Monday, February 1, 2010

The Impending Storm & Postscript


I have lots of thoughts for this blog but no cohesive theme – at least not yet. I'm writing this blog a little like I write fictional scenes. I'm going to start and let the words take me somewhere.

It's Tuesday night (January 26) and I have six days to get this blog done. I don't normally write anything that far ahead of a deadline, but the weather guys are predicting that within 36 hours my world is going to have an Armageddon of the icy variety. The guys with the color radar and storm model gizmos have proclaimed that by early Thursday morning (January 28) there will be enough ice to down power lines and close highways in Eastern Oklahoma.

I'm writing this blog early, because if I wait until the weekend, I might not have …wait for it … horror of all horror … no internet access! No internet, no posting of my Monday blog on February 1. Of course I might not have heat, light, or television either. I guess it says something scary that I worry more about dealing with the lack of internet than with how I'll keep my pipes from freezing. Sigh.

In the last few years more and more of my life has become entangled with computers and the superhighway. Many of my monthly bills are delivered to my computer inbox instead of the mailbox nailed to the side of my house. I pay those same bills with a point and a click. I get most of my news from the computer. I shop via the computer. I write with my co-author on-line. Many of my e-friends are waiting in yahoo groups for me to pop in and say, "hey." How will I do that if the ice descends and encases my life in frozen, electronic silence for days on end?

Is your life tied to a computer? Can you go for days without checking email? Do you bank on-line? Watch movies on-line? Can you go "cold" turkey? I may have to. So, I'm trying to prepare for the worst. I just scheduled on-line payments for the bills that come due early next week. So even if I have no electricity or cable, my accounts will be current. There's something ironic about that but .. oh whatever.

If the power is with me on Monday, I'll update this blog. If not, when you read this, think of me – trapped, alone in my house, wrapped in my snuggy, drinking hot tea made on a gas stove, and reading mysteries by candlelight.

I guess I shouldn't complain, but I will. I'll miss my computer soooo much. I'm already feeling withdrawal pangs.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David


Postscript:
It's Friday night and the worst of the storm is over. I ended up with about 2 inches of ice with a 3-4 inch snow layer on top. Although there were power outages in the area, my town was spared. It will be a few more days before any melting occurs, but I think this crisis was averted. Probably due to all that money I spent on batteries, a weather radio, and canned soup. Sigh. (Kind of like washing your car to insure it rains.) Not that I'm complaining.

3 comments:

  1. Rhonda, glad it was the worst and you were able to keep internet and power. It is amazing what we take for granted after awhile. That was a terrible storm. Here in PA we get bad snow storms and ice but we prepare for winter right after Christmas ..sometimes even sooner. I am glad you are okay. susan L.

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  2. We only get snow once every few years. Had a little flurry that didn't stay on the ground--but boy, have we had the rain. Today it's sunny. Went to the coast on the weekend and it rained over there while we slept, but really nice the rest of the time.

    I live in the foothills of the Sierra and the mountains are covered with snow--beautiful view when I'm driving home.

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  3. Wow, we keep missing the worst of these awful storms. We're either north or south of 'em. Hope you didn't lose your Internet lifeline! It is easy to get very addicted, especially when you can do ALL your business online these days, or most of it anyway. I gradually weaned myself from much of my activity on the Web a few years back, although I've had some pressure to increase my Internet activity these past few months. I still write checks to pay bills, and I don't bank online at all. I like leaving a paper trail! (Yes, I am Dinosaur, here me roar!) Hope you're keeping warm and survived the worst of it! Ice on the roads is scary stuff.

    Cheers,
    Susan

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