First of all. How can it possibly be February? Was it not yesterday that my husband and I strained to keep our eyes open to watch the 2010 ball drop in Time's Square? Not only is it February, but nearly half way through.
This coming Sunday we will be taking our PA family out to dinner to celebrate the start of Chinese New Year. It is the beginning of the year 4070 give or take depending on which scholar you happen to favor. It should be a promising year for me as it is the "Year of the Tiger", my sign on the Chinese zodiac.
Sunday is also Valentine's Day. I like it when two special days fall together - we can do a double celebration with one meal (not that I'm a Yankee or anything).
As I write this, snow is falling gently, sparkling in the lights like a myriad of diamonds. SORRY - No way I can continue to deal with this poetically. Yes, the snow is falling gently but soon will start whipping up a frenzy as the wind catches up to the front. On the national weather prediction map tonight, there was a large pink shape heading towards the east coast and right in the middle was an small oblong blue shape with 20" written on it. I bet if I did a Google map search, I would find our community directly under that number. If that turns out to be true, it will land on the 2 feet+ that fell 3 days ago.
Now, remember that we moved from Maine to PA a year ago to live in a more temperate climate. I just got an e-mailed photograph of our former home surrounded by bare ground except for tiny bits of snow where it was in the shade. Now that's what I call an early April Fool's joke.
As in Maine, folks were running errands frantically before the first flake fell, Unlike Maine, the population here is many times what we left,so the errand running was like frantic on steroids. I made the mistake before the last storm in thinking I should pick up some milk. There were people in the lines at every register, many with overflowing shopping carts. I wondered if I should be nervous that the "natives" felt they needed so many provisions for what I felt should be a 24-48 hour inconvenience. I know that the 2 to 3 inch "storms" we have had caused worry for some. Since my husband and I have a unit where we can see the parking lot, one lady asked that we tell her if they brought in the back-loader so she could move her car. For a dusting? Well, this morning we stayed away from any grocery stores but did go to fill the car and we expected the cars that were in line. Then we did our usual Tuesday run to the library - we usually take back or pick books and two movies for the week. (Tuesday is 2 for 1, $1.59 for a whole week - remember the Yankee thing?) Well, you should have seen the people there. We usually pick one movie each (have totally different tastes) and it was like trying to shop at the old Filene's Basement in Boston on a weekend. We could be "holed up" for a couple days - how can you possibly watch arms full of movies? And the tote bags full of books? Now I am nervous about what is going to happen if we do end up with a 5 day total of 4 feet. Maybe I should have bought milk!
It always amazes me when a storm approaches about the panic buying, like they will never make it back to a supermarket again in their lifetime!
Posted by: Rob in Sanford | February 13, 2010 at 07:14 PM