OK, so there's a hurricane supposed to be on its way. Normally, in New England, I go "yeah, right, big rainstorm, whatever," and avoid making plans to go anywhere.
But this one will potentially combine with a nor'easter. And could get very big.
And after last year's NINE DAYS WITHOUT POWER after the Hallowe'en snowstorm? Yeah, fuck that shit. I'll take it more seriously.
Actually, I was barely paying attention, being rather caught up with writing and researching and knitting, but![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
eternaleponine WAS paying attention, and, last night, said "You might want to do the storm shopping early tomorrow, before everyone goes crazy." "Good idea," I said.
Last year, between Irene and the Hallowe'en storm, we acquired a fair amount of gear. A big picnic cooler (from CVS's summer clearance, so it was like ten bucks), couple of LED camping lanterns, and a small propane party grill. All of which came in very handy. And my parents got me a hand-crank emergency weather radio. So this year, we just needed fresh batteries, more propane, and a decent stock of canned soups.
So last night I got my grocery list ready (and hey, canned soups were on sale!) and put the shopping bags on the sofa where I wouldn't forget to take them with me when I took the kid to school, so I could go shopping straight after.
Wouldn't you know it, my monthly inconvenience showed up. With cramps bad enough to WAKE ME UP at 5 AM. Ouch.
My usual answer to that is prescription painkillers. The kind that warn you not to operate heavy machinery, OR DRIVE. Yeah.
So I staggered downstairs, had a piece of bread and butter to cushion my stomach, and swallowed four ibuprofen. We have naproxen, but I was scared to take it, because last month it tore my stomach up enough that it took a week to recover.
It worked at least well enough to get me able to walk without too much trouble.
Then I did the round of errands.
Grocery store: All The Food, and a couple of packs of batteries.
CVS: shampoo and conditioner for the kid that don't smell as awful as the current stuff, and Moar Batteries. (And some concealer and mascara. Not hurricane supplies, but a) on sale, b) brought it to $20 so I could use the $4-off-$20 coupon.)
Whole Foods: oatmeal. (Instant oats-and-flax, the only kindeternaleponine eats.)
REI: this was where I was going to look for bottle gas. Whoops, not open until 10AM.
Home to unpack groceries & see if we had any bottle gas LEFT. Nope, and, whoops, we're really low on matches for candles, too.
Out again. Target. Which is already out of propane (or perhaps just not stocked at the moment because this isn't really camping season). Has also clearly been picked over for lanterns, nothing left but the BIG ones. Pick up matches and a couple of butane clicky-lighters anyway.
EMS is on the way home from Target. They ALSO don't open until 10. And it's only 9:30. The plaza has a Starbucks. I buy coffee and wait. Coffee still sucks. Free wifi does not.
10 AM, hit EMS. They have propane! Also, they have Chico Bags, and I have been promisingeternaleponine one for a while, so she can have one clipped to her keys just like I do. We are getting REALLY good about I-brought-a-bag, enough so that we're starting to run out of the plastic ones we re-use for bin liners. So, two bottles of propane, and the convenient, environmentally sound shopping bag.
And now I am DONE. And I can take my painkillers. I will do the breakfast dishes, and then I don't have to do a damn thing except knit until it's time to make dinner.
Um. Well. And I should fill our spare sport bottles with water and stick them in the freezer to be convenient ice packs if we have to load the cooler. I didn't buy any frozen foods this time on purpose, so as not to LOSE them if the power went out, but that doesn't mean we don't already have stuff in the freezer.
matociquala is buying whiskey. I don't have to buy whiskey. I have plenty on hand already.
DONE.
But this one will potentially combine with a nor'easter. And could get very big.
And after last year's NINE DAYS WITHOUT POWER after the Hallowe'en snowstorm? Yeah, fuck that shit. I'll take it more seriously.
Actually, I was barely paying attention, being rather caught up with writing and researching and knitting, but
eternaleponine WAS paying attention, and, last night, said "You might want to do the storm shopping early tomorrow, before everyone goes crazy." "Good idea," I said.Last year, between Irene and the Hallowe'en storm, we acquired a fair amount of gear. A big picnic cooler (from CVS's summer clearance, so it was like ten bucks), couple of LED camping lanterns, and a small propane party grill. All of which came in very handy. And my parents got me a hand-crank emergency weather radio. So this year, we just needed fresh batteries, more propane, and a decent stock of canned soups.
So last night I got my grocery list ready (and hey, canned soups were on sale!) and put the shopping bags on the sofa where I wouldn't forget to take them with me when I took the kid to school, so I could go shopping straight after.
Wouldn't you know it, my monthly inconvenience showed up. With cramps bad enough to WAKE ME UP at 5 AM. Ouch.
My usual answer to that is prescription painkillers. The kind that warn you not to operate heavy machinery, OR DRIVE. Yeah.
So I staggered downstairs, had a piece of bread and butter to cushion my stomach, and swallowed four ibuprofen. We have naproxen, but I was scared to take it, because last month it tore my stomach up enough that it took a week to recover.
It worked at least well enough to get me able to walk without too much trouble.
Then I did the round of errands.
Grocery store: All The Food, and a couple of packs of batteries.
CVS: shampoo and conditioner for the kid that don't smell as awful as the current stuff, and Moar Batteries. (And some concealer and mascara. Not hurricane supplies, but a) on sale, b) brought it to $20 so I could use the $4-off-$20 coupon.)
Whole Foods: oatmeal. (Instant oats-and-flax, the only kind
eternaleponine eats.)REI: this was where I was going to look for bottle gas. Whoops, not open until 10AM.
Home to unpack groceries & see if we had any bottle gas LEFT. Nope, and, whoops, we're really low on matches for candles, too.
Out again. Target. Which is already out of propane (or perhaps just not stocked at the moment because this isn't really camping season). Has also clearly been picked over for lanterns, nothing left but the BIG ones. Pick up matches and a couple of butane clicky-lighters anyway.
EMS is on the way home from Target. They ALSO don't open until 10. And it's only 9:30. The plaza has a Starbucks. I buy coffee and wait. Coffee still sucks. Free wifi does not.
10 AM, hit EMS. They have propane! Also, they have Chico Bags, and I have been promising
eternaleponine one for a while, so she can have one clipped to her keys just like I do. We are getting REALLY good about I-brought-a-bag, enough so that we're starting to run out of the plastic ones we re-use for bin liners. So, two bottles of propane, and the convenient, environmentally sound shopping bag.And now I am DONE. And I can take my painkillers. I will do the breakfast dishes, and then I don't have to do a damn thing except knit until it's time to make dinner.
Um. Well. And I should fill our spare sport bottles with water and stick them in the freezer to be convenient ice packs if we have to load the cooler. I didn't buy any frozen foods this time on purpose, so as not to LOSE them if the power went out, but that doesn't mean we don't already have stuff in the freezer.
matociquala is buying whiskey. I don't have to buy whiskey. I have plenty on hand already.DONE.
