Well They Finally Got It Right

This picture is from about fourteen years ago and the last time it snowed this much around these parts.

Last night all the weather guessers were predicting significant snow today. By "Significant" in the south means at least three inches. That's a lot when you rarely have it and are ill prepared for it.

Well they finally got it right. It started around eleven this morning, hasn't slowed yet and's almost dark outside. We've got well over three inches in our backyard and the pups are amazed by it. Ziggy can't get enough of it. He roots around with his snout deep in the snow and jumps across the yard like a gazelle. Charlie tries to keep up with him but a Bulldog's best qualities aren't running OR jumping.

I went by the grocery store after work last night just in case the "Weather Guessers" were right. Not one gallon of milk was left. I bought two quarts (should have bought four) and the usual...toilet paper and bread. I had a roast in my freezer, a pound of ground beef, canned goods, frozen goods and a bag of potatoes.

It's a good thing I went. Zach and his buddy left the house around one today to go somewhere in his buddy's 4X4 truck but were back home in fifteen minutes after spinning out twice. Downtown Atlanta was gridlocked by 2PM.

I sat warm and comfy at my kitchen table on the lap top watching all the posts about peeps stuck in traffic, at work or even worse, kids stuck at school after BOE members refused to cancel school. I cleaned out the kitchen cabinets, fridge and freezer and cooked up everything I could find. I have gas appliances but don't care much for cooking by candle light. Scared the power might go out or water pipes burst so I had plenty of food made up or cooked.

My  problem was currently am living with three grown men and they were eating it up as fast as it got ready. Finally got smart and quit announcing when I had something ready. I sneaked a batch of tuna salad into the refrigerator and secretly cooked a pork roast while they were eating the Hamburger Helper I threw together for lunch. I even cooked a huge pot of green beans. Then they finished off the Salsiccia Napolentana I brought home from work last and polished off everything else left over in the refrigerator from the past couple of days. I hid me a half gallon of chocolate ice cream in the freezer buried under a bag frozen okra. I made a nice Chipotle pasta salad and still have fixings for grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Made a gallon of tea and a pitcher of raspberry lemonade, washed up all the dishes then announced I was clocking out.

Bonus was, I was still wearing my PJ pants, favorite T shirt and bedroom shoes I put on this morning. The guys WERE good about taking the pups out back and letting them romp off and on all afternoon and taking the trash out for me every time it got full during my "Cook-a-Rama."

A friend of mine just posted on Facebook that she was on hour six of trying to get home from work. Lucky for me I was scheduled off today although the restaurant ended up closing anyway. We shut things down here in the south. I got lucky today, didn't have anywhere I had to go or be except the kitchen. Stayed home with the family, my pups, the neighbor's kid off and on and our "Renter".

Here's a video of Zach's buddy who is staying with us for a while playing with Ziggy and Charlie out back today. I'm not sure who had more fun.

As long as the power doesn't go off we'll be just fine. If it does, we're screwed. My father in law gave us about ten cases of those Kroger fire logs a couple of years ago and I had them all stacked in the garage. Last year my sister's furnace went out and gave them about half the stack, still with plenty for us. Zach and his buddy cleaned out my garage a few days ago and although they did a great job, when I went out looking for one of the fire log cases the other night when it got pretty cold I couldn't find any. I asked Zach where they all were and he said " I gave them to Mr. Lee, next door."

My neighbor, Mr. "Slow"Lee burns a fire about nine months out of the year and has more firewood in his garage than the Redwood Forest. I asked Zach why he gave it away and Zach said "Well, it's been out there for over a year and you haven't used it. He builds fires all the time."

For Pete's sake...so I haven't used it yet. Maybe...just maybe I was saving it for a really important time, like NOW!

If the power goes out, I'll be over knocking on Mr. Slow Lee's door asking for firewood, don't think I won't.

The kitchen is clean again, laundry is washing and I'm headed upstairs to watch Game of Thrones with the boys thanks to my FB besties, Shirley and Wick.

The temp isn't going to be over freezing til Thursday but have to work tomorrow night. I'll probably get TJ to drop me off, bring Bertha Benz back home and park her in the garage to stay warm then come get me when I'm done. That's the least he can do for the head cook and I'm sure he won't mind.

Til next time...COLD COTTON