We in the middle of the biggest snowstorm the D.C. area has ever seen. Reports of this storm started earlier in the week and the predictions of the amount of snow we were to receive just kept getting bigger and bigger. When the snow started falling on Friday afternoon, Channel 7 news was reporting an expected snowfall of up to 30 inches. Really.
On Wednesday night, the weather map on Channel 4 news used the word "crippling" to describe our area with relation to the upcoming storm. This one word adjective was more than enough for Jeff to strongly urge me to go grocery shopping after dinner and stock up on all necessities. With my mom and stepfather due for a visit on Friday, I needed to plan out what food we would need to not only make dinner for several nights, but also be sufficiently stocked and ready to go for 2 extra adults in the house. Jeff and I had just done our weekly grocery shopping on Saturday at Wegman's and broken a personal record on the amount spent -- $311. This was just for one week's groceries. 4 days later, I found myself at the Safeway across the street and we broke another spending record there -- $323. And, get this -- they didn't even have milk left on the shelves. I was contemplating giving the kids buttermilk to drink. I got a grip and realized I still had 48 hours before the snow was even expected to start falling.
Come Thursday morning, the reports that you should be prepared to stay put for 3 to 5 days is what got to me. Now I was ready to take this storm seriously. I was at the gym with Sam and decided to go to Wegman's afterwards and see if they had firewood and milk. To my delight, the food was flying off the shelves, but they were restocking it just as fast. Wegman's was the busiest I've ever seen it. Not even Thanksgiving or Christmas could rival the amount of business they were doing this particular Thursday morning. So I decided to buy more fruit, some chicken salad, cole slaw, lots of ice cream, milk and firewood. Every register was open and each checkout lane was about 20 deep of customers waiting. It was crazy! Fortunately everyone was in good spirits, the cashiers were efficient and Sam was happy munching on the unwashed strawberries we had in our cart. $92 later we were on our way home and really ready for the snow to arrive. Let's do the math -- $726 spent in under a week. Yowzer. And guess what? I went to change a light bulb on Friday and we didn't have any. :)
Mom and Jim were due to arrive Friday afternoon. Fortunately they were able to change their travel planes and take the same exact flight out on Thursday. It's a good thing too, because their original flight was cancelled. Many kudos to my mom and stepfather for forging ahead with their plans to come visit knowing full well what they were about to experience. Considering they live in the Florida, it is extra special. I am so excited they are here. The kids are having a great time and it takes the pressure off of Jeff and me to keep them entertained 14 hours of the day.
Before even one snowflake fell, Fairfax County (along with the rest of the D.C. metro area) cancelled school and all activities for Friday. In another bold move, Southwest airlines cancelled over 100 flights into BWI and Dulles for Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. And as I write this on Friday afternoon, hoping to tune in and watch General Hospital, ABC has preempted my soap opera for minute-by-minute coverage on the storm. Really? You've got to be kidding me. The storm has really just started getting underway, it is not even sticking on the streets yet, and regular programming has been taken off the air. This is just not right. You've warned us to get off the roads. You've warned us to get to the grocery store days ago. You've warned us to stay put. And, now you are making it impossible for me to see my favorite show. Ha!! Guess what? Just as I finished that last sentence, Channel 7 (it is on as background noise) reported that they will re-air the soap operas and Oprah tomorrow. I can catch Friday's General Hospital at 5:00am on Saturday morning. Nice try, but I think I'll DVR it and watch it at a more appropriate hour. :)
Stay tuned for the story on how the house almost burned down...
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