Saturday, January 23, 2016

It's The Big One, Elizabeth...

 
Back in the Seventies, there was a TV comedy called "Sanford and Son. It starred an elderly Redd Foxx as widowed Fred Sanford, a retired junk-dealer. Fred would constantly try to manipulate his adult-son Lamont by feigning a heart-attack. He would clutch his chest, look up at Heaven and loudly moan, "This is it, Elizabeth! It's the big one! I'm coming to be with you!" Lamont was on to the scam and never fell for it.

Well, we had the big one today. The biggest snow-storm ever in this region.

Fortunately, the storm came with a week's advance-notice as meteorologists warned all week long that a major blizzard was crossing the country. And it hit on a Saturday which was the best time for one to happen.

The storm (which is still raging) dropped over two feet of snow so far (24-inches) and completely paralyzed the entire region. Nobody went outdoors today except emergency personnel and TV reporters. Several thousand homes lost electrical power; fortunately, I'm not among them (yet). I had that horrible experience three years ago with Hurricane Sandy.

Normally I shovel once for a snow-storm. For a bad one, twice. Today, I went out three times to keep up with the endless snow. It keeps coming and coming.

With the advance warning, my and most people's homes are full of food. I had fresh ingredients to make spicy guacamole sandwiches for lunch today which were mmm!!

Honestly, my life has been so hard lately -- I had a huge trial this week which I won and earned a large fee from -- that I welcome the respite this storm is providing. Beyond shoveling (which I enjoy), I have no obligations this weekend except to relax and amuse myself. Which includes blogging.

Were you affected by this storm? What was the worst storm you lived through?

20 comments:

  1. I know that "Sanford and Son" line! I recognized it right away!

    Wow, that's a lot of snow - I've been seeing bits about it on the news. The worst we ever had here was about 3 feet of snow over a week, in 1996. It was a disaster - my city had 1 snowplow for the entire population, they had to call out the Armed Forces to help! I remember shoveling a trench down the centre of a main road to get to the grocery store.

    We haven't had any snow here in a couple of years!

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  2. I love your reference to Sanford and Son. The metaphor is apt, and the news is peddling fear like no other time in history.
    safety issues aside, and that is a whollop of concerns, with a full fridge, and reliable water and electricity, I find these storms a respit, too. A time to catch up, reflect a bit, call friends on the phone for marathon yacks.
    It Manhattan it is windy, and the snow looks deep where it has been plowed, but there are people out, many of them, enjoying the streets , devoid of cars.
    But I worry about the people I have come to see as neighbors, who live on the coveted warm grates and the corner near the 24 hour Duane Reade, the homeless.
    I donated to red Cross again, today, but the sheer cold of today (as described by hubby, and soon i will go out too- has me concerned for the elderly, the poor and the homeless. MY son is in Philly, as so far so good, but I have the phone nearby..
    I am safe and well, and glad to see you are too. I am so glad you won your case!

    I have lived though many storms, when we lost power about 10 years ago, we had to drive to a hotel that had back up generators, in very scary driving conditions. Once during anather storm, my son had am emergency after a surgery complication, and he was hemorrhaging- we all slept in the hospital that night, again the roads were treacherous, but empty, fortunately all was well there, and my son, did fine.

    btw,You must be in good shape to shovel like that! I am impressed.
    stay warm and safe!
    xx, Elle
    http://www.theellediaries.com/

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  3. Is it really the biggest one ever? I didn't realize that yes we shoveled three times too and yep it is still coming down! K-razy. And haha I remember my grandparents watching that show.

    Allie of ALLIENYC
    www.allienyc.com

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  4. We only got a little snow. I mean, I think 5" inches, so it wasn't nothing, but comparatively, it was. I shoveled this morning and it hasn't snowed any more sense. I'm hoping we're done here and think we are.

    Stay safe!

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  5. Wow! That IS the big one.
    We in our non snowy environment find it hard to fathom.
    Glad you had advance notice and could fill the fridge.
    Hope the power stays on!
    xo Jazzy Jack

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  6. I've been quite a few snow storms. I'm sure that doesn't surprise you. The worst I think were in Quebec. We lived on the 4th story of a walk up apartment building and in the middle of winter the snow was so high we could have tobogganed down from our apartment. I hated it. But at least when we lived there we didn't have to shovel. The apartment owner was responsible.

    Living here snow blowers are life savers when there is a real storm that hits. Too many people die from shovelling each year. Often people succumb to heart attacks. I hate shovelling. We bought a fancy snow blower some 6 years ago for big $ and it worked twice I think and then broke. Now it sits in the garage taking up space.

    We live in a great neighbourhood though and often I will go outside to see someone has shovelled the driveway for me. When it gets really bad the neighbour with the snow blower will sometimes come by and help.

