White Out

I’ve been feeling a bit disconnected for a few days, and it is still lingering with me. It’s the effect of the ice storm that reared its frosty head over the weekend.

My disconnection started Thursday evening when my car sputtered to a stop in an intersection. That developed into a tow truck bringing me and my car home. Not good.

Late Thursday night, the ice storms started.

Friday morning I had to deal with my car – luckily the garage sent someone over to get it for me – and they were nice to take me to work, but the repairs were going to be rather extensive so I wasn’t to expect my car back until Monday. Ugh.

The storm was worsening, so the Governor called off work around noon, or so. A friend gave me a ride home, which I appreciated. I sort of just sat there with Dot and watched the snow come down. It was looking pretty bleak.

The weather guys on TV were going nuts. Completely nuts.

A friend stopped by Friday night. The snow/rain/ice/sleet had stopped falling so we ventured out and got something to eat. We didn’t go far. Roads too bad.

I left my cell phone in his car and he didn’t bring it back until Sunday.

So I was carless and phoneless all day Saturday and Sunday morning. Felt very stranded. It started storming again Saturday morning and did so most of the day.

I took Dot outside at one point and it felt like a bucket of ice pellets were being dumped on my head. I’ve experienced many, many snow storms in my life, but this is the first time I remember feeling like little BB pellets of ice were being dumped on my head. Very strange.

I managed to bundle up and walk Dot around the neighborhood a few times just to see what was going on. Cars stuck, everyone sliding on the ice, brrrrrrr cold…it was all pretty dramatic.

I never made it to the grocery store but it’s probably a good thing because according to the pictures on the news, each store was completely wiped out of everything – from meat to water to chips to batteries to toilet paper. Because we Oklahomans need to STOCK UP for what the weather guys were predicting might be a THREE DAY situation. Prepare as if it’s a nuclear holocaust, just to be on the safe side.

I had cabin fever by Monday, a holiday from work, and of course it turned out that my car really wasn’t going to be ready as planned – they need an extra day to finish the job. So I just puttered around and took Dot on a few walks.

Watched lots of movies, talked a little bit on the phone – when I had my phone and it wasn’t in someone else’s car! - bundled up and took walks, read. It was very peaceful, but a very surreal feeling, as well. I’m grateful beyond belief that we didn’t lose power. That would have been far worse.

I wasn't motivated to do anything productive. Didn't play on the computer or take many pictures. Again, just felt disconnected.

It’s still cold today. Very cold. Not expected to get above freezing for the rest of the week, so I doubt there will be much melting, at least on the neighborhood streets. The highways seem clear and fine but it’s still slow going on the main streets.

Winter can be kind of fun. Exciting in a way, because it’s different. But I need to clear my head and get focused and move out from the fog of a lazy, snuggly, housebound three-day weekend! First order of business is to get my car back, and I think I’ve been convinced that I really do need to have a land line telephone installed. That’s the next project on my list.

Must sign off and see if I can get back into the groove of things.