow. Directly from this morning’s Washington Post:
An inch of snow, icy roads unleash 9 hours of traffic chaos across D.C. region
“Horrible.” “Pathetic.” “Painful.” “Unbelievable.” “One inch of snow did this.”
From every corner of the region and into the wee hours of the morning, from every highway and byway, motorists vented their anger and frustration that they were still out there — at 1 a.m., then 2 a.m. and still at 3 a.m. — because of ice and untreated roads, from a modest early-evening snowfall that came and went in a few hours.
So Conversational Snowfall was actually Crippling Snowfall. We’re going to need a thesaurus to come up with a category for the storm coming tomorrow. Perhaps we go from Crippling to Epic to Life Altering to Abandon All Hope. I’m going to go take cover now.
Well, we certainly got hammered here with some snowstorm in NYC too. We have family in Alexandria and they had a foot by morning already. Winter has arrived!
I also wrote a post about the storm and how people freak out with the shopping. For me it was Pop Tarts and booze.
Man am I ever kicking myself for not thinking of Pop Tarts! Pretty sure with enough of those puppies I could make it through an Apocalypse!
I guess it could be worse when I’m following someone going 18 mph on my 18 mile drive to work in rural, western NY. You’d think that living with Lake Effect Snow would make people better drivers (but no).
Does it help if I tell you that Jews consider 18 a lucky number?
Ha ha! We have a shortage of Jews, but I’ll keep that in mind!
I grew up in New York City. In 12 years of school, we had ONE snow day. Here, if it is snowing in Chicago, they close the schools here. I l really think people in the D.C. area should not be granted a driver’s license unless they can pass a road test that includes driving through all types of precipitation .
I think qualifications for getting a license need to be more stringent altogether, as evidenced by my recent post. But yes, snow is a particular embarrassment.
Chili and Oreos ~ sounds like a plan to me! Stay safe and warm.
Thanks Carol (as I wipe tell-tale crumbs from my chin…)!
I think they should come up with a better rating system. They could use a measure of booze – going from one bottle to a case. Maybe you should test it this weekend.
That chart has actually been done, in various iterations. Unfortunately I cannot find a way to paste the photo here! Google snow + wine and have a giggle. Alas, I don’t drink so will be relying solely on chocolate and Diet Dr. Pepper to make it through this thing.
God I missed you!
Awww…
OMG, it took me 2+ hours to get home last night. And the people with the flashers on – WTF!
You could have walked home faster than that! I have to admit on days like that it’s nice not to be downtown. Stay safe and warm!
I hear the mayor is having a press conference on the mishandling of the conversational storm. In contrast, we have had no snow but our roads have been treated 3 times this week. Our local supermarket (where I stocked up on stuff this morning) has enough sand on it that it looks like a beach. You will be in the eye of the storm. I am on the outer rim. Our local news folks haven’t yet adopted (or stolen) your chart but I can see it coming.
BTW you appeared in my reader today and I was able to comment without issue. You and WordPress must have made up!
Temperamental WP behaving for once!
Yes, the cats have checked their supplies several times. They are good on food but think their mousie supply could use a boost. BTW I talked too soon. I was not able to post this the first (or second) time I tried.
No shortage of food or mousies here. Now if we could just get WP to work!
Tried to pick up some catnip to make some mousies (this is my world!) but they were out. So in addition to milk, bread, twinkies and Tequila, people are hoarding catnip too. (Another Pulitzer prize winning comment was almost lost!)
OMG this would make a really interesting sociological study. Plus, don’t you know catnip mousies are a gateway drug? Next thing you know it’s bigger rodents, higher caliber catnip. Slippery slope.
DC and VA have already declared a State of Emergency. I’m just hoping Dan can telework tomorrow or he will never get home! Stay warm and safe, could be a three cat weekend in which case you’re in luck!
Enjoying your musings once again. Here in Chicago we’d be like, “Eh.” Good luck. Stay warm.
Thanks Lisa, glad you’re still along for the ride! And yes, DC is the world capital of overreaction to weather events…