Regardless of the snow being predicted for Saturday night, I had to go to the grocery store. Not because I worry about being snowed in for weeks without food or water, but because I was out of a few things. I brought a friend along with me and we set out on our errands. Our first stop was to get a shovel because I did not have one if you can believe that. Then we braved the crowded grocery store. When we were finally ready to check out, we noticed the lines were exceptionally long, going down aisles and around corners. People were pushing carts packed with groceries. I just don't understand why people go crazy if there's going to be a storm. They suddenly run out to buy canned goods and bottled water. It's a snow storm, people. There is no need to head for the fall out shelters with your duct tape.

Back in 1978 there was a blizzard here in the Boston area known appropriately enough, as the "Blizzard of 78". To this day people still talk about it. I have no real memory of it but there is photographic evidence that I was there - me wearing a red snowsuit standing next to a snow bank that towered over my head and the head of my dad who was standing with me. I will therefore tell you what I have heard from others about the Blizzard of 78. The highways turned into parking lots, people were stuck in their cars for hours, people slept places like work and school, and the entire area came to a complete standstill for at least a week. Now keep in mind, this was back in the day before cell phones so try to imagine being stuck in your car on the highway for hours as the snow started to bury you and there was no way you could call for help. Scary stuff indeed. Plus, people couldn't leave their houses and get to grocery stores. I don't know what caused everything to shut down so entirely. That storm brought 27 inches of snow. Saturday we got 24 inches. Maybe there weren't enough plows back then? Regardless, I can imagine that if someone lived through that storm (and actually remembered it) they might feel the urge to run to the grocery store for survival supplies. But carts packed to the brim? Does that make sense? It was like they were shopping for a whole month.

And speaking of survival supplies, the next stop for my friend and I was the video store where we waited in a line that was even longer and moving even slower. At one point I turned to my friend and observed "you know, we've been in this line since time began." She replied, "I know, I'm so hungry!" And I responded with, "well, I'm afraid we're going to have to start eating each other soon." Luckily, that was not to be. We got out of the video store, got something to eat, and eventually I ended up home safe and sound with plenty of food and movies to wait out the storm. Stay tuned for my next entry entitled, "weekend storm: the aftermath" where I describe what happened next!
  ¶ 4:47 PM