how to survive the storm

Hello, reader.  How are you?  Cold is expected and snow this weekend–colder than usual.  I’ve been thinking of how to survive the storm.

A housemate mentioned preparations–he suggested we charge our devices and fashion an animal-proof cooler to keep outside.  I was more concerned about whether the fireplace in the living room was ready to go.   We lose our heat if we lose power.  Also the stove and oven are electric.

Last year at storm time, we didn’t lose power.   This morning I thought I might wake up to an intense howling wind sound.  But it’s quiet.  It might be snowing outside–I haven’t looked.

Do you have a storm checklist?  Or a to do list?  Ming bought toilet paper, bananas, spinach for me.

This post is literal, but often I need to plan for big storms coming in a metaphorical way too.  Moving is like a storm, for example.   I know it’s not time to pack but is time to sort, organize, and get rid of what I don’t need to bring to our new home.

For the literal situation, this is what I came up with.

how to survive the storm

When the power goes out, get my headlamp and put on a lot of clothes.  Layers, hat, socks so I can stay warm.

Cuddle Ming and consider bringing in firewood to start the fire in the living room fireplace, if no one else has yet.

Uncooked foods to eat:

• crackers
• chips
• fruit
• nuts / nut butters
• candy

People with more usual food needs can eat bread, tortillas, cereal.  We can have canned tuna if we eat fish.  We can have canned beans cold if we feel desperate.

We can see if the Little Free Pantry out front still has apples.  If stores are still open, we can walk to the grocery store for more snack foods.

power

Waiting out the power outage seems most important for us, in how to survive the storm.  We’re not super near a river that could flood.  And I think the power would only be out for a day or two.

I know where some wood is for the fireplace, but it will be miserable to bring in, in the freezing wet cold.  Never have I used the fireplace, and I don’t feel sure I know how to open the flue.  But I have faith someone else does.

Both Ming and I sleep with CPAP machines, so that would be hard for me especially, as I actually use mine all night.  It’s normal for Ming to have trouble keeping his mask on.

If we wanted to try sleeping upright, we could sit up in the craft room chairs and find a way to strap ourselves in.  Naturally we would crumple and hang off the chair sides.  So being wrapped up to the chair in a scarf might help.  As long as we could sleepily free ourselves to get up and use the bathroom.