Bring It On

I don't know whether to be scared or not scared, but the storm is coming. The house is ready. School is canceled Monday and Tuesday. I've filled empty containers with water, although it's just a precaution -- we don't have a well, but it's in case our water gets dirty. I've made extra ice. The freezer is pretty full right now, which is kind of good and kind of bad -- if the power goes out for days, it will be bad, but if it's just a little while then it will stay cold from being so full. We have underground utilities in my neighborhood, so our issue is if a main line goes down on the main road somewhere.

I'm charging everything that can be charged: my camp lanterns, my cell phone, the portable DVD player, the Nook, Big Girl's DS, the camera. My laptop is useless to charge because my battery doesn't hold a charge anymore. I actually did my two assignments for my job already and sent them off, just to be safe. I don't have to worry much about the cell phone being charged -- it's not a smart phone, and we have a land line that works when the power goes out as long as I hook up our non-cordless phone to it.

I always laugh when the weather gets bad and we are forced to go back to old ways: Land lines. Using cash -- imagine that! No TV and battery operated radios for FM and -- gasp! -- AM stations! In some ways I find it refreshing to rely on the things that we once used to, things that are fading away in some ways. Mother Nature always provides a good reminder that electric gadgets will not save us.

I spent most of Sunday "nesting" -- made chili and chocolate chip cookies and did several loads of laundry. Today I hope to cram in one more load of laundry, and get the house picked up some, although it's not terrible. I found, however, that during last year's storm, that it was easier when the sun went down if stuff was put away as much as possible.

I'm just hoping that we get to trick-or-treat on Wednesday, and carve a pumpkin. Our pumpkins were eaten by squirrels -- all 3 of them! -- but my parents have one left we can carve. Hopefully we can get it before the holiday!


I'm off to brave the one they call "Sandy." Stay safe, dear readers, and see you all when it's over. Not sure when I'll be back -- I have a post scheduled to go up tomorrow, and hopefully we will still have power and I'll be back on this blog by the end of the week!