By JT Pilaf
Monday, October 9th, 12:15 PMIt was a beautiful fall day. The sun was brightly shining, birds were singing, and the kids were playing in the sand.
I was dutifully waiting for my wife to direct me to go change my selected outfit for the day before we ran off to the Buffalo Zoo. It's the German side of me that always matches up dark socks with slippers.
There had been early weather reports that indicated that there might be snow on Friday the 13th, a dusting. BUT, for four days over Columbus Day weekend we had gorgeous, sunny 75 - 80 degree weather.
Thursday the 12th, 3:00 PM
I was leaving work and snow flakes had already begun to fall. My five minute ride home was serene and peaceful. It made me wish I had Genesis' "Wind and Wuthering" in the car so I could put it into my car stereo. BUT, how could I do that before Thanksgiving? What was thinking? That's winter music.
Outside the snow fell wistfully to the unsuspecting ground. Mustafa, the squirrel, seemed to spell out our doom. He was prepared, he earlier had gone to Consumers and picked up a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
4:30 PM The snow was not letting up.
5:15 PM We lost our power while the kids and I were watching Spongebob. I was bummed. I never saw that episode before.
6:00 PM It was starting to get dark outside. Being the novice camper I went in the basement and brought up our collection of Coleman Camping Supplies to ready us for the night. NOW, I know once the power goes off your not supposed to open your fridge, so we just had PB & J sandwiches for supper. BUT, Zach wanted milk, so he opened the fridge.
6:32 PM Candles were lit and we sat down to a game of Sorry.
7:15 PM After losing at Sorry I joined my neighbor outside to experience the happenings. Tree limbs had already begun to fall from their century aged Silver Maple trunks.
7:45 PM We put the kids to bed.
7:46 PM I tried to get a lil' lovin' from the Mrs.
7:47 PM She respectfully declined my suggestion.
7:48 PM I this time suggested that we adjourn to the bedroom and try and stay together. I assured her there were no ulterior motives.
8:07 PM With fluttering candles lit and our very own 4th of JJuly just outside our bedroom window (thanks to the lightning and power surges from the cables) I once again attempted to bring a lil' romance to our chilled home.
8:08 PM Damn, shot down again.
Friday the 13th, 6:15 AM
The power was still out and it was quite chilly waking up to get ready for work. I took an ethnic shower provided by Mennon's Speedstick and went outside to start shoveling. Yeowza!!! That's a lot of snow.
7:16 AM I went back inside to call work and let them know I was going to be little late. I was quickly informed that there was no way I was going to make it in today.
8:45 AM I got the van stuck in the snow at the end of the driveway. This is going to take awhile.
Even though the magnitude and weight of the snow caused a lot of damage to our trees, yard, and displaced us for six days. I didn't mind the experience. We couldn't watch TV, so we played games, talked, and read. It's during these times that families (in a hectic fast paced world) get to slow down and enjoy each other for awhile. I'm sure Zach and Emma witnessed Sandra, and hopefully myself, behave with strength and reason. It was nice spending extended time with my gracious brother-in-law and parents.
49 comments:
What a story! What a blog! Great job jff and fam. You know, some of my fondest memories of my childhood in the b-lo relate to snow days, sleeping in the living, and lack of power. Sounds like you soooo made the most of it!
living room. That should read living ROOM. Otherwise, it sounds like we were some weird cult.
You should have been up here. Good times.
According to Time Warner Cable, once all residents are back up and running and with cable; Time Warner will provide all Erie and Niagara County residents with 2 free weeks or premium service!!!!!
I called to verify...... November we will have two weeks of premium service!
Great Blog! Great Pics!
Jnna...we will probably be out of power in November! Enjoy our free cable!
Thrillie...used the notes for my workshop from our "computer exchange" tonight...thanks again for the free hookup! (Thrillie shared her internet connection with a poor non-electric chick)
Please don't disappoint me folks--I just set myself up for some serious banter...
Ummm... yeh.
Ah yes, fond?? memories of the ice storm of 76. Your kids will remember this event always and it does show how tough and resourceful we can be under the most trying of conditions. Great story nphw and great pics. I was hoping for something about Mustafa trying to retrieve his nuts from the snow, but it is so difficult to catch that little guy in action. This Friday will be a much better day than last. Need further clarification on "non-electric chick" reference.
Jff~ You sound so Zen about your 6 days. Can I have some of whatever it is that you're on?
