Good Things Come In...

This is certainly not the sight you want to see as soon as you wake up, and before your first cup of coffee.

Treasa and the dogs stayed over last night. I, being the first to rise, went downstairs, started the coffee and took the dogs outside. At the end of the cul-de-sac were two SUVs and a truck. Given the ice/snow covered roads, I’m more concerned about being attacked by vehicles with four wheel drive than some tinted out performance sedan.

The engines were cold and there wasn’t anyone inside the vehicles. Should I come under attack this morning, I have an extra layer of security; Brogan, the canine door bell.

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All You Can Eat

Luckily, the power didn’t go out during the most recent snowfall. It was a few flakes over a foot this time. I knew I would be snowed in, so my strategy was preparedness and supply conservation.

Obviously I bought enough beer and bourbon to hold me through a few days of snow induced house arrest, but food would be another issue.

Essentially, food provisions boil down to two types: those you have to heat up, and those you don’t. You can find a box of pasta on sale at the grocery store for about a dollar. But without power, you can’t boil the water to cook it. Same goes for raw meats and frozen food items. Note that for the purposes of this explanation, I’m ignoring the potential of cooking with cast iron in the fireplace.

The second food category consists of items you can eat ‘as is.’ Raw veggies, fruit, nuts, most canned goods, bread, and as was my diet for the last day, deli meats, are all good expamples. During the early part of the storm, while power was on, I ate items from the first category to sustain my stash of those in the second. I was eating food that required power to prepare in case later on, if I had lost power, I still had food to eat that didn’t require electricity to prepare.

Of course, items like deli meats are in category 2 in the winter and category 1 in the summer because they require refrigeration. If power had gone out, I could have kept my ham and swiss from spoiling by placing them inside a large cooler, i.e. my front porch. My only concern then would be whether I had a ham sammy or a ham-and-swiss popsicle.

Luckily, I didn’t have to rely on my preparation this time. The key, though, is that I could have if I needed to.

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Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun...

It’s still snowing.

I sure wish I had that fourth gallon of milk.

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Milk Aisle Intolerance

We’re expecting anywhere between twelve and twenty four inches of snow, depending upon who you ask, tomorrow. Because it’s expected to start in the early afternoon, the grocery store was a complete mad house today. None of this is a surprise, because Delawarians are completely incompetent when it comes to snow.

We’re going to be stuck in our houses, maybe, until Sunday, and people are buying stuff like its Y2K all over again. I actually laughed out loud at the empty milk shelves and the women almost coming to tears over them. See blurry cell phone pic. The (pretty attractive) woman behind me in the checkout line said that she saw a woman buying four gallons of milk. Four gallons!?!?



Now, I’ll admit that an increases level of grocery fervor is tolerable, considering that the Super Bowl is this weekend and that the shopping that had been planned for Saturday had to be accelerated, but c’mon!

Treasa and I, of course, predicted the chaos and went to the liquor store yesterday. I don’t even want to know how crazy that place was today.

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My Home is My Cubicle

The state of Delaware declared a weather emergency last night in anticipation of the snow we got today. Drum roll…grand total: about 1.5 inches of fluffy white stuff. That’s about 38.1 millimeters, give or take. The emergency can’t be related to the actual snow, but rather the inability of Delawarians to drive in it, as previously noted.

Fearing for the safety of the minions, the corporate execs urged us to work from home today. So, as I write this, I’m unshowered, unshaven and about to phone into a four hour conference call.

At least the coffee is free here. Well, except for the fact that I had to buy it last week, but ya know what I mean.

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A New Resolution

Here’s the thing about Delaware. It’s far enough north so people think they can drive in the snow…but far enough south so they really can’t. What scares me more are the fearless SUV’ers with four wheel drive. Four wheel drive helps you get going. It doesn’t help you stop. It’s hard enough to stay alive in this business. I really don’t need Chevy S-10’s on thirty four inch tires fish-tailing all over the road.

I always pick a place in a parking lot that’s far away from other vehicles. This serves two purposes. First, I hate door dings. Also note that I never park downhill from a shopping cart return corral. Secondly, choosing a parking spot without anyone else near you eliminates the cover necessary for someone to place an incendiary device on your vehicle. It’s not preventative, but it’s precautionary. In addition, on a day like this, when leaving your vehicle, take note of the footprints in the snow. When you return, if you see the snow disturbed within reach of your starter, find another way to get home.

Using these safety measures, I entered Blockbuster. There’s nothing better to do on a day like this than to watch the first season of 24. Walking through the aisles, I make my selection, turn the corner and bump into Treasa Joyce.

Coincidence? No. I followed her here.

It’s not stalking, it’s surveillance.

She noticed my clean shaven appearance.

“I clean up well.”

I asked a few open ended questions and learned that she’s dog sitting tomorrow for a few friends that are out of town. After I pointed out that it’s possible, if not preferable, for two people, instead of one, to walk two golden retrievers, I have myself a date.

New Year’s dinner is still a solo event though:
Seared ahi tuna salad over bed of baby spinach.
Bacon wrapped filet mignon, topped with crab imperial and a lobster tail.
Grilled asparagus with balsamic vinaigrette.
Twice baked potato with smoked cheddar bacon cheese.
One bottle of 2006 Greg Norman petite sirah.
One bottle of extra dry champagne – at this point in the evening, quality won’t be paramount.

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Each One is Unique

I was ill prepared for the snow this morning. One to two inches. I didn’t expect it. I should have known that snow was forecasted. In addition, there are footprints running through the far edge of my back yard. Could be nothing. Both of these facts leave me unsettled.

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