I guess a storm is how you happen to define it. Most people define it as an act of God in the form of say, a hurricane, a tornado, a rain storm, a blizzard. Me too, but I also define a storm as when your adult child empties her entire room out into your living room so that new flooring can be installed – and, one week later, half of that room is still in your living room. It is one of those “I want to tear my hair out” moments for me. Um, well, maybe it is more like a “I’m going to murder you if you don’t clean up this mess” moment. Take your pick. Oh, and if you don’t already know it – I don’t do storms all that well.
Well, in the middle of the “room mess” storm, our little corner of the universe gets hit with not one, but two and maybe three major snowstorms. Major snowstorms! On January 20th we had 10 inches dumped on us. On February 6th we had 24 inches dumped on us. They are predicting another 4 to 8 inches on February 10th! White is my world. So, God, are you mad at me?
During the 24-inch storm, over one-half of our condo complex was without electricity – but not our little circle around the north pond. I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I got a call asking if I could find a place to put up two women who were freezing in their power-less homes. Sure, I said confidently. Well, I called my absent neighbor, got his permission to use his unit and “Search and Rescue” was underway. Many of us called, knocked on doors, called some more, and we tried to be sure all of those without power were somewhere safe.
I hit upon the idea of using our community email list to let people know what was happening and others began to offer their empty units. It was really heartwarming. In a short order we had warm housing for anyone who wanted it, including a curmudgeonly man who would have rather been anywhere but where he was – but then he really wanted to be in his own home!
My two storms collided however, when a couple came to stay at our place. I am a very clean, neat person, with a neat, clean home. And here I was with a neighboring couple overnight on my living room sofa-bed right in the middle of the mess of stuff from my daughter’s room. Of course, we made our excuses, but I was so embarrassed I want to toss it all out into the other storm and be done with it.
For two days it snowed and snowed as we had guests of one kind or another, was busy feeding them and the others in the refuge homes, and trekking up and down opening homes, closing homes, and checking on people who decided to remain in their power-less homes. And, then the final storm – on the third day at 8:30 p.m. our electricity went out! Oh $%^&*! I said. Now everyone was power-less. And that is exactly how I felt. Powerless in the middle of three storms.
It’s over now. Well, almost. Only my God knows what that next storm will bring in two days. But, for now we are all warm and safe with well-lit homes. The room mess is still there…and although God gives us a break from natural storms, my daughter seems unfazed by the fact that she still hasn’t got her room re-assembled. God save my sanity – I’ll need it to get through the next storm, natural or otherwise!