I still have nightmares about my 5-6 days(1977) with no power, no water, no gas stove, a 31/2 year old and being pregnant with Adam. Unkie was out for hours every day . He said he was helping people cut up downed trees so we-his family- could benefit from the wood but he was very "beery" upon returning home. As for me~ I have never missed my wine as much !!!!
"Zenlike", I like that. Always remember folks, better living through medicine.
I can only imagine Unckie returning home a lil' "beery". Oh wait... every time we go golfiing we get a lil' "beery". No imagination needed for that one.
In my defense I must say that as much as I wanted to stay home and help with the kid(s) during the ice storm, our wood burning fireplace required a nonstop supply of wood, and all of the downed trees required my being out there saw in hand to sustain my family. I don't recall drinking any beer during that week at all. As a matter of fact, beer consumption would have been totally against my nature. I think that auntie must have been hormonally addled during her pregnancy.
my pa is, and always has been, a teetotaler. or a totally full of $h!t. can't remember which.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mom and I are headed to Syracuse to spend the day with Austin. We are so excited!
Have a great Saturday all.
The warriors were defeated yesterday 14-13 by the lumberjacks in the T-NT football game. The warriors missed a 15 yard field goal with 1:13 left in the 4th quarter.
So yes, Uncle Gary can rub it in for another year.
I'm headed up to the North Georgia mountains to find some pumpkins. It just seems like that time of year!
52 degrees this morning and I met a young lady at the grocery store in full wooly hat, scarf, mittens. Kristen, you're not in b-lo anymore!
have a great day all!
lil beery. ha!
happy b-day niece jll; have a good one in Charlotte. Not that far from north ga. so be on the look out for K. Ah yes, the Red Warriors fall again. Question: Did Uncle Gare sneak into the game again this year? It was a long standing tradition.
Happy Birthday Thrllie! Hope you had/ have a great time.
52 in Hotlanta???
Happy Saturday all.
Uncle Gare always roots for Tonawanda is Alma Mater, nebver NT. That would be me gloating for another year.
Boy, someone needs to spellcheck.
Happy Birthday to you, dear Jill!
happy birthday jill!
pumpkin outing successful!
Another "beautiful" day in WNY. I am sure that our Bills will bring forth the sunshine today as they proceed to MAUL the Pats, just as the Sabres humbled the Bruins in evening last. I think that I will go and watch it rain for awhile. Have a good one all.
I just returned home from Paddock Chevrolet, where Georgie and I were wined and dined until we decided to seal the deal on a new vehicle.
I purchased a 2007 Chevy Equinox. When I called Gram to inform her, she said "I hate SUV's, I am not getting in your car." Then she asked me to run her to the bank on Tuesday.
I will post some pictures.
Bills down 14-3. It's going to be a long game.
How can a referee make you fumble? Incredible. I can't think of any to say when I watch the Bills. I'm speechless.
They're basically the same in stats yet down 28-6. How can a team do that?
Uncle John always knew that these games were fixed and that ref knocking the ball out of jp's hands only proves it. New car for Jenna----YEAH!
Yeah, my dad says the same thing. It's either, "the other team has ringers" or "the ref's are betting on the games". It gets old after awhile.
Congrats Jnna. Don't park under trees.
Sniff! Sniff!.. I love the smell of a new car!!!!!!
Me too.
Thrllie got sick in Charlotte??? Hmmmmmm... Maybe one too many cold refreshing beverages would be my guess. Rick and I used to say we ate bad chicken wings. Unfortunately, there were bad chicken wings being served at one establishment or another every weekend for close to ten years. That could be a Guiness record.
New cars and plane bugs and all sorts of good news issuing from the koch household. Nicely done! Can we get a blog on these events, please???
23!!! Where do the years go? I thought the story would have continued with that southern gentlemen buying you drinks for the rest of the night. Hmmmm...
And HOW could anyone walk away from a 23 year old? Sandra and I started dating at 23 and I NEVER would have walked out on that prime real estate. Yeh Baby!!!
Can you tell that she's been gone for over a day now? In St. Louis, buying a hat.
I guess that I kinda missed yesterday, except watching the Sabres game. Will everyone even remember that there is a pro? football team here for the next two weeks? 23? Most of my ties are older than that. Sorry about that rascally stomach flu jll. The older you get, the fewer bouts of that you will have, probably the only positive feature of aging.
