Wednesday, February 2, 2000
Wednesday, February 2, 2000 |
| Melting
through the ice storm with cabin fever By PAT
NEWMAN Boy, do I love winter in Georgia. The crack of ice-coated tree limbs, the groan of the electrical power surges before shutdown, the happy faces of children anticipating a snow day... it's simply more excitement than one can endure. With the prospect of a history-making storm blowing our way, I stocked up on survival foods Wednesday (bread, milk, cookies, peanut butter, cookies, soup, crackers, bananas and cookies), only to return late Friday for replacement items. (More bread, milk, cookies, etc.) The giddy high reached by my children Thursday evening when “Fayette County Schools Closed” flashed across the TV screen was sent plummeting Friday morning when the unblemished sole of K-Mart's final reduction sale boots met dry ground at 7 a.m. “There's no snow!” wailed the kids. “Now what do we do?” Suggestions of doing last night's homework or walking the dog went nowhere. Instead, Friday turned into a TV-video game-snacking marathon. Hence, the return trip to the grocery. But Saturday, weather reports were still warning us of winter disaster. A slight chance of snow, possible sleet, icy rain... yes, there were enough icicles dripping off the roof for my son to bat down, but still no real white stuff. A thin layer of ice coated the back deck; just enough to cause bodily harm. Are we having fun yet? Another afternoon chock full of family togetherness. “Mom, Nick chewed up the video game we got from Blockbuster.” “Stop that! You may not snowboard down the stairs!” “Mom, Julia took too much Monopoly money.” “We're hungry; there's nothing to eat.” Yes, a trip to the grocery store. That's what I needed to clear my head. As I headed through the automatic door, I decided to make this visit a vacation, not a chore. I cruised the aisles slowly, spent 30 minutes at the magazine rack and another 10 minutes searching for bubble bath that wasn't sporting the head of a Walt Disney or Sesame Street character and another 15 minutes selecting the best mango in the store. On the drive home, fantasized about sunny stretches of beach, tall tropical drinks and the smell of coconut sunscreen. The latest radio weather blurb predicted the so-called storm would slip out of town Sunday, but warned of a strong winter front slowly moving our way from California. Possible effects might be felt as early as Wednesday. “Oh, great,” I thought. “Another week of disaster preparedness. School or no school. Ice or no ice. Snow accumulations or dustings.” The big paper thudded into the driveway just as the power died Sunday morning. Scout-ready, I clicked on my Coleman lantern and zeroed in on the Travel section... Aruba, three nights from $399, Grand Cayman from $599... Crrrrraaaaack, tree limb removed from roof, $450. Boy, do I love Georgia winters.
|