    Good thing you stocked up on supplies : ) Your lunch sounds yummy. Being snowed in without any decent food isn't fun.

    I'm crossing my fingers we escape the remnants of your storm. So far, so good.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  7. Huge congratulations on winning your latest trial, Ally!

    We've had oodles of snow around these parts lately, too, though - rather uncharacteristically for the first month of the year - things have warmed up a touch this week and at the moment, it's raining of all things. Rain in January in Canada?! That's global warming at work for you, eh!

    Have a fantastic weekend, my friend!
    ♥ Jessica

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  8. Well done on winning your trial special one!

    I am happy to hear that you were prepared for the snow storm and that it is giving you time to wind down after a rough week.

    We are having really weird weather on this side of the globe as well ... We just went through the most horrendous heat wave and now we are drowning ... We are praying that the rain is getting to the drought stricken areas in our country where our farmers are suffering badly ... some have already committed suicide because of the devastation to their farms.

    Two weekends ago in an area where a lot of my friends live there was such a bad hail storm that prat of the roof of one of the large shopping centers collapsed. Fortunately only 3 people were hurt ~ it could have been worse as it was a Saturday afternoon.

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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  9. Well done on winning your trial- You are a hard worker and obviously gifted in your field, much deserved!!!
    I'm glad you have stocked off- I've never been snowed in before so I can't imagine it!!! Guacamole sandwiches sound tasty!!!x

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  10. Congratulations on the trial, you has smarts. Your account of the blizzard calms me, as does the thought of guacamole. I lived through the Boston Blizzard of 1978 - a monster. But I was so young, so it was a great adventure.

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  11. I loved the Sanford & Son shows, it's still on repeat somewhere in TV land. This certainly was a big one, it is all over social media. Glad to hear you are doing okay and making it through it. The storm elsewhere has brought some much needed chill to the otherwise hot and humid S. Florida air. Congrats on your win and sizable fee on the court case! That's awesome!

    www.dressed2dnines.com

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  12. On the West coast its almost spring. I did live up in Northern BC where this was just a routine part of winter. Then I moved south and they are not prepared for snow at all and we lived through the blizzard of 1996 it paralyzed Vancouver Island, I was living on a float home in the harbour and we had to shovel every 20-30 minutes to keep it from making us sink. We were good for provisions and did fine when we lost power because we heated with wood and had a propane stove & demand water heater. We put our foid that required refridgeration in the hull which was steel and everything stayed cold, We were stuck aboard for 4 days. Another float home sunk and a few liveaboard boats did too. Google Victoria 1996 Blizzard. Stay warm & toasty Ali! Congrats on winning your trial.

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  13. I'm so glad to hear that you were able to also take it easy this weekend, especially after what seems like some pretty chaotic stuffs happening. And anyway, staying holed up sometimes with some good movies/netflix and spicy guacamole sandwiches (which sound DELICIOUS) is the way to go. I hope you took it easy with the shoveling; I went out there at one point to shovel around the car some, but it took all of 15 minutes to feel totally winded.

    XOXO

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  14. Growing up long ago in a semi-rural area of Indiana, one lived in big drafty farmhouses that made up in shelves of provisions what they lacked in inches of insulation. There was no provision for heat upstairs, it being a scientific fact that kids didn't need it!

    The well-being of old or ailing neighbors was a concern during winter storms, however. I remember my dad using our sturdy Shetland pony as a pack animal to make deliveries of baked goods and sandwich 'fixin's'. Dads in town made these mercy runs using sleds. One family even had a real sleigh and a fine Belgian horse to pull it! Much more impressive than a snowmobile -- and more comfortable!

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    1. Wonderful stories of rural life, Beth. Thanks.

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  15. Congrats on the win, there are plenty of great shows to watch. Do you have a fire place?

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    1. No! That's the one thing I've always wanted and never had.

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  16. I've been wondering how all my US blogging pals have been doing during Jonas! The photos have been extraordinary. We're now just getting the tail end of it here in the UK but it's warmed up so no snow just cold, wet and windy. Fortunately, I've been in a really bad storm, just bad weather.
    Congrats on your win, by the way.

    http://petitesilvervixen.blogspot.co.uk/

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  17. If you come to East TX and say the words "Ice Storm", you will be meet with cries of terror, horrific flashbacks and screams. In 98 or 99 we were hit with rain, the rain froze, then sleet, the sleet kind of melted and then froze again - this happened over and over until the entire area was coated in a ice. Not a little ice. I mean thick thick dangerous ice. Trees and power lines starting to fall because the weight of the ice was so tremendous. We don't get weather like that in the south so no one was prepared and the whole darn place shut down a few days.Remarkably only one person died. An ice covered tree fell over onto his house with him in it. :(

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