Morning family --
A little frost on the pumpkin here in "hot" lanta! As for me, I'm heading up north today -- NYC and then DC for some meetings. My only concern is if tivo will have enough room for all the monsterfest movies on Fx -- gotta love horror flicks from the 80s. They've come a long way with special effects!
Welcome back jll -- is charlotte a good party town? the evidence would suggest, since you were called "old" in a bar at only 2 years over the legal drinking age!
Frosty in Hotlanta? What's the point? Have a safe journey and "Fill the Flask".
Sandra's enjoying St. Louis so far. She's looking for a Cardinals World Series cap. Do you think she'll find one there? She told me that she's going to check all of the nearbye malls ($$$). Someone hold me... I'm scared.
Poor nphw jff! Just one more example of how the men in this family are overworked and underappreciated by their ever fun seeking spouses. I do hope that he was able to acquire the assistance of a Nanny in the absence of his wife. Hang in there J. better times are coming.
Have a safe flight KDH! I love your plane stories. I think that would be a great blog right there!
Oh snap!!! I should've gotten a nanny. Well, maybe Sandra will bring me a pack of airplane peanuts.
WWoow! Way to go Joey Lawrence! Singin' in the rain.
Wow...
I'll call you.
73 more posts and I can set a record. Unless a new blog comes.
Sandra's home tonight.... parties over.
I'm almost done with my book..."All Roads Lead To October", by Maury Allen. You guessed it, it's a Yankees book. I highly recommend it to all.
I miss Sarah Evans.
Who got kicked off Dancing w. the Stars??? I must say I am not really interested in the show anymore since my favs have left, mainly Wila and Max.
My mom was wrong...I didnt go downtown. Instead I watched The Break Up on DVD...It has some pretty awesome bonus features.
Ok well that was posted by me....Jill. But for some reason the site won't let me sign in!
don't feel bad jll, i came thru as anonymous one day too, still can't figure why. jerry got kicked off and probably not a moment too soon; he looked more suicidal than most of the guests on his regular show and that included the fighting midgets on Tuesday. He will be missed.
Did you know that they eat boiled peanuts in St. Louis?!! It is probably one of the most discusting things that I have ever attempted to eat in my life! Ohhh the horror!
Sorry I missed the "happies" Jill...hope it was fun!
PS:Zach lost another tooth...anyone want to contribute?
boiled peanuts are everywhere down here, and they are nasty indeed. I'm surprised they made it that far west!
Don't have much to offer about boiled peanuts or anything else in particular, but just glad to get jff's count up to the big 50. Enjoy the rainy weekend all. Looks like our biggie will be viewing Prairie Home Companion and Nacho Libre this weekend. I have a hunch that Jack Black will win out.
So did the sabres win? They don't so much cover hockey down here in the south. Thrashers? what Thrashers? And did anyone notice that the World Series seems to be over?
Having gotten a much earlier start than I thought I did (thank you daylight savings!) I'm considering heading out to the Bass Pro Shops 500 this afternoon. Is it worth the scrum of traffic? Is it?
No Bills on the tube today so lots of opportunities to accomplish some things. Actually, I will probably sit and watch other football games. I would think that anything that Bass Pro is involved with would be worthwhile---weren;t they coming to Buffalo once upon a time??
We just got back home from a lovely weekend in Butler, PA. Lovely spending it with family,definitely not the weather down there. Saturday was awful, so the kids went to the library and then later to the movies with their cousins and fathers; as sisters Sandra and Sharon got some Mall shopping done. I'll take the movie every single time.
Bass Pro 500... last I heard Stewart was leading. GO 20 car.
I heard that Jff..."you can take them to a movie anytime"...you're on!
'dope' that's mmy Homer Simpson.
Antie B, I can brief you on the Sunday liquor laws in most states. You just let me know next time you need that kind of information!
Wimped out on the nascar race and played golf instead -- looks like a good decision since it was kind of a boring race. Though how tony got his pound of wedge up that chain link fence, I'll never know!
I had no desire at all to see that movie... and now, thanks to your review... I can now go on with my life. Boy, Jason Schwartzman plumped up for the role. DONUTS!!!
Nice day outside today. I guess it's time to go rake and pick up dog crap.
Enjoy all and have a good one.
We should have a 'WEEN party. I'd love to pull ut some of the old costumes.
Post a Comment