Winter Storm, I Mean Blizzard...Nemo? Who Names These Storms?

Preparing for a blizzard.  They are calling it Winter Storm Nemo.  Nemo?  He was a cute little clown fish trying to find his way home.  Who names these storms anyway? 

There is plenty of food, water (vodka and lemons).  We have a gas stove, gas hot water and heat.   We have a flashlight, batteries and candles.  We have a portable generator in our shed which will keep our refrigerators and some small appliances running.  The shovels are in the foyer, along with a brush to clean off the cars.  My husband is still out of commission after a botched outpatient surgical procedure so the shoveling duties will fall exclusively on me with a little help from my sons.   I will also have to shovel out the neighbor as well as she is in her 90’s and has a heart condition.  But, at least the errands are done, and we are as prepared as we can be, so now we wait. 

National Guard plowing us out after the Blizzard of '78'

Another Blizzard of ‘78’?  I was a sophomore in high school at the time.  The all girl, Catholic high school I attended was about 3 1/2 miles from my home and for some reason, I was one of the last few students at school on February 7, 1978.  I don’t quite remember why, but I’m thinking the city bus I would sometimes take home didn’t come.  A couple of the girls decided to stay at the convent with the nuns and the rest of us decided to take our chances and walk.  No way were we staying at the convent for God knows how long (it wound up being a week!).  We walked a block out onto the main street where the bus would pick us up.  The  snow was falling heavily and the wind kept whipping the snow around.   A couple of tenths of a mile into our trek, a pickup truck stopped and let us all hop in the back.  He drove us from Smith Street to the intersection of Mount Pleasant Avenue which was approximately 2 ½ miles.   And I walked the last mile home where I rode out the storm with the rest of my family.  (Maybe I should have stayed with the nuns)! 

We had to shovel a path for Jason to do his business!  He didn't like the snow!

This afternoon, 35 years later, the automated call from the school department came, announcing no school tomorrow.   The Nightly News revealed that Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel is in Boston.  I always say when Jim Cantore comes to town, it’s time to get out of town.  He only goes to where the storms are expected to be the worst.  So after a Dunkin Donut and post office run early tomorrow morning, we will be hunkered down, weathering another historic storm, drinking lemon drops and watching Jim Cantore on The Weather Channel if we don’t lose power!  And shoveling.  A lot of shoveling...  

Stay safe everyone!