There's always something. And with a big ol' winter storm barrelling down, there are a few more somethings.
Washington state has had...well, not the roughest winter we've ever faced. Not even the roughest winter we've faced in recent memory. But it's been interesting; and all the signs point to things getting more interesting.
Fairly soon.
Tomorrow afternoon, as a matter of fact.
My area has only gotten about four inches of snow thus far. Other parts of the metro area have been much worse hit: 5 inches, 7 inches, 11 inches. (Downtown is sitting at 2 inches. The big airport records 3 inches. The area where I used to live? An inch and a half.) Roads are iced over, hills are impassable, lots of school, road, and mall closures. Drivers are going more slowly, but there are still problems. I'm very, very happy that I was not on this bus.
The worst of the storm is supposed to pass over us and hit a bit to the south. Still, it will be messy: gusting winds up to 70 mph, freezing rain...oh yeah. Fun times. Power outages are expected. I made yet another trip to the grocery store to get 2-gallon containers of drinking water, some additional batteries, and cat food. Not the good stuff...but some semi-junkfood stuff to mix with the good stuff until this storm blows over and I can get to a pet store that carries the pricier, harder-to-get, makes-Monkey-barf-less, makes-Ursa's-coat-shinier, not-made-with-ingredients-from-China pet food. I've been out on numerous "stocking up" runs for this storm system, but I've got enough stuff to bake or slow-cook something every single day for the next two weeks. That's a lot of heat generated and then spread about downstairs.
I've been making my retreats each evening around 5pm, getting my dinner and then heading upstairs with a pump-pot full of hot water, a few packets of cocoa and / or cider, a few crackers, and some books. It's been a good strategy thus far. This is, in fact, what the Seattle metro area is advising residents to do, especially if their power goes out. Have supplies close to hand. Confine your activities to one or two rooms to conserve heat. Close off rooms to compartmentalize airflow. It's like we're living in a space station, minus any potential glamor factor.
I'm planning a trip out into the muck tomorrow (over to the old post office which is sitting on a package of mine; over to a friend's house for a gingerbread party that would horrify La Stewart; and a quick check of my current post office box). After that, I think I'll spend this weekend writing my holiday card. I've got my laptop charged up, I've got my porta-lite, I'm charging my batteries for the MP3 stereo-thing, and I've got things to bake. Even if the power goes out, I'm not utterly without resources.
I'll just be bundled under every blanket I own, with the cats ensconced nearby in their own individual nests. If the power goes, their new favorite thing will also be out of commission: the space heater will not bestow any radiance upon us, and while I like the warmth, I've lately found Ursa and Fog sitting right by the thing. If that stops producing heat and humming sounds, they'll be quite bereft.
