Well! The 8-12" of snow forecasted last night, has been revised to 12-20"! It's been snowing for five hours now, and I already have 7"! It's supposed to continue through tonight, and all day tomorrow. This is shaping up to be the biggest East Coast snow storm, since "The Blizzard of 96", 13 years ago.
I made my way into Richmond today, to stock up on provisions in case the power goes out. Don't worry Caroline! Fortunately for my neighbors, I won't have to resort to cannibalism, like the Donner Party!
God! What a hell hole the Short Pump shopping district, of west Richmond has become! Bumper to bumper traffic, and wall to wall people! A grand example of irresponsible urban sprawl gone mad. Everyone must have taken the day off to prepare for the coming onslaught, because the stores, the parking lots, and the roads were just jammed! I was never happier to get my errands run, and get the hell out of there! Sadly, I have to go back there on Monday, to get my mother a Christmas gift certificate, from Barnes & Noble book store. I hate going back there, because of the traffic and the crowds, but I do love looking at all of the lovely books in Barnes & Noble. For the last couple of years, in addition to the gift certificates I usually give my mother, I also got her two volumes of wonderful pictorial histories of starlets. One of Lucille Ball, who she is crazy about, and then last year, one of Lana Turner. I hope they have new ones this year. They are truly beautiful coffee table books, with the most wonderful photographs in them. I could look at the pictures of Lana Turner all day long, and never get tired of them. She was so beautiful!
Oh crap! I just went for a pee, then checked the deck again, and since I started this post, another inch has come down! We are now already at 8"! I filled my big whirlpool tub with water, just in case the power goes out. I live in an all electric home. My water supply, is a deep well (380'), with an electric well pump, so if the electricity goes out, I can't even flush a toilet. Filling the spare tub with water will allow me enough water to to flush toilets, and wash with for several days. For emergency lighting, I have a couple of battery powered lanterns, several kerosene lamps, and a bunch of long burning storm candles. I think I already mentioned that I have two kerosene heaters and ten gallons of kerosene. I almost sprung for a 2,000 watt, very portable generator at Lowe's today, while getting my five gallon bottles of water, but I just didn't want to spend nearly $600 on a gamble, that power would go out. If it does, I'll wish I got it. If it doesn't, I'll be glad I didn't throw my money away. I already have a shed full of tools and contraptions, I have only used a few times in the last 16 years I have lived in this house. Do I really need another?
While in Kroger's today, I spied a tall, very androgynous looking woman, with a collar length blond page, wearing black slacks and a tweed jacket, and pushing her shopping cart. She was thin, but very tall, at least six feet, with a very nice, but relatively manly looking face, and I am just sure she was trans. I was in boy mode, and she caught me looking at her twice. I couldn't help it, I was just drawn to her. God, I hope I didn't make her paranoid! The only reason I was looking at her, was because I though she was beautiful, and I was overcome with envy. I do so love my trans sisters!
I will charge the battery on my camera up tonight, and tomorrow, I will see about getting you some pictures of what the right Nor'ester blowing up the East Coast, can do to the Virginia Piedmont in winter. In the mean time, I would appreciate it, if all of you would offer sacrifices to the gods, in hopes that they will keep my power on.
Melissa XX
9 comments:
You're peeing on the deck? Keep that up and you won't need to be flushing toilets. Don't eat the yellow snow!
Started snowing here at 11:30. They've upped us to 3-5". I'll believe it when I see it. They always get alarmist and give us the worst case scenario.
Just say a few Hail Epis and no sacrifice will be required.
The weather here actually started out as snow! I was surprised. It didn't take it long to turn into rain though. I bought a generator right after Isabel went through in 2003 (we didn't have power for 11 days). It has been used one time since then. I drag it out each summer before hurricane season, put fresh gasoline in it, power it up and run my big upright freezer off it for an hour or so. It is comforting to know that it is there though.
