Snowmeggedon 2014

10 years ago…

Jan 7, 2014. Day 3. Food is holding out we should be good for at least a week. Frost is creeping in through the door knobs and hinges. I'm reminded of the scene in Day After Tomorrow when everything freezes over. Ventured out to shovel and came back with a face full of frost. Checked on neighbors. They are still alive.

Jan 8, 2014. Day Four. Good news and bad news. Good news is I have been able reuse and reform the candles to keep a continued light source. We still have Glow bracelets as a backup. Bad news. We may have trouble. I have been keeping an inventory of our food supplies. I've noticed a decline in chocolate chips. If this continues, I shall have to come down hard on the culprit to keep order. Tensions are rising. The boys are unhappy about continuing to do chores in this current crisis. They do not understand that it is to keep them busy and their minds off certain death. Also, there was a strange smell in the hallway yesterday. I might have been the neighbors cooking fish, but it may also have been something more dastardly. If the smell persists, I will have to check it out.

Jan 10, 2014 Day 6. Yesterday. Temperature has risen turning hard-packed snow into dirty slush. Spent the afternoon with the boys "cleaning up" the driveway and alley. Heard what sounded like a scream. One of the boys thought it was just a tire spinning the snow into ice. I couldn't see where the sound was coming from as it was echoing from behind several houses and a garage. If that was a tire, it was having the life choked out of it. We went back inside. Later, we went out foraging. Managed to find some decent stuff. Resupplied our coffee with some subpar 8 o'clock stuff but it was whole bean, so bonus. Better than reusing the wet grounds day after day. 

I've noticed more movement while we were out. Random people wandering in randomly, hunched over, slowly trudging through the snow making gasps of exertion as they go. Never looking up or around. Very eery. I thought of calling out to one, but decided against it. The hairs on the back of my neck and arms tingle whenever I saw one.

Had nearly a disaster last night. Cooked up some meat on the broiler, the kitchen was suddenly filled with smoke and then the rest of the house. The boys raced around the house to disconnect the smoke alarms, while I opened a window to let some of the smoke out. Took a big risk attracting attention and letting the cold in. With the supplies we procured, I think we shall make it.