For the rest of the country, and the world for that matter, let me give you view into the crazy way the media has control of our lives when it comes to something we can’t control – the weather. It is January in New England. No beach days, no sunscreen needed. You can pretty much count on there being snow, ice and cold. No big surprises. Tune in to any local weather and one would think we lived in the deep south and were about to be hit with a blizzard. My local station has a jaunty logo for the blizzard, a news crawl across the bottom of the screen to keep me updated about the potential disaster, and I next expect a catchy theme song.
A day ahead of the predicted start of the weather system, major airlines canceled flights. Probably a good move, why wait for all those pissed off passengers to descend on your customer service personnel. Schools and businesses put out the word, “No one will be in attendance on Tuesday!” The panic of the weekend that brought out hordes to stock up on water, milk, bread and beer has now slipped into a holiday atmosphere of “Yeah! Bring it on!! We’ve got beer and a generator all gassed up.”
Speaking of gas, I filled the generator and snow blower then headed down the hills to town to refill my cans. This is one job where I miss my truck most of all; transporting gas jugs in a Subaru Outback is smelly and messy. The lines at the gas stations were expectedly long. I suspected more than cans for generators were being prepared and sure enough, in pure NH style, several trucks were gassing up their load of “sleds” hoping for some good powder to cover the trails. Instead of seeming impatient with the lines, neighbors were greeting each other happily and swapping tips. I looked for a tailgate party to break out at any moment; after all, everyone had lots of beer on board.
The Ashplundi Tree trucks lined the edge of the parking lot idling like diesel hippos. the workers were munching pizza and watching the show. They were gassed up, literally and, well, the other way I’m sure too, and waiting for the fun to begin. I didn’t see any women employees amid the crowd. Hmm, maybe we know enough to stay home regardless and let Mother Nature take her course? The cans slopped gas all the way home, I drove with the windows all down which only served to create a whirlwind of fumes and not dispel the toxins.
At the end of the day, all flights had been canceled at the major airports on the East Coast, the State of MA and NH have declared “States of Emergency” and all non-emergency travel is prohibited. I did find it interesting that the local news reporter was asked if the State liquor stores would be open on Tuesday. Priorities right? However, in all truth? We have had less than an inch of snow at 8pm. I have to wonder what the morning will bring…I’m off to fill the tubs, you can’t be too prepared…
10:30pm A dusting is beginning to fill the cat footprints on the deck. DEFLATE!!
3:44 am Less than an inch so far.
7:45 am PSHAW!
Therapeutic Misadventures 
Oh, I can so relate! The media always stirs things up — ratings, you know — and folks are only too eager to buy in to the hype.
I remember one such warning of an impending blizzard when I was in my mid-20s. Party at Julie’s house! We were up until the wee hours of the morning. Our hangover-ed eyes were greeted by crisp, clear blue skies at 7:00 AM.
The storm had missed us entirely and there were several miserable bodies shuffling off to work that day!
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Well that must have been embarrassing!
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While I am grateful that the storm wasn’t what was expected I do agree this sensationalism needs to go. Soon there will be that epic storm and we won’t be prepared because we will all have become numb to all the hype. A case of the weathermen who cried wolf.
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I forgot to add that I even received an automated message from the power company ahead of the storm on how to be prepared…reallY????
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Yeah, we got emails from the power company and also the cable company letting me know what to do in case the cable goes out.
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What I want to know is…. what were you doing UP at 3:45 in the morning???? You should have been asleep with Visions Of Sugar Plumbs Dancing in Your Head!
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Had to pee?
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Sounds just like hurricane season. Beer, chips, oreos, generator. Fits any occasion. (pretty pix, though!)
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I had 6 inches in my yard. It was a real non event.
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Getting more all day, but it is a very slow build
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Steve is suppose to fly out at 9am this morning. He told me there was about a foot of snow in the end. I’m glad I started my vacation early. The media has always had a way of trying to “stir the pot”
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We did end up with about two feet of fluff-factor white stuff. Is your trip west delayed?
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Nope, Steve just texted me, his flight out in on time! Tomorrow morning we head west – woohoo!!!!
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We got a lot of over excited pre catastrophe reporting over here too but when there were no pictures the next day, I stopped worrying about the imminent end of civilisation and thought, “They’re used to some snow.”
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Better to be prepared but seriously sick of the over-blown hype!
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The forecasters are damned if they do and damned of they don’t.
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We have the same here but, for us in southern England, two inches of snow would mean a bad year! A slight dusting means everything grounds to a halt 🙂
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Ah sounds about how the South handles snow here…no way to deal with it and since it is so rare, there is no motivation to be prepared…
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