Okay, the my first aerobic drill is done. I expect 3 more before it's done. About 7-8" cleared at 10am. Whew! The winds are whipping it everywhere. The doomsday forecast is for 20" plus. Time for a cup of coffee and some Christmas music.
Funny how we can pick each other out in the crowd. I was on BART (subway) the other day, going into San Francisco. There was a tall, gorgeous blonde who entered after I did. I just knew she was trans. She sat next to me. I was trying to subtly steal looks...her makeup, heels, etc. Then, she got up and moved to another seat. Really, I was quite subtle about it. I did take a shower and I did look acceptable, albeit male. I probably made her feel awful and I felt so bad about it. Later, I saw her behind the makeup counter at Macy's. She stood out, like a beautiful lighthouse, attracting customers.
I bought a generator once, Melissa. It was well after a storm that caused us to lose power for several days. I didn't need it again for 10 years. When I did need it, it didn't start.
I hope you survive the storm. I know you will. You're a survivor.
@Keri - "Aerobic drill" Must not have a snow blower?
Calie xxx
You have all those trees to burn if necessary so we know you shall probably survive. I can just picture you out there humming the Monty Python lumberjack song as you fell your firewood!
Hope you got good tyres for that truck.
Caroline xxx
My fingers are crossed for you, Melissa...!!
There IS such a thing as too much snow!!
Hugs
chrissie
xxxxx
@ Leslie Ann
Peeing on the deck? Bite your tongue, girl! I always sit down to pee, and dragging one's cheeks in high snow, is rather unladylike, not to mention very chilling! ;-)
Melissa XX
@ Sophie
I bought a big Coleman 5,000 watt generator in 1996, and haven't used it once since, not even after Isabel, when I lost power for a week. Like Calie's, generator, it probably won't start when I need it anyway. I did fill the spare whirlpool tub with water, just in case the power went out. So far so good.
Melissa XX
@ Calie
It's uncanny. I instantly knew she was trans. I've been in this situation several times before. I hate to stare, but I'm drawn to other trans women like a moth to a flame. I wish I could flash them a wink, or a quick smile to reassure them, but in male mode, anything I could do, could be taken the wrong way. It's so frustrating to not have a way to communicate with our natural sisters!
I haven't forgotten about your offer of help. Keep on the lookout for an email follow up to your email to me.
Melissa XX
@ Caroline
Yes Caroline, soon my neighbors can expect to see me felling trees, in my panties, suspenders and bra! Won't I be the talk of the neighborhood! LOL!
Melissa XXOO
@ Chrissie
A bit of snow, especially at Christmas time is lovely, but this may be a bit much! Freezing temperatures will insure if stays for the next week, and then we have another winter weather threat, for Christmas Eve and Christmas! Not looking forward to that, considering I have a 45 mile drive into town, to see the family.
I hope the Diva is enjoying the white stuff!
Melissa XXOO
You can save yourself a small fortune on a generator by putting an inverter in your truck.
Back in the day when Earl was still alive and we were living in NH, the snow and power outages could become a slight problem. Having grown up in New England it never phased me, but Earl a Jersey boy if ever there was one, didn't really handle it well. He was stunned one winter when the power went out and I went right on with life. Cooked dinner in the fireplace like I'd been doing it my whole life.
When his kidneys failed and we start doing dialysis at home, the reality of extended power failures became more pressing. While I toyed with a generator, I wanted something a bit more cost effective. I dropped a couple of deep cycle marine batters and a 1750 watt since wave inverter into the car, put a covered outlet into the bumper and the next time the power went out I plugged the house, the entire house, into the car and kept going like nothing had happened. Power was out for several days and we didn't even notice.
Well except of course when neighbors came by wondering why we had power and no-one else did. If I had a house like you, I'd have long since wired it with a large reserve and solar power. One day, when I buy a house, the first thing I'm going to do is install full solar and save myself a fortune in electric bills.
It sounds like you are well prepared. I think you would be someone it would be good to be with in an emergency!
Take care and I hope the weather doesent get any worse.
x
Post a Comment