Self-Reliance Test...FAIL!

Tuesday at work I kept hearing my co-workers asking each other if they were "ready for the storm". Storm? We have satellite TV and radio, and I don't really spend much time listening to local news, so this was news to me. It did start to snow in the afternoon, but I was sure (since I have a degree in meteorology...*sarcasm*) that it would melt as quickly as it fell. So, I went home, ran my kids to piano and proceeded to rest from my busy day, putting off grocery shopping for the next day. First the Satellite TV and the internet went out. That was ok...we decided to watch a movie. Then the power went out. Well, that was ok as well since it was bedtime. So, we went to bed. Katie woke me up at 6:30am to a chilly, dark house. Still no power. Hmmm. Maybe the news was correct! Kate plowed her way to the car through thigh high snow and listened to the radio to find out that yes, it was a snow day. This was great news, but the fact that we still had no power was a little concerning to me.

Did our flashlights have batteries that worked? No. Did we have our candles stored where we could find them? No. Was our car filled with gasoline in case we needed to drive somewhere? No. Did we have food to feed our family that didn't require cooking? No. Were we out of cat and dog food, milk, eggs and toilet paper? Yes. Did I suggest that we use the propane stove INSIDE? Yes. (Jason shook his head and informed me that although we would be able to cook food, we might die. Whatever!!) Were our 72 hour kits over 4 years old? Yes. (Mmmm. Beef Jerky.) WERE WE OUT OF DIET COKE??? YES!!!! CRISIS!!

I was starting to get a little panicked. (not just because of the Diet Coke situation) We stayed under the blankets and waited for our heat to turn back on, while we listened to the heavy snow breaking the limbs from our trees. Yikes. Our two big pine trees in the front are now splintered and in need of some repair.

Well, the power came on at about 4pm in the afternoon, just in time to make Gracie, Josh and our neighbor Shelby some hot chocolate to warm their cold little "snow fort making" bodies. I was grateful to have a good book that I could read while I listened to my children complain about being "cut off from the world". (ahem....Kate.) All-in-all, it was a day to remember and a day to test our non-existent preparedness skills. Yes, we have enough wheat to choke a horse in our food storage, but I am now thinking that I should be planning for something more like what we just experienced.

On the bright side, the phones at work were out yesterday and today. I sure did get a lot done!