Bread, milk, eggs, and the end of times

I went into the belly of the beast.

I saw the news reports about the coming snowstorm. Local weather forecasters were talking about the storm, the threat of double digit snow amounts, and the threat of electrical outages days in advance. They suggested that homeowners keep a fresh batch of food, water, and batteries available.

With all the hubbub, I knew that folks in my neck of the woods would be in a frantic rush. They would be making a last minute dash for the basics. However, I’ve been working on a couple home projects — nothing special, just basic fix-it stuff — and needed to make a trip to the hardware store.

Oh, crazy me. I cast aside my concerns and dove right in.

Boy, did I choose the wrong time to go out. What was I thinking? Traffic was heavy. It looked like 5:30 p.m. rush-hour traffic. Everywhere I went it seemed to be busy. There was a long line at the coffee shop. There were tons of cars in the parking lot. At the hardware store, customers were all looking for snow shovels and salt. Good luck finding anything. Of course, it begs the question: What did these people do without snow shovels up until this week? It’s not like snow is a new thing here.

“Oh look at that honey, it snowed a foot last night. I’ll be damned. I guess this means that instead of suntan lotion for the beach, we need to pick up gloves and a shovel. Oh my goodness.”

Really folks!

The coming Rapture

We get snow throughout the winter. But this time, we were supposed to get a huge storm and people had time to prepare. It was like The Rapture, the end-of-times concept held by some Christian groups, was coming and believers were racing out to the store to buy a new Bible and a new cross necklace.

“Pick me God, pick me. Look at my shiny Bible. I’m ready for ya. Pick me.”

If not The Rapture, then it certainly felt like Christmas Eve. Shoppers were all racing to get that one last gift. In another store where they still had shovels, a customer had two of them in his hands. It was like he was weighing both to see which was lighter or would work itself. He looked like a guy in the market for a new car.

“The Jeep would be a ton of fun. I could go off-roading. But the family van would be smarter. Damn it, let’s go with the van!”

I thought about stopping at the Grocery Store to pick up something to make for lunch, but I gave up that thought right away when I saw the packed parking lot. Shoppers were all making a run on last minute items. I couldn’t help but again wonder how long these people had been going without and why they all of a sudden had to make a mad dash?

“Oops the storm is coming. Oh damn, it’s time to get milk and eggs. I don’t care if I’m lactose intolerant, we need milk and we need it now!

Batten down the hatches

I’ve never lived in a beach town before a big hurricane or tropical storm, but this has to be similar. It was a surreal experience. You know something’s coming, but you also know that Mother Nature is a fickle sort. Would we get pummeled or would the storm miss us?

I was ready for anything. I half expected to come across a horde of zombies. Or maybe shoppers fighting over the last bag of salt. Or, quite frankly, anything.

A lot of things can happen or not happen. You take precautions and hope for the best.

Despite the rush Saturday morning, I did see someone who was well prepared. I drove past a local farm and saw that the farmer had his horses covered in warm blankets. The temperatures have dropped in recent days and it was good to see that he or she made sure that the horses were well cared for and prepared for the elements.

Of course, my good feeling didn’t last long. I turned a corner and passed a golf course. Yup, you guessed it. I saw a guy in a knit hat, bright orange coat, and shorts in 15 degree temperatures driving balls off a golf tee. For every person that’s ready, you always have that one guy who waits until the last minute or never prepares at all.

“Where is everyone, there’s no time like the present to hit a bucket of balls.”

I guess there’s always a pokey puppy out there. To that I say, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.