Weather Incoming

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

As I noted earlier this week, we have a severe winter storm approaching. It is accompanied by several sides of hype (bomb, cyclone, historic) but if it doesn’t fizzle it is going to be an interesting few days. As in we are supposed to go today from near 40 to -8 in just a few hours.

The reason I think there is any chance of a fizzle is because of our dear mayor, Boss Hogsbreath (aka Photo-op Joe), who apparently has called it historic. Given his accuracy and track record with such pronouncements, there should now be a line in Vegas for betting that it turns into a bad rainstorm.

Meantime, I’m as prepared as I can be. I admit, if more money suddenly appeared in my account, or someone called the Total Wine and More up on the north side of Indianapolis and arranged a gift certificate, I would go out so long as I could be home by about noon. Really don’t see it getting bad before about 1500, but driving and traffic are both already atrocious and getting worse. Besides, want to see if I can talk the landlord into letting me salt the entire driveway after the rain stops so as to prevent icing.

Fantasy aside, my plans for the day include cooking my Christmas entree in case we do have power issues, and maybe doing some almond flour shortbread. Entree is a play off some rabbit I had in France years back, which was amazing. It was flattened and wrapped around a minced mushroom concoction that was absolutely delicious. No rabbit, so going to flatten some chicken and do the same thing with some truffled mushroom mix I found. Put it in a pan, crust with pesto, and put in a bit of a very nice pinot grigio, and bake. The pinot grigio is one I found for about $5 at Aldi. Same one as Thanksgiving, and remember: if you would not drink a wine, you don’t want to cook with it. Going to serve it over mash, know I should have a green of some type, but just couldn’t come up with anything I really wanted. Going to have a proper English Christmas pudding for desert. Not sure it qualifies as a figgy pudding, but it should be tasty. No, not on the diet, but don’t care.

Which reminds me, there was no posting yesterday as I went and did my shopping early. I really expect it to be horrible today, and it was not fun yesterday. Had to hit more stores than planned even on my reduced list given some of the things that were not in stock. Oddly, hardest thing to get was some star anise, which I only found at my (least favorite) Indian grocery. I went early, thank goodness, as it was picking up quite a bit after noon. By the time I hit my FI/broke point, I was probably twitching like Inspector Clouseau’s boss in the movies. Don’t like crowds at the best of times (esp. after Iraq), and rude crowds are not a delight. Things were getting rude there towards the end.

Did I get everything I wanted or needed? No, but I got enough to get by for several days at need. I have coffee, and thanks to a very kind person I have some Sambuca to go in that coffee on Christmas morning (or tomorrow morning if the power goes out overnight). The last bottle of red wine in the cellar is earmarked for mulling at some point this weekend. BTW, you want a fruity red to mull, not a dry red. Easy to do: 1T whole clove, 2 star anise, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2-4 oz brandy, orange peel, and about 1T of raw honey (to taste). DO NOT BOIL! Heat gently until steaming and don’t let it get past that point.

If I haven’t said it before, do take advantage of various store frequent customer programs. The one for The Fresh Market has been really good at lowering my bill with both discounts and various certificates. Next time I buy coffee, going to get it for almost half off. Yes, they can get a lot of info from you, but you can set limits. Also, rules can say what they want, but there is no law requiring information to be accurate or precise. I usually decline to answer a number of (so-called optional) questions and if not allowed to decline, well, if some store thinks I am really a 101-year-old lesbian who makes $500,000 a year, well, that’s their problem.

Depending on how energetic I feel, I may go ahead and put up some aluminum foil in strategic locations. My room has a decorative fireplace (really hope no one ever tried to use it because even before it was closed off it would have killed everyone in the house) that I’m lining so the multiple pillar candles in the holder in it can really get some light out. Otherwise, not much to do to prepare.

Have told the housemate that if he does go into work tonight (good odds they may close anyway), that I will loan him one of my assault rucks provided he puts blankets, extra clothing, food, and water in it as his drive is interesting. Not sure going into work would be bad, but thinking getting home tomorrow morning could be more than a little interesting. Have warned him about sweating in severe cold.

Speaking of which, would there be any interest in a post on cold-weather emergencies and survival? Just some high points, because provided you are dressed properly, you can work in some dangerously low temperatures. Been there, done that, -45 wind chills and all. Really do need to share the story of some friends who had to open the freezer up so things in it would stay frozen, and close the refrigerator periodically to keep the contents from freezing.

Sorry for the ramble, but I didn’t plot things out this morning. Just decided to wing it. If you are in the path of this storm, be prepared. If not, be glad. Be safe and take care of yourselves and those you love as we approach Christmas. May the stress and worst of the season avoid you, and you avoid it.