The Last Day On Earth and driving in the Noreaster of 2009

Last night after work, I went to "Last Day On Earth" a.k.a. the grocery store, with both kids (while Steve worked on getting the snowblower started).  Evidence that the grocery was Last Day On Earth was the fact that the ShopRite in Jacksonville had zero parking spaces available and only 3 grocery carts left.  More evidence was found when I picked a number at the deli counter.  I was number 96.  They were serving number 74.  O...M...G.

So I shopped for the other stuff I thought I needed for the weekend... ground beef, chicken, steaks, cereal, a gallon of milk for the kids... not much.  I went back to the deli line, maybe 10-15 minutes later.  They were serving number 80.  O...M...G.  At that rate, I'd be waiting over an hour to be served.  I saw someone walk up to pick a number, and so I decided to give her mine.  She had number 110, so you can just imagine how enormously happy she was to receive mine.  Merry Christmas.  :-)

What I didn't contemplate is how homebound we'd really be.  "Hmmm," I thought, "this could be a good weekend to make cookies."  I had the ingredients to make Thumbprint cookies as I had planned to make those sometime soon.  "Ok, those won't take too long," I figure, "so I can make some chocolate chip cookies, too.  I've got all the ingredients for those..... oh wait."  I only had 1 egg, and I needed 2.

I have to go back to the grocery store, but there was a noreaster dumping snow on us.  Since Steve had already cleaned the driveway once, it would be no problem to get out of the driveway.  But the county had not gotten to our road yet.  Steve said that he'd come dig me out if I got stuck on our road but once I got to the main road, I should be fine.  I concurred, and it was just the incentive I needed.

I love driving in the snow.  It's stressful, but I think it's fun.  It's a lot more fun because my all-wheel drive Subaru WRX!  So I packed my list, and off I went.  The driveway was no problem.  The turn from my driveway onto our road was one big slide, but I had momentum, and cruised up the street.  I got to the main road, and it didn't looked plowed to me.  I really believe the only reason I went any further is because of all-wheel drive.  Without it, I never would have been able to get myself going again from a stop because the snow was deep on both roads.

Getting to the ShopRite was no problem, really.  I passed the snowplows clearing Sweet Air, which is a snow emergency route, and I could see the double yellow lines - but that's it.  I got into the ShopRite parking lot, and it was the exact opposite of the Last Day On Earth.  I wasn't even sure the store was open.  In the process of turning around, I nearly got myself stuck but again, all-wheel drive for the win.

I went to the SuperFresh and parked in the grocery pick up lane because the parking lot wasn't plowed.  The guy trying to keep the main driving lane in front of the SuperFresh clear was having trouble keeping up with it so he didn't have any time to clear the parking spaces.  It was definitely snowing harder at this point.

I went into the baking aisle, and the shelves had been ransacked of cookie-making ingredients.  I was stunned.  Reminents of the Last Day On Earth at the Safeway.  Clearly I had the same idea as everyone else, just a complete day late.  Oops.  The only thing I needed was powdered sugar of which there were still some items left on the shelves.  I picked up eggs and went to get butter - cleared out.  There was zero butter, only margarine, literally. More reminents of the Last Day On Earth!

By the time I got out to the car, it had at least an inch of snow on the windshield.  The roads were back to multiple inches deep, including Sweet Air which had just been plowed less than half an hour before.  I couldn't see the double yellow lines anymore!   While heading home, I had fun slipping and sliding.  Corners were nothing short of four wheel slides, and I had no fears about actually getting to the house. 

But getting up the driveway, that, I realized would be a whole different issue.  I tried to turn the corner, and didn't make it.  Backed up, got a small running start, and got halfway up the hill.  At this point, Steve's outside watching me and laughing.  It really was a sight.  I backed down the hill, got a better running start and got 2/3rds up the hill.  There, I just tried to will it up the rest of the way and miraculously, it did.  Good little car!!!

When I got out of the car, I said to Steve, "Not only do you need to change my brakes (existing request), but now you'll have to change my clutch, too!!!"  Steve laughed a knowing laugh... I'm not nice to clutches.  ;-)

Both thumbprint and chocolate chip cookies are baked, the driveway has been cleaned twice, and now we just wait until tomorrow to do all of the rest.