A Story of Survival

Did you and your family survive the storm of the century? 

Here's my timeline of survival:

November 23, 2010

12:00 p.m. - I'm out running errands when I notice signs on various stores saying they are closing early due to the storm.  I turn on the car radio and listen intently to the forecast.  Nine inches of snow scheduled in Pleasant Grove. (This is great news.  My kids will have something to do during school break.) The Red Cross is getting set up all over the state.  I don't ever remember stores and schools closing before the storm has come, but hey, it adds to the excitement.

1:45 - I attend my 2nd grader's Thanksgiving performance.  He wanted to wear 2 pairs of socks to school that day to keep warm from the storm he heard was coming.  I talked him out of it after he could barely get his foot in his shoe, I didn't want his feet turning purple and falling off before walking home in the blizzard.

3:10 - the kids make it home safe and sound.  I sit them down and prepare them for what's to come. 

3:30 - I decide to go to Wal-Mart.  As soon as I get there, I wonder why I decided that.  Two days before Thanksgiving, before a big storm, and it's getting close to dinner time.  Never a good combination if I want to check out in less than an hour.  I see a friend there and she's preparing for the worst.  I look in her cart and she's got an industrial size snow shovel, chocolate and the best looking peppermint ice cream I've ever seen.  (It's even got green and red flecks in it.) She's got the right idea.  Forget the candles, flashlights and batteries....I start to change my game plan.

5:00 - still waiting to see a snowflake.

6:30 - I talk to another friend, who said Fox 13 news is at Macey's in PG.  She said people are fighting over carts, food is flying off the shelves, and the lines go back to the ice cream isle.  I ask my hubby to drive by.  I have to see for my own eyes.  It's true, the parking lot is packed. 
7:00 - We attend my son's Pack Meeting.  I ask everyone who comes through the door if they had any problems getting to the meeting with the blizzard and all. Luckily, no one had any problems.  Especially since no snow had fallen yet in Utah County.  We receive word that other activities have been cancelled. 

8:00 - I decide to be a part of the Macey's madness and make my husband drive me back down there.  He asks me why I need to go back.  I tell him to just drive.

8:30 - most of the lines are gone now.  But you can tell from the looks of the store, there had been a mad rush.  I see other shoppers leaving with emergency supplies, I emerge from the store with scone mix and coconut milk.

8:45 - we make it home and I tell my family to get in their pjs.  Scones and hot chocolate, tres leches style, are on the way.  Surely, if the storm hasn't come yet, it's on the way and we have to prepare. 

10:00 - Accu weather reports the storm is 20 minutes out. 

10:20 - still don't see a snowflake.

10:25 - A news report says that the storm isn't going to make it past the point of the mountain. I curse the weather man for making me eat three scones covered in powdered sugar and honey.

10:30 - midnight - the kids have gone to bed and we stay up watching Conan.

Midnight - I look outside one more time before going to bed. Nothing. 

Well, that's our story of survival.  Even though there was no snow,
we sure had a fun night preparing for it....

Forget the generator, scones were calling our name.

 The next morning we awoke to the 9 inches of snow we never got...

I hope you and your family are prepared for the next big storm,

a little scone mix and hot cocoa will go a